About this work
A journey through the cedar-lined road to Nikko becomes an image of a difficult love and a fate two people hope to share. This English version is an editorial translation for access; the Japanese text remains available alongside it for comparison.
Parallel reading
日本語と英語で読む
Read the Japanese original and its English translation together. On smaller screens, each language follows in sequence.
日本語原文 Japanese original
日光街道の杉の並木道
夜明けの蒼き森を抜けて
あなたと共に走り抜けた
まだ長くこの道は続くから
ずっと行く先だけを見つめる
神の住む国は森の果てにあるという
閉塞気味で呼吸し辛い
僕の魂は敏感にそれを感じているから。
同じ時を過ごす運命
暗い運命は二人で分けてと、詩人は言った
共に暮らそう昔の儘でと
それはままならぬ恋の旅路だと知っていて
幻にしたくないからなんだろう
固くきつく指と指をからませ
君は無言のままで言う。
English translation 英訳
AI-assisted English translation. The Japanese original remains authoritative.
A Dark Fate
Sadame
Kaoru Kitami
2023.8.1
Along the cedar-lined road of Nikko Highway
Through the pale blue forest at dawn
We ran together
This road still has a long way to go
So I keep my eyes fixed on the path ahead
The land where the gods dwell lies at the end of the forest
It's hard to breathe, feeling cramped
My soul, sensitive, feels this
The fate of sharing the same time
A Dark Fate, the poet said, is something we must split between
Let us live as we once did together
Knowing that this is a journey of love that cannot be realized
Perhaps that's why I want to make it a dream
Clasping our fingers tightly
You remain silent
Original wording, author credits, notes and source materials are preserved there.