About this work
Hand-knitted birthday gloves become a tender and awkward attempt to express feelings that words cannot convey. This English version is an editorial translation for access; the Japanese text remains available alongside it for comparison.
Parallel reading
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日本語原文 Japanese original
わたし意外と古風な女です
夜なべして手袋を編んでいます
もう直ぐあなたのお誕生日ね
あなたは知らないから驚く顔が見たいのよ
一針、二針と進める指先は
想いを込めながら優しい記憶に浸る深夜
どうか届いて欲しい
わたし意外と古風な女です
あなた色の毛糸は癒しの色
編みあがったらその手荒れした大きな手を
この手袋で温めてあげたいの
心はもつれた毛糸玉
うまく伝えたいから
はやる気持ちを落ち着かせて
もう直ぐあなたのお誕生日
「奈緒から・・・お誕生日おめでとう！」
後ろ手に隠した包みは手編みの手
「わたし意外と古風な女です・・・」
そういって手渡した手編みの手袋
ふと見た彼の手には既に素敵な革の手袋が
マフラーにすればよかったかな
悲しい恋の結末ね
古風な女は不器用な女
あなたは苦笑いで優しいわ
言葉じゃ伝えきれないから
不器用なわたしは毛糸と悪戦苦闘
愛は人を変えてしまうのね
こんな自分に戸惑うばかり
English translation 英訳
AI-assisted English translation. The Japanese original remains authoritative.
I.
I am more old-fashioned than you might think.
I stay up late knitting gloves.
Your birthday is almost here.
You know nothing of this; I want to see your surprise.
One stitch, then another—my fingertips move on
deep into the night, filled with feeling
and immersed in tender memories.
If only my feelings reach you.
I am more old-fashioned than you might think.
II.
Yarn in your colour, a colour that soothes me.
When I finish, I want these gloves
to warm your large, work-roughened hands.
My heart is a tangled ball of yarn.
Because I want to say it well,
I calm my racing feelings.
Your birthday is almost here.
“From Nao—happy birthday!”
Hidden behind my back is a parcel of hand-knitted gloves.
“I am more old-fashioned than you might think…”
And with those words, I give them to you.
III.
Then I notice beautiful leather gloves already on your hands.
Perhaps I should have made a scarf.
What a sad ending for a love.
An old-fashioned woman is an awkward woman.
Your wry smile is gentle.
Words cannot say everything,
so awkwardly I struggle with the yarn.
Love changes a person.
I can only wonder at this new self.
Original wording, author credits, notes and source materials are preserved there.