About this work
A poem links a white chrysanthemum with remembered youth, a singer’s love and the solitude of passing years. This English version is an editorial translation for access; the Japanese text remains available alongside it for comparison.
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日本語原文 Japanese original
シシリアから 坂道下り
霞町の 谷のひだり手
わが春に 迷いを語る
菊一輪 聞き入る風で
鉢は欠け 転がりたるを
持ち帰り 棚の静寂に
誰そ知る その後の日々や
いかばかり 迷ひて儚き
今ぞ知る 幼心に
白菊は 香れるいのち
歌姫よ 恋路を愛でよ
孤独寝の 夜は時雨れる
©JAR.July 21,2024
English translation 英訳
AI-assisted English translation. The Japanese original remains authoritative.
From Sicily, descending the hillside
At Kasumichō, in the valley's left hand
My spring speaks of confusion
A single chrysanthemum, listening to the wind
The pot is broken, rolling away
Bring it home, placing it in the stillness of the shelf
Who knows, then, the days that followed
How much did I wander, how fleeting
Now I know, in the child's heart
The white chrysanthemum, fragrant life
Songstress, praise the path of love
Lonely night, the night weeps with rain