Wednesday, September 14, 2016

One Man's Maple Moon: Honking Geese Tanka by Tim Gardiner

English Original

honking geese
pass over rooftops
same time each evening --
such loneliness
in close formations

Blithe Spirit, 25:1, 2015

Tim Gardiner


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

每晚同時間
一群鵝飛越屋頂
高聲鳴叫 --
在緊密相連的群體中
這種孤寂感

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

每晚同时间
一群鹅飞越屋顶
高声鸣叫 --
在紧密相连的群体中
这种孤寂感 


Bio Sketch

Dr Tim Gardiner is an ecologist and poet from Manningtree in Essex, UK. His haiku and tanka have been published in literary magazines including Blithe Spirit, Frogpond, and Presence. His first collection of poetry, Wilderness, was published by Brambleby Books in 2015. He has published many scientific papers on natural history and several books, including one about glow-worms.

1 comment:

  1. Structured into two parts and made up of five poetic phrases (five ku), Tim's tanka employs the technique of "kibutsu chinshi" (literally, "expressing one's thought through things, especially through natural images")to project the narrator's inner state.

    A flock of honking geese passing over roofs at the same time every evening functions not only as an immediate scene but also as a projection of the narrator's emotive state. And "same time each evening" is well placed structurally and emotionally.

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