murmur of a river
with
Happy New Year
暮れ近き小川の呟き聞きとめて急かるるこころ抱（いだ）き佇む
I alerted and stood still
with a mind tending to bustle
as I happened to listen to
murmur of a stream of the river
I composed this one just after I started to learn how to do. I was in late 30Th and it was necessary for me to share almost all of my time for family of seven. So, the moment for thinking about tanka was quite precious for me.
At that time I was passing along this river by bicycle, and today I came here alone on foot.
Appreciating to have enough time for myself, I looked at a row of cherry trees along the river.
These trees were planted by volunteers about ten years ago by the river Akishino, which will remind you of family name of Prince and Princess as well as a name of a temple.
Cherry trees without flowers nor leaves let their bark shine flashing back sun rays of January, and now that I look closer I saw many tiny blossom buds.
Before, I found a wooden plate hung in one of the trees with a tanka that read, the life of Harry Belafonte who is singing an old Japanese song, "sakura", and that of mine are valuable, sorrowful in a same way and both are irreplaceable.
(ただ一度生まれ来しなり「さくらさくら」歌うベラフォンテも我も悲しき)
島田修二
What a shame that I can't recognise in which tree it was hung.
The stream of the river murmured.
" I have a flow, and so does time. Go slowly along the flow."
On my way home I saw trees rising up beneath the sky. And, New Year sky goes on forever above them.
17 件のコメント:
Hello haricot and Happy New Year!
Your post is very lovely and makes my heart
sentimental.
The beautiful stream on your photo reminds me of the stream named Tamagawa jyu-sui in Tokyo that flowed near my College. Of course, many cherry trees and ever greens were planted along the stream. I used to walk by the stream, enjoying it, humming, chatting with my friends.
Now, I think that I did not try to listen to the murmur of the river so much. I was too young to feel that. However, the atmosphere around the stream was surely a part of my college life with my good old memories and bitter ones.
As you show on your photo, I saw many tiny blossom buds while walking the other day. Spring is ready to come.
Thanks Haricot.
*Redrose*
I was walking along the same place to the Heijo Palace site around the end of April last year. All the cherry trees dotted along the riverside shed their blossoms and instead fresh green leaves were easy on my eyes. Water birds were swimming leisurely and quietly on the river and tortoises sunbathing on their stomach on the riverbank.
At that time, my close friend was in a crucial situation at the hospice.
Looking at the river flowing smoothly and gently, living things enjoying their lives
in a relaxed posture eased my mind. She is still living in my heart.
Happy New Year, haricot.
Hi, Redrose, Happy New Year.
Thank you for your interesting comment.
I imagine that the stream of your adolescence has a flow in your memory, and it is still shinning brightly.
The time of sunset became later day by day, and I can yet feel faintly sunlight at 17:00 these days.
Yes, spring is ready to come.
It is very interesting as the murmur of the stream sounded you differently in your late thirties and at present. The murmur of the river must be same always but the murmur will change depending on the listners.
Last spring, I took many pictures of Sakura here. I didn not listen to the murmur. I wish I had listned to it at that time. What did the river murmur to me?
You can find such a nice murmur in the river, I appreciate your sense as an Tanka artist.
Happy New Year, Cosmos.
To Heijo Parace?!
You live in Ikoma city, right?
What a hardy hiker you are.
I understand it might have been a consolation to see these creatures in peace, young leaves of cherry trees, walking along the river when your close friend was in a hospice.
I will try to do walking as often as I can this year, not so far distance like you though.
Happy New Year, Snowwhite.
It was just when I was writing some reply that you gave me a comment, then it surprised me.
I am a tanka otaku, maybe.
And I reaffirmed that I have been supported by making tanka, seeing the stream and listening to the murmur.
Your photos are splendour, and I remembered your writing about Sakura seeing the bear trees.
bear trees->bare trees ( correction )
Something important gets lost in daily rush. Your tanka tells you were awakend by the whispering river probably because you still had mind’s ear to hear that. As for myself, I feel things are speeding up even at my age, and tell myself to slow down.
The winter bare trees are shining in the cold, exposing barks and branches proudly. I’d like to be that when I’m pared down to the core.
Thank you for the comment and Happy New Year, Stardust.
As it was after some small family events, I felt gratitude for the time all the more I think.
Today I happened to have a call from my friend and was told that she had hospitalised at the end of the last year suffering from high fever.
Her doctor said to her that to get slow down is important to improve immunity. She is the same age as I and she also said to me to do things slower.
A very happy new year.
The soft flow. . .
Calmly.
Space-time is melted.
I hope you have a new year filled with good health and prosperity and joy.
ruma
Thank you for such a kind comment, ruma.
I also hope you have a peaceful and fruitful new year.
Your sensibility is deep. When you see a flow , many things are on your mind. I can't catch some things to see a flow but when I see sakura I feel some things. They are life of Japanese, 潔さ.lovely color etc.
Thank you for your comment, Sarah.
I walked through a plum garden today. Each of the trees had many buds and some were already going to bloom. I'm longing for seeing the various sort of plum flowers, and of course it is hardly to wait to see cherry blossoms.
I like the image of your cover and the phrase "smooth flow"
you have good year
Greetings from Barcelona
Hola, Beatriz!
Thank you for your encouragement from Barcelona.
I wish I could write and speak Spanish, a little.
こんにちわ
いつも訪問していただきありがとうございます。
私はharicotさんのように「日本の美」をブログで紹介しておられる少数の方々を尊敬しております。
・英語で書かれている
・撮影機材やデータを出さない
高価なカメラは素敵です。
しかし、私は伝えたい"美"そのものに集中されて
おられることがすばらしいと感じます。
多くの海外の人々は、"日本の美"を知りたいと熱望しています。
しかし、日本人は、ほとんど英語で表記しません。
最低でも英語で記述しなければ、"日本人以外"の人々は、
アクセスしようとはしません。
"世界へ発信"を標榜しているサイトにも関わらず、
"日本語表記のみ"というのが実態です。
それはそれとして。
haricotさんのブログが、更に多くの世界の人々に
注目されることを願っております。
ruma
rumaさん
どうもありがとうございます。
写真も英語も、いかにも稚拙と思いつつ、コメントいただいたりアクセスがあると嬉しくなります。
心に止まったこと、伝えたい場面などを自分なりに記してゆきたく思います。
コメントを投稿