PhotoTanka

[phototanka]

Sweet Jizou in Sanzen-in at Ohara near Kyoto - This tanka was heavily revised by Yashiro-Suzuki Minako san.

https://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Jizou

––———————

静けさに

小さき地蔵は

苔むして

幾多の人の

祈りを聞けり

––———————

shizukesa ni

chiisai jizou wa

kokemushite

ikuta no hito no

nori wo kikeri

––———————

in deep silence

little smiling jizou

moss-covered

listen to countless 

people’s prayers

[phototanka]

This Tanka was corrected by Ishimoto Masayuki san who is leader of Chuo ward armature Tanka union in Tokyo.

貼り付ける

額の髪を

かきあげる

若き笑顔に

汗の輝く

––———————

haritsukeru

hitai no kami wo

kakiageru

wakaki egao ni

ase no kagayaku

––———————

Sticking

Forelock

Combing up

In young smiling face

Sweat is shining

[phototanka]

This Tanka was revised by Ishimoto Masayuki san who is leader of Chuo ward armature Tanka union in Tokyo.

昼過ぎに

並んで座った

きみの影

優しくゆれる

木漏れ日の中

––———————-

hirusugi ni

narande swatta

kimi no kage

yasashiku yureru

komorebi no naka

––———————-

Early afternoon

sitting side by side

your shadow

gently swinging

amidst the sun shining through the trees

[phototanka]

This Tanka was revised by Sato Miwa san.

深き谷

雲に覆われた

静寂

墨絵の雨を

さまようごとし

––———————-

fukaki tani

kumo ni oowareta

seijaku

sumie no ame wo

samayou gotoshi

––———————-

Deep valley

veil of clouds

harmonic quietness

as if roaming in rain

drawn in an ink painting

[phototanka]

This Tanka was revised by Ishizawa Youko san and Ishizawa Yuuko san.

刻み足

漆黒の髪

なつかしき

祇園の小道

古都しのぶ春

––———————-

kizami ashi

shikkoku no kami

natsukashiki

gion no komichi

koto shinobu haru

––———————-

tripping feet

jet black hair

desiring reminiscence

Gion’s tight alleys

old capital recollecting spring

[phototanka]

Writing my own Tanka

Tanka is a Japanese short poem.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanka

I was encouraged by a friend to write my own. The first Tanka I created I used German but that didn’t feel right. So I decided to write the next poem in Japanese. Honestly without revising my Tanka by very capable and kind people I would have never dared to publish.

My Tanka are based on photographs I had in mind when writing. I think in every good photograph there’s a Tanka waiting to be unleashed.