Japanese Style: Tanka and Choka

These are varying sorts of Tanka/choka poems. Some have little... explanations in them just in case people are ignorant of Japanese culture, not that I blame you. :) Enjoy. There's a lot.

1. The end of Autumn. (End is coming, good times nearly over.)
The sun is setting faster. (Daylight = good times)
Once colored with leaves; (Colored leaves = memories of happiness)
The beginning of the end. (Autumn is the end of the lighter months)
Now covered in frost, (frost/snow = hopelessness)
the fallen leaves are buried. (Hopelessness covers good memories)
The light is fading; (See line 2)
Orange now gives way to white. (memories covered by hopelesness)
Such cold; there will be no 'firsts'. ( The coldness= Jan 4 to Feb 4, coldest time of year. Firsts: in japanese new year: First sunrise [of new year] first laughter, etc. There is no 'New Years'. Happiness is over with no chance of a 'Spring'.)

2. The sea in the spring. (a 'season phrase', used in Jp. poems to show theme)
My ship breaks through the early mist. (Haze over the sky at early morn)
Bow aimed for the sun. (Bow of the boat aiming to the rising sun, the east)
My heart filled with memory. (Of the last time he was home.)
The light shines on me. (as in a rejuvinating way)
Uguisu on my mast. (Uguisu is a type of Jp. Nightingale, a harbinger of spring)
I'll return to her,
my beautiful land and wife, (both lines: he sails home after a long journey)
to bring light to them once more. (to rejuvinate, like the sun. Get why it's called Sailing Spring?)

3. If given a choice
between life's strife or life's end,
you'll take up your sword.
What will you wield your blade for?
For what's easy, or what's right?

 

4. A singing cricket;
the stiff-armed straw man listens (scarecrows are autumn things)
to the moonlit song.
The Bon Festival goes on;
merchants sell their wares. (merchants sell suff at the festival)
The trees put on brighter clothes (Bon Matsuri is in autumn)
to welcome the dead.
Little lanterns burn and float, (The Japanese light lanterns to lead spirits back home)
leading spirits home again.

 

5.Accross the blue sea
to a land that I yearn for
she's sailing away
leaving me to be alone
the moon fades away
accross the far horizon
falling like sand through my grasp.


6. The little black ants
crawl like little soldiers
determined and brave
undaunted by the heavens
which pour down on them
tiny drops to one like me
to them, giants feet
crushing them without notice
they move on, searching
for what, I do not know
they still keep going
silent through their troubles
like them I would be
bearing all upon my back
like the hardy little ants.

(The one on ants I composed on my lunch wrapper while watching the scene it describes. It inspired me)

 

7.To the Horizon
Accross the blue sea,
to a land that I yearn for,
she's sailing away.
Leaving me to be alone;
the moon fades away
accross the far horizon,
falling like sand through my grasp.


8. Adelaide
Autumns crisp, cold nights.
"Don't the stars look beautiful?"
Even the trees sigh.
Lovely sights, those northern lights.
All things are peaceful.
Into the night we will dance.
Daring to go out, alone;
Everything is so perfect.

Reviews

[radian7]

I enjoyed this exposition of sorts. I enjoyed the class/ learning tone of some of the poems being explained by the author. I am without knowledge of these poem forms so thank you for the intro - 101. ;)