まだ知らぬ自分に会ひたし路二つ会ふＹ字路に余光さしゐて

I wish to meet my

unknown self at Y-shaped point

where two roads meet

in the evening glow.

ある朝目覚めしわれは橙黄の光の花粉にまみれてをらむ

One morning when I awake,

I will find my self

drenched with orange yellow

pollen of light.

川上へ水はゆけぬと言ひ切りし片明かりせる頬のさびしさ

When he said

"a river can never flow upward"

the lighted-side of his face

looked lonely.

サンフランシスコ　芦屋　保土ヶ谷坂多き街をわれら住みつぐ

San Francisco,

Ashiya, and Hodogaya—

I got to live in hilly towns,

one after another.

砂時計逆さにしても帰らない蝙蝠(かはほり)の飛ぶ街川の路

Even though I turn the hourglass

upside-down, the time I walked

along the canal, bats flying above

will never come back.

一粒の砂目に入れば地下道を出でたる街にダリの時計が

Coming out of the subway,

a grain of sand lodges in my eye,

the town clock turning

a Dali's painting.

山の茸育てる　雲押す　君が窓ほとほとたたく　風のわたくし

I raise mushrooms in the mountain,

puffing clouds,

tapping your windows softly—

I am violet wind.

まあるくも四角くもなるゆわゆわと蒸気にもなる　水のわたくし

I can become round,

square,

vapors whirling white —

I am water.

物たちがたしかにその位置を占むる部屋フェルメールの絵の光のなかに

In my room

each object occupies its own place

in the light,

as if of a Vermeer painting.

朴の落葉を踏むガリヴァーの靴の音尾長のさわぐ林を抜けて

I hear the sounds

of Gulliver's footsteps

treading on fallen leaves of Hou-trees

through the forest magpies cawing.

湯あがりのうすくれなゐに匂ふかなに光る一樹のさくら

Cherry blossoms

shine palely scarlet in the sunny rain

scenting graceful

like skins after bathing.

静かさは殻光らせてあぢさゐの茎のぼりゆくまひまひつぶり

The most quiet thing

is a snail

ascending a hydrangea stem,

its ting shell shining.

「わたしのことはわたしが決める」青火花応ふる眉と眉の間に飛ぶ

When I say

"I'll decide my concerns myself ,"

blue sparks flash

between my eyebrows.

寒天に閉ぢこめられてゐるやうなわが歳月に光る手の来よ

Time and tide

as if in gel confined —

I wish a brilliant hand

would come to appear.

稜線に乱るる雲の裂け目より屹と投げかへされたる光

From the gap in the wild clouds

rolled beyond the ridge,

shafts of strong beam

are thrown back at me.

夕星がひとつふたつと見えてくるゆつくりと死がちかづいてくる

An evening star,

and two

come appearing visible —

Death threatening slowly.

寂しさは夕べの雨の屋根の色この電車には行く先がある

A lonely color is

rain on roofs reflecting

evening twilight

this train

has a destination

変へられぬ過去いふなかれゆく秋の夢違観音近づきたまふ

Don't regret

your unchangeable past

Yumetagae kannon

approaches me,

autumn passing

春浅き鳴門海峡の渦潮のその藍いろに身は捲かれたし

Early spring

wishing to be engulfed

by the indigo

of eddying currents

at Naruto Strait

万年雪残る斜面の岩穴に雫は日月を映ししたたる

On mountain slope

perpetual snow in summer

in rock cave

drops of water drip reflecting

sunbeam and moonlight

地の闇に生れたる雫は宿すなり水の精霊われの魂

The water born

from the darkness of earth

every drop

is the spirit of water

and also my soul

欠けしもの惜しみて孤(ひと)り悲しむは孤悲(こひ)ぞと晶(すず)しき水面(みなも)の風告ぐ

Lament alone

with the feeling of missing,

cool breezes like crystal

on the waters tell me

"Love"

東(ひむがし)の暗き山より月生(あ)れて川の流れを蒼く照らせり

The moon

appears in the east

behind dark mountains,

pale reflection　

on the surface of the brook

傷つきしわれなり山の春霞むらさきただよふなかに紛れむ

Broken-hearted

I'm going to vanish

into the purple

of the spring mist

drifting through the mountains

流氷の海駆る風はアラバスタ−の冷たさ　傷心のわれを凍らす

The biting wind

drives across

the ocean of ice,

its alabaster chill

freezes me, broken-hearted

かぎりなき桜花びら吹き上げて夜も日も風は酔ひ心地なり

Blowing up

myriad petals

of cherry blossoms

the wind seems tipsy

morning and night

「さびし」とぞそこに声あげゐるは誰風はそちらへ駆けてゆくなり

Who's there?

who says "lonely"

out loud?

the wind

rushes toward us

仲間はずれにされて泣きゐる幼な我の頬にも黄砂の風はとどきぬ

Wind borne

the yellow sand from China

reached even my cheeks

wet by tears

of childhood exclusion

わが意志と偶然が決める運命の風受け止めむディアナのごとく

Like Diana

I'll receive the wind

of destiny

determined by my will

and chance

君が雨粒わが雨滴のあひよりて蜜の露となる和草の上

Your raindrop

and my raindrop

become one

to rest on the soft green grass;

honey drops of dew

美しと心奪はれしその時に虹のやうにぞかき消ゆるなり

The moment

we are captured by

beauty,

it is lost

like a rainbow

恋ふならば激しく恋へといひたりき虹の七彩の秩序を越えて

"If you fall in love

love passionately",

it is said,

as if through a rainbow

with a spectrum of colors

幼稚園よりもらひしひまはりの種蒔けばの見上ぐる高さになりき

So tall

these sunflowers sprung

from my kindergarten seeds

this little girl

looks up so long ago

無花果の大き木の陰弟と乳にじむ実をとりままごとをせり

Within the shade

of the large fig tree, I played

at housekeeping

with my brother picking figs,

milky white oozing from the fruit

テニスして君と歩めば生垣のすひかづらの花夕闇に匂ふ

After tennis

with you I walked along

honeysuckle hedge,

the fragrance growing

sweeter at dusk

誕生日に幸せ約し君のくれしバカラの青き鳥　つねにの上

Your gift

on my birthday,

a Baccarat Blue Bird,

promise of happiness,

always sits on my desk

絹のごとき夜闇の語らひ終はらむと明けの水辺に蛍光りき

Lovers' whispers

in silken darkness

over now—

flickering glow of fireflies

by the waters' edge

小さき火を乗せし笹舟を流したり亡き人のみちびかれ来よ

Set a leaf-boat

adrift on the stream

carrying a tiny fire

so that the souls of the deceased

may be led back home

椰子の木の路連れだちぬ銀婚の日の海からの風の涼しき

We walk

along the street bordered

by coco palms

cool ocean breeze

on our silver wedding

緑濃き島よりきたりて湾に舞ふかもめは空のま白なる花

A seagull

coming from the green island

circles

over the bay

a white flower in the sky

今日といふは昨日(きのふ)にかさねるしろがねの箔なり明日へ光放ちて

Today is

a silver film of passing time

overlaid

on yesterday

glowing toward tomorrow

松生ふる小島をあまた抱きつつ湾は大いなる光の揺籃

Embracing

many small islands

embedded

with pine trees, the bay

is a huge cradle of sunlight

はるかより渦巻き見ゆる火の山の煙に島の在り処知らるる

From afar

great billows of

volcanic smoke

unmistakable sign

of the island

島山に集ひし雲より降る雨の水晶の水　島を養ふ

Clouds gather

around island mountains

bringing showers

crystallized fresh water

nourishing the island

とめどなく寄せて退く波　緑濃き島は茫漠の海の核なり

In the middle of

the endless movements of waves

this green island

the very core

of the boundless sea

この角を残して命終へし鹿朝霧に濡れみどり食みしを

Antlers

the only remains of the stag

who got wet

eating green grass

in the morning fog

しんじつの飢渇を忘れし獣園のキリンは寂しき首を延べゐつ

The giraffes in a zoo

no more suffer from

real hunger and thirst

look lonely

with their stretched necks

サヴァンナの岩にすわりて夕日浴むライオンはスフィンクスのごとし

The lion

of the savanna

crouched on a rock

looks like a Sphinx

in the setting sun

わが犬と野鳩が同じ陽だまりに　民族の争ひかなしめる日に

My dog and wild pigeons

share the same sunny spot

a day when

I am grieving

over racial conflict

猫なるか狐か知らず夕立の荒草むらに紛れゆきしは

Was it a cat

or a fox?

a figure

vanished into the bushes

in the downpour

川面より生れし蛍がゆらめける光の柱となるを訪ひたし

I wish to visit

the river where fireflies

emerging

from the surface become

a wavering pillar of light

毒針をもつ足長蜂みづからの白き泡もて巣をひろげをり

Long-legged wasps

carrying poisoned needles

enlarging

their nest

with white foam from their mouth

群るるなき銀のやんまは卵生みし池を後にし空に消えたり

After laying eggs

the solitary

silver-dragonfly

left the pond

vanishing into the sky

目覚めむとする体よりひぐらしの翡翠の胴のゆらり飛びたつ

From my body

on the verge of awakening

a jade-green

higurashi* cicada

seems to have slipped out

*clear-toned cicada

耳の奥に蝉鳴きたつる痛さなりき　幼くて病みし中耳炎は

Such a pain it was

a cicada sounding furiously

within my ears!

the inflammation of tympana

in my childhood

森すべて開発されしニュータウン蝉の声なく沈黙の夏

All the woods

have been developed

into a new town

silent summer

with no more cicada voices

人も星もおのれの軌道もつことの誰が決めたるさびしき摂理

Stars

and men

have their singular orbits—

who decided

this lonely dispensation?

しづかなる手が金の箔銀の箔おきゆくごとし星光そむ

As if a gentle hand

placed

silver and gold leaves

in the sky

stars begin to twinkle