Wednesday, October 23, 2013

生きるうた ー A new translation of "Song for living"

Song for living

1
In an open field
I'm standing all by myself

Without knowing I betrayed someone
I betrayed someone

In an open field
I'm standing by myself

2
I had some stomach trouble
Ate nothing for two days and
The morning of the third day
I drank half a glass of milk

Because it was so delicious
Because it was so delicious...
I ended up crying

3
A friend was talking about his dreams
With his eyes sparkling
I'm bored hearing that, I said
He was shocked and 
Sank into silence

I should have talked about my own dreams too
Even if I'd be telling a lie

4
The shoes I bought five years ago
I threw them away today
After I did that
Even though I can't wear them anymore,
I started to feel like I could still wear them

And my new favorite shoes 
Somehow became odious to me 

5
I'm looking at the sea
When I'm looking at the sea
I become quizzical about myself looking at the sea 
I feel like asking, "Who are you?"
And for some reason
I think about a dinosaur's face 
That scary and yet nostalgic face

— Shuntaro Tanikawa
(Translated by Naoko Ishikura Smith)


『由利の歌』より

生きるうた

                        谷川俊太郎


原っぱに
私はたったひとり立っています

気づかずに
私はひとを裏切りました

原っぱに
私はひとり立っています


おなかをこわしたのです
二日間なにも食べず
三日目の朝
牛乳をコップに半分飲みました

あんまりおいしかったので
あんまりおいしかったので ー
私は泣いてしまいました


友だちが夢の話をするんです
目を輝かせて
聞いている私は退屈なんです
そう言ったらびっくりして
黙りこんでしまいました

私も私の夢の話をすればよかった
たとえうそでも


五年前に買った靴を
今日捨てました
そうしたら
もうはけないのに
まだはけるような気がしてきて

お気にいりの新しい靴が
なんだか憎らしくなってしまいました


海を見ています
海を見ていると
海を見ている自分が不思議です
あなただれ?ってききたくなって
それから何故か
恐竜の顔を思い出します
こわいくせになつかしい顔を



1 comment:

  1. Probably one of my favorite Tanikawa poems of all time. In my opinion, the 4th stanza really stands out and makes me chuckle every time I read it. As soon as throwing away your old shoes, you feel like you could still wear them and suddenly your new favorite shoes start to become odious objects. Classic, isn't it? We're such mysterious creatures.

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