Inside the Ark (translated Tanka and essay)
This is the translation of my Tanka the Japanese short poem and essay.
The Tanka is written in old style Japanese
and follows its format,
which is difficult for me to translate into
English. So the translation below Tanka is more like outline of what it says.
God bless you!
While taking a dinner, I saw a huge rainbow hanging outside the baywindow. I did not realize it was raining till then.
ジェノベーゼパスタ食べつつ
顔上げてふと見ひだせる大きなる虹
(From a plate of pasta, I lifted my face and saw, a great rainbow hanging.)
にじ眺めわれら家族は夕餉取る
箱舟乗りしひとらのやうに
(Like those on the Ark, my family took dinner, looking at the great, clear rainbow.)
まどかなる虹にみ神はなに言はん
窓のそとにはやはらかな雨
(Wondered what message from God, lays behind this rounded rainbow, while rain is softly falling outside.)
Somebody said before, that outside the Ark, those sinking made a horrible cry, those who died floated and went decay, that it was like a hell on earth. Despite the family friendly image of Noah's Ark, with many furry animals.
The door of the Ark is still open. Noah kept crying out till his voice goes out, about the coming flood and a way out of it. Come to the Ark, Come into the Ark.
But God already had the passenger list of that Ark, and that time, only eight people made it into the boat. Maybe it will be like that now too, but I'm not informed of the names on the list. Like Noah, I foolishly keep on writing, Come to the Ark, Come into the Ark.