My Eyes Can't See Kamenosuke Ogata Midnight! Awake in this dark room, I don't know what the feet moving in the futon are to me 眼が見えない 尾形亀之助 ま夜中よ このま暗な部屋に眼をさましてゐて 蒲団の中で動かしてゐる足が私の何なのかがわからない #poem #translation

alone in the schoolyard and going crazy a horseshoe crab --Daisuke Kawai 校庭のひとりが狂うかぶとがに　川合大祐 #senryu #gendaisenryu #translation

immodest lilies 5 bloom open all immodest --Shinko Tokizane 百合みだら５つひらいてみなみだら　時実新子 Note: みだら - immodest, indecent, lewd, wanton Take 2: wanton lilies five open all of them wanton #senryu #translation

an unhappiness sensitive to men's lies --Shinko Tokizane 男のうそに敏感なふしあわせ　時実新子 #senryu #translation

gaining unauthorized access to senryu: sailcloth --Daisuke Kawai 川柳に不正アクセスする帆布　川合大祐 Take 2: canvas hacking into senryu Note: 不正アクセスする, lit. "to gain unauthorized access," also translated as "to hack (a computer)"; 帆布, lit. "sailcloth," aka "canvas" #senryu #gendaisenryu #translation

Untitled Early Summer Kamenosuke Ogata A ball rolled into the evening garden As I watch, quietly, an azalea crouches in the shape of a woman 初夏無題 尾形亀之助 夕方の庭へ鞠がころげた 見てゐると ひつそり　女に化けた躑躅がしやがんでゐる #poem #translation

we parted ways as if we'd see each other tomorrow --Shinko Tokizane 明日あえる人のごとくに別れたし　時実新子 #senryu #translation

socks stuffed in socks sleeping beauty --Daisuke Kawai くつ下にくつ下つめて眠る美女　川合大祐 #senryu #gendaisenryu #translation

Melancholic May Kamenosuke Ogata Lost in a dream of dandelions Soldiers passed by playing trumpets The soldiers and trumpets turned into dandelions Noon When I lay my face against the floor and shut my eyes, my body is absurdly large #poem #translation

defiant eyes your lips close them --Shinko Tokizane 強がりを言う瞳を唇でふさがれ　時実新子 Take 2: eyes that talk tough are shut tight by lips (The Japanese reads more passively like this) 強がりを言う, "to talk tough," also translated as "to put on a brave face" or "false bravado" or "to bluff" #senryu #translation

a place with the twinkling stars of sin --Daisuke Kawai 罪というきらきら星のあるところ　川合大祐 #senryu #gendaisenryu #translation

wanting to bother you and make you cry that, too, is love --Shinko Tokizane 困らせて泣かせてみたいそれも愛　時実新子 #senryu #translation

shaping the space into Yves Montand --Daisuke Kawai 空間をイヴ・モンタンにかたちどる　川合大祐 Note: Yves Montand (1921-1991), "Italian-born French actor and singer" #senryu #gendaisenryu #translation

I cried and cried and cried I cried so much munching on pickled radish --Shinko Tokizane 泣いた泣いた泣いた　たくさん泣いた　たくあんかじる　時実新子 Note: the original has some wordplay--"takusan naita, takuan kajiru"--(takusan [a lot]/takuan [pickled daikon]; so I tried to replicate it with much/munch #senryu #translation

my friend thinks miso potatoes are to die for --Daisuke Kawai 友人が味噌じゃがいもに死んで居る　川合大祐 #senryu #gendaisenryu #translation

House Kamenosuke Ogata I bought chrysanthemums and planted them in the garden Someone came and seemed about to say, "How boring..." so I planted them quickly Today again, quietly, November is clear 家 尾形亀之助 私は菊を一株買つて庭へ植ゑた 人が来て 「つまらない……」と言ひさうなので いそいで植ゑた 今日もしみじみ十一月が晴れてゐる #poem #translation

rabbit-ear iris I simply like people now --Shinko Tokizane かきつばた今淡々と人が好き　時実新子 #senryu #translation

from the toilet someone shouting rhinoceros! rhinoceros! --Daisuke Kawai 厠から犀よ犀よとさけび声　川合大祐 #senryu #gendaisenryu #translation

Concerning White Kamenosuke Ogata Fish bones are scattered in the pine forest (I have seen them three times) 白に就て 尾形亀之助 松林の中には魚の骨が落ちてゐる （私はそれを三度も見たことがある） #poem #translation

hickeys-- far, far away the cherry blossoms fall --Shinko Tokizane 愛咬やはるかはるかにさくら散る　時実新子 Note: 愛咬, lit. "love bite[s]" Take 2: love bites-- far, far away the sakura fall #senryu #translation

the moth dies and you and the gum stand there --Daisuke Kawai 蛾が死んでおまえとガムが立っている　川合大祐 #senryu #gendaisenryu #translation

A Peculiar Spring Kamenosuke Ogata The dandelions have bloomed. I can hear a marching band not too far away. お可しな春 尾形亀之助 たんぽぽが咲いた あまり遠くないところから楽隊が聞えてくる #poem #translation

the rape blossom wind is cold a married woman's affair --Shinko Tokizane 菜の花の風は冷たし有夫恋　時実新子 Note: 有夫恋--a neologism meaning "a married woman in love with another man" (lit. "married woman's [passionate] love") #senryu #translation

carrying bitter melons to the brain police --Daisuke Kawai にがうりを頭脳警察まではこぶ　川合大祐 #senryu #gendaisenryu #translation

Night Kamenosuke Ogata I wonder if night is something like a dark and unusually large city And wherever I look there is no longer day in night 夜 尾形亀之助 私は夜を暗い異様に大きな都会のやうなものではあるまいかと思つてゐる そして 何処を探してももう夜には昼がない #poem #translation

let mistakes be mistakes-- paulownia flowers --Shinko Tokizane 間違いは間違い通せ桐の花　時実新子 #senryu #translation

the curvature of Gregor Samsa getting old --Daisuke Kawai グレゴール・ザムザが老いてゆくたわみ　川合大祐 #senryu #translation

Rainy Holiday Kamenosuke Ogata When it rains in the city, the scent of cement hangs in the air x The rain seems like it's about to trip the feet of the train x The cars make the rain blossom In the city every house waves a flag #poem #translation

milkvetch and rapeseed this life's journey, too, almost over --Shinko Tokizane れんげ菜の花この世の旅もあと少し　時実新子 #senryu #translation

dodo droppings on the ruined map --Daisuke Kawai 燃えつきた地図にドードー鳥の糞　川合大祐 Note: 燃えつきた地図, lit. "the scorched map," is the title of a Kobo Abe (1924-1993) novel translated in English as The Ruined Map (1967) #senryu #gendaisenryu #translation

Raining Kamenosuke Ogata The night rain makes a sound as it falls. Must be dark outside. Even if the window were open, the rain wouldn't stop. In the room, the window is shut from within. 雨が降る 尾形亀之助 夜の雨は音をたてゝ降つてゐる 外は暗いだらう 窓を開けても雨は止むまい 部屋の中は内から窓を閉ざしてゐる #poem #translation

the man had a red tricycle at his house --Shinko Tokizane 男の家に赤い三輪車があった　時実新子 More directly literal: at the man's house there was a red tricycle #senryu #translation

iceberg lullaby a monkey in a box --Daisuke Kawai 氷山のララバイ猿を容れる箱　川合大祐 #senryu #gendaisenryu #translation

without uttering a single word, Mother simmers rice porridge --Shinko Tokizane ひと言も言わずに母は粥をにる　時実新子 #senryu #translation

putting the brute on the Train of Fools autumn --Daisuke Kawai 畜生を阿房列車にのせて秋　川合大祐 Note: 阿呆列車: lit. "Fool Train," an allusion to a series of essays about aimless journeys on trains written by Hyakken Uchida between 1950-1955 畜生: beast/animal, brute/bastard #senryu #gendaisenryu #translation

September Poem Kamenosuke Ogata (1900-1942) A nap The fragrant scent of a book A ghost was peering into the mirror 「九月の詩」 尾形亀之助 昼寝 かうばしい本のにほひ おばけが鏡をのぞいてゐた #poetry #translation

child on my lap: this weight is what I'm sure of --Shinko Tokizane 子を膝にこの重みこそ確かなり　時実新子 #senryu #translation

Dom Dom drifted away down the Nagara River --Daisuke Kawai ドムドムが流れていった長良川　川合大祐 Note: Dom Dom is a Japanese hamburger restaurant chain #senryu #gendaisenryu #translation

December Kamenosuke Ogata (1900-1942) Crimson-painted sunset Wind and Sparrows Dirt on the glass 「十二月」 尾形亀之助 紅を染めた夕焼け 風と 雀 ガラスのよごれ #poetry #translation

I pick up the thrown teacup, I pick up myself --Shinko Tokizane 投げられた茶碗を拾う私を拾う　時実新子 #senryu #translation

from blue cities and red cities the same grief --Daisuke Kawai 青の都市赤の都市からひとしい喪　川合大祐 Take 2: blue cities mourn no differently from red cities #senryu #gendaisenryu #translation

The Day Room Kamenosuke Ogata (1900-1942) On a plate on the table, An apple, a tangerine, a banana -- and The inside Of the day room Hardens like jelly inside a glass window Alone -- there is someone In the corner of the room #poetry #translation

the child grows day after day speaking cruelties --Shinko Tokizane 子は日々に育ってむごいことを言う　時実新子 Take 2: day after day the child grows more cruel (Very literal: "the child day after day grows up and says cruel things") #senryu #translation

the sardine hamburger steak of a resentful heart --Daisuke Kawai 人うらむ心のいわしハンバーグ　川合大祐 #senryu #gendaihaiku #translation

Rain Kamenosuke Ogata (1900-1942) Fourth day of rain-- And yet the pine needles are still sharp 「雨」 尾形亀之助 四日も雨だー それでも松の葉はとんがり #poetry #translation

cut down with a bamboo sword Mom decides to die --Shinko Tokizane 竹光で斬られて母は死んでやり　時実新子 死んでやり: to (intentionally) go and die. ("死んでやる": I choose to die.) In context, though, it might also be understood as: cut down with a bamboo sword Mom plays dead #senryu #translation

we are fish with lungs-- lingering summer heat --Daisuke Kawai われらこそ肺ある魚残暑かな　川合大祐 #senryu #gendaisenryu #translation

married ten years and I still don't know about love --Shinko Tokizane 嫁ぎ来て十年恋はまだ知らず　時実新子 #senryu #translation

the night before the typhoon, Smith wasn't there --Daisuke Kawai 颱風の前夜スミスがいなかった　川合大祐 #senryu #gendaisenryu #translation

a saury lies across the plate --Shinko Tokizane 一枚の皿に秋刀魚は横たわる　時実新子 Take 2: on one plate a mackerel pike is laid out #senryu #translation