Pathway to Japanese Literature

Gentle Songs I: Hyacinth Series, Fourth Volume
Swallow's Song
Spring has come—O spring, spring!
Though white snow still lies deep

―Grass Pillow

In gray, all alone, my dream clings.

O distant village,

In those days, snapdragons and sedge bloomed with flowers quick to fade,

The goat cried, and day by day passed.

It was filled with gentle morning——

Listen—in the spring sky along mountain ridges

Clouds you’ve never known are burning—brightly, even as they vanish.

O distant village,

I am waiting, utterly unchanged.

In those days too—today too—over there,

In this way, just like me, people must be waiting—

Eventually, summer days you’ve never known will return again—

I will go to visit—to your dreams, to my eaves.

Gazing at that lonely sea—the dreams did not end in blue.

Like a song, slowly...

In the sunlit spot, as always, a quiet shadow

was weaving delicate patterns—faintly, yet clearly.

Petals, branches, treetops—everything…

Everything—and then—sadly drifted in and out of consciousness.

I was waiting—wholeheartedly, I was
gazing beyond the mountains—again—
at the sparkling blue that filled the sky beyond mountains,
at floating clouds drifting away… smoke…
The old stream sang once more—small birds too
sang joyfully though no one listened.
Winds whispered to winds—faint words—
Ah, mysterious April!
I—my heart near bursting—
had waited for one who gently softens my days.

I was gazing… at the wind and the shadows…

To the child who loved thistle flowers

Ⅰ Repose

――To the Child Who Loved Thistles――

The wind flowed away at a certain time.
Through the picture-like pale green,
a single, solitary word of a person
was carried along—and everyone received it.
“Thank you,” they smiled while saying.
Amidst flowers beginning to open

In the unchanging blue sky
Overflowing with the song of bells, the wind was clear,
a bashfulness brimming with care,

Around it, with light wings,
exuding fragrance… it fluttered its wings……
Nothing was amiss.
There were no hunters or thieves.
It was a world of vast wind and light embracing all things.

II Ring of Rainbow

A warm fragrance spilling from the sky—
the angelic hand of a girl scattering flowers
peered down softly like a cloud.
You dazedly leaned against me and gazed at it.
Even when night came, the small birds sang; when morning arrived,
in the thicket, dew droplets glistened—pearls

In the thicket of smooth pebbles and blades of grass, the two
like gentle trees entwining their arms—trembled.
The wind that blew past caressed them with its smile and moved on
through the morning's damp air... And so—
the day dawned, passed, darkened, and passed away.
Your eyes reflected my eyes—and within them
the deeper sky beyond and stars that shimmered even at noon
gladly played that exquisite melody again and again.

Ⅲ Music Beneath the Window

Last night, late at night,

I walked and wandered through the town,

One window was closed,
The light was distant from me.
No—!
The light was by my side.

One window was closed,
A faint breath lingered.

How like a distant, tender song!
I stealthily imitated that song and sang it.

It was terribly done.
Like a broken flute of old!

I fled in a panic.

That was truly a mistake.

The light went out—where to, I wonder?

Ⅳ Twilight

The music came through clearly

Even though no one was listening

A small fugue through the flowers

It flowed through blades of grass, staining them.

Open the window and lean against it.
Just gaze at the shadow lying on the earth.

Ah—everything beautiful!
My body—

Outside—someone warm and fragrant encircles me

I whisper once more to you

Ah, transience! Stay—stay with this fleeting moment—
O ephemeral things! Perish with beauty!
Even amidst ceaseless music,
small birds and fruit fell asleep in the lofty sky,
the shadow grew long and vanished—and they parted.

V Folk Song

――For Eliza

The strings were strung taut, but already—

No one drew out any melodies from them anymore.

When fingers brushed against them—aged sorrow

Aged sorrow quietly returned... a small vessel of song.

One day—in that memory where a sweet song had dwelt—

People occasionally took this up in hand.

The bow lured a faint reverberation——it played.

(Oh, the long, distant flow of time)

――Long, long ago, wild roses were blooming

Wild doves were singing… back in those days…

And then, when that song came to rest in people’s hearts,

In time, a tender melody awakened their eyes.

Fingers intertwined within the timeworn song.

O waterwheel, O stream—you were beautiful.

When birds sing

Princess Shikishi’s *Hototogisu Sono Kamiyama no* Nachdichtung (Adaptation)

One day, when I heard small birds,
my heart throbbed.

Within the silence that submerged the ears

How gentle the sound of laughter was!

The color of flowers—true to their fragrance

The path of soaring clouds

Pointing—eyes following mindlessly

Amidst blades of grass—rested

Utterly entranced—the winged insects’

I listened to their hum as they traced small arcs

That song too still faded into that sky

Fading away—the cloud Fading away—the fear

The door of youth stood open—blue, blue
The sky’s hue blazed beneath the sun!
A cloying sentimental song—
That day became bright wild flowers.

Pine cricket grass, bellflowers, lily bells, and maiden flowers—

While calling their names, I picked them.

In the large circle of our arms,

At other times, bouquets made only of flowers whose names I didn’t know—

I put together a bouquet for you.

As if it were some kind of sign

You held it to your chest.

That day passed—that path and this path,
This path and that path—those who might distinguish them are already—
You’ve become someone else!

Like my current sorrow—in the thicket—
blades of grass not bearing a single cluster of flowers
lonely under clouded skies, swaying.

Alone in the woods…

I. Alone in the woods…

Even though no one was watching,

Blooming—flower and flower.

Even though no one was listening,

Birds kept singing—bird and bird.

A belated cloud drifted past the treetops

high in the sky—drifting away

In the blue, blue over there—the wind
rustles as it passes through.
On blades of grass—the shadow of blades of grass.
In the depth of its motionlessness—

Ladybugs are sleeping.

In a silence that sang—immersed,
my chest was an overflowing spring!
Tightly—
the pulsating resonance advanced time.

In midwinter’s remnant… …

Dedicated to Heinrich Vogeler

Not chasing, not being chased—in the shade of a withered tree
Standing—gazing—the pure white cloud’s
Upon the surface—my shadow cast—
(sadly—the blue form comes into view)

I am listening—yes!
Certainly.

I am listening—to that shadow singing…
It does not revert to a tearful, nasal tone.
Sings the melody of summer flowers from bygone days.

That’s a bunting—that’s a siskin—that’s a fir tree—that’s—
I… I am the siskin—I am the fir tree…｠ Unanswered.

I and the shadow gaze at each other—as if it had been that way once before.
The shadow listens—to my heart singing—
Like the murmur of an old stream—
The singing of overflowing tears… upon the snow’s surface—

To a Shallow Spring

Now—February—merely that much.

Spring’s whispers already reach the air.

But merely that much.

The promises of long ago have all vanished.

Now—February—merely once.

In the dream—whispering—no one was there.
But just once—
That person smiled for me.
Yes!

The flowers will bloom again.

And thus the birds sang on unchanged,
People will exchange smiles within spring.

Now—February—on the snow’s surface—they continued.

My disordered footprints… that’s all.

Merely that much—for me……

Gentle Songs II

Prologue

O quiet song—slowly,

Where did you come from—

Where do you pass me by—

Fade away?

The evening glow moves to end the day

At that moment—

Stars weakly fill the sky

when faint whispers begin—

Then swell into sobs,

like a chord—you, gentle song—

Where do you dwell within me?

How might that reach your depths—

I’ll return it late at night

when bright darkness brims?

Ⅰ In the Refreshing May

Like moonlight spilling—upon your cheek—

Though large teardrops overflowed and traced streaks—

How could I ever uphold that!

You silenced me…

“Star—you are radiant

Flower—you were beautiful

Small bird—you were kind

…I spoke into your ear countless times—

But not even once did I begin to say...

I love you—

《Do you love me?

Like the first rose blooming

Even though a smile surfaced on your cheeks that had ceased weeping.

Where shall I place my heart?

Ⅱ In the Autumn Woods

In that way

That cloud crimson,

In the light

perished utterly

I leaned my body.
You remained silent while turning your back.
Look—one has returned late.

A single bird was flying low.

To us, a day
seemed endlessly long—

To the clouds, to the birds,
and then to those twilight flowers:

Our brief life—
how envious must they feel?

Ⅲ In the Desolate Field

Now someone whispered to me—

The name of a flower and left.

The wind carried this to my ear

Like a day steeped in remembrance.

Now someone quietly

Rose to their feet—beside me
To small butterflies tangled in flight
As if reaching out a hand
Ah—but…
Why do I speak…I wonder

That person—it could be anyone—

Now, someone—far away—

Someone was calling my name... Ah, but—

I do not answer—you—to someone who is no one.

IV After the Dream

《Your heart—

It has become unclear.

My heart—
It has become unclear.
The moon hangs suspended in mid-sky
It hangs among the treetops—

Before one knew it，the wind had ceased．
The faint sound of mosquitoes buzzing could be heard．
It would pass just as it was！

Our surroundings—this quiet night

Surely someday—(that was a thing of the past)—

If only our heart could look back!
……
《Your heart has become unfathomable.

《My heart has become unfathomable

V Once More in the Fallen-Leaf Woods

When did it happen? Already autumn!
Yesterday was

It was summer… calm, mild days

Sunlight rustled within the woods.

In one spot where the grass leaves swayed—

When you returned from my place,

In that area, pale purple flowers were blooming.

And now you send word—
We can endure separation—
In the clear sky—a great reverberation
Resounding—like a departure

I look at the clouds—I look at distant mountain ranges.
You look at the clouds—you look at distant mountain ranges.
But already—the two gazes have begun to drift apart…
When will the day arrive—the day you return to fulfill?

Ⅵ Morning
Your heart—of bright flowers
like a cluster—always—
speaks to my awakened heart.

《A transient morning’s—this clear sky, blue sky

From my wounded heart—

The one who pulled out the thorns was your heart’s

An innocent smile—and then

It’s the innocent chatter of your heart—

Ah, the wind is blowing. A cool wind.

Grass, tree leaves, the rippling stream—
As if responding, they rustle.
Newly—everything was born!

As the mist spills over and dries away—
Small birds and butterflies soar high in the midday sky.

VII Once More at Noon

As for me now—the distant blue skies and drifting clouds—

There would be no song…

in the white light of noon

You are standing by my side.

Not flowers, not birds
limitless your love
If you believe, then that is enough.

I can only gaze at you.

May you keep smiling like that forever.

Aged travelers and night—how could they sing of the distant past?

May there be songs for you

In the light where nothing intrudes

You are alive—I am alive.

This is everything!
……around our cramped selves.

VIII In the Afternoon

Treading a lonely rhythm

The goat was quietly eating grass.

That green food surpassed our own.

What a beautiful meal this must be!
My hunger, however, cannot attain that—
It cannot reach it.
My heart trembles even more desolately
For the mistakes I made and the lies I told—
Reflected in the calm beast’s eyes.

Look at the color of the sky!

〈What do I have?

〈What do I have?〉

Ah, treading a lonely rhythm

The goat is quietly eating grass.

IX In the Shadow of the Trees

Within daily life,

it had been poignantly inconspicuous—

that word—now,

how large it has grown!

Within you,

within me,

it has taken root...

Outside,

light spills over,

yet still

it shines brighter.

Now we rest.

Within this deep ear we both hold,

profoundly, the wind whispers past.

On the spring's surface, small waves
trembled ceaselessly... our
for the light captured by hands

X What I Dreamed Of…

What I dreamed of was a single happiness.

What I wished for was a single love.

Beyond the mountain range lay a quiet village.

There was a bright Sunday’s blue sky.

Country girls holding parasols,

Dressed up and singing songs,

Formed a large, round circle.

Country girls were dancing.

Announcing and singing was

A single small bird with blue wings

On a low branch, singing.

What I dreamed of was a single love.

What I wished for was a single happiness.

All of those things are here—