From: Magokoro's heart & soul
By: Magokoro
ISBN: N/A
By: Magokoro
ISBN: N/A
walking through a red Shinto sacred arch
My mum tenderly spoke to me
Shall we go and find out what we can see over there?
Holding my hand, she was humming a soft tune of Japanese lullaby
Walking through a red Shinto sacred arch,
there I found a big old gingko tree carpeted with its yellow leaves
The patter of my little feet echoed in the sacred Shinto shrine along with our laughter
The leaves were so soft that they danced like yellow butterflies
with a chilly Japanese autumn wind
standing by a red Shinto sacred arch
Her humming was like a warm woolly blanket to my ear
Chilly Japanese wind seemed to be shunning me
though it touched my redden cheeks with its blow
Her humming pulled me towards a sanctuary which existed in her soul
Standing by a red Shinto sacred arch
I scattered a handful of gingko leaves into the air
the butterflies once again danced with the autumn wind
The sun reflected their vivid yellowness contrasting with the blue sky above me
One gingko leaf landed on my glossy black hair
my mum smiled saying” you have a butterfly resting on your head.”
The red Shinto sacred arch, it has disappeared into the past
Here I stand by a big old gingko tree under the cloudless autumn sky faraway from home
Its yellow leaves still remain,
My glossy black hair still remains
And yet, what has changed since then?
No humming reaches to my ear
Her lullaby no longer pulls me towards her sanctuary
The chilly wind is no longer shunning me and it seems to be blowing right through my soul
The leaves retaining their vivid yellowness are now dancing with my welling up tears
Is there a gingko tree up there, mum?
Are you humming a tune of any sort?
いちょうの木
赤い鳥居をくぐりぬけ
何が見えるか見に行こう
母は私の手をつなぎ
鼻歌まじりに私をいざなう
赤い鳥居のその先に
見えてきたのはいちょうの木
黄色い落ち葉は柔らかく
歩くたびに宙に舞う
紋黄蝶のようであり
華麗にはかなく宙を舞う
赤い鳥居のそばに立ち
母の鼻歌ここちよく
両手いっぱい抱えたいちょうの落ち葉
幼い私は空へと散らす
赤い鳥居のその先で
幼い私の黒髪に
風とともに舞い降りた
紋黄蝶を手にとって
“ちょうちょうだね”といいながら
母は私に優しく微笑む
赤い鳥居は過去となり
今立つ私の目の前に
大きくそびえるいちょうの木
黒髪こそは残っても
母のぬくもりそばになく
いちょうの黄色が涙に踊る