~Noriko Mizusaki~
I stayed in Nepal from October 15th to 26th,2003. The main purpose was to attend the Nepal – Japan exchange events planned mainly by Ms. Misuzu Fukuda and Mr. Hideo Kaneko. Luckily enough, I had had the happiness to join the poetic anthology, “Bouquet II” for both countries’ poets as well as translate some of them and check English on Japanese side in general. Of course, they did not forget a trekking to Himalaya area and visits to Katmandu, a capital of Nepal. To say a truth, I am working as an English teacher and some say my English is better than my Japanese. So, I thought also I could have worked for joiners.
The Nepal-Japan exchange events were held on 16th and 24th. On 16tht what I did not expect and I rejoiced much was that one of Japanese members could make haiku and I translated impromptu her haiku into English on that spot and received a great applause in English from Nepali side. The Nepali chief, Mr.Manjul, gave me a comment, “Haiku is much popular in Nepal, too.” I was very glad to hear that. I had known haiku was popular in Germany or U.S. It is also loved in Nepal, too. I have to report it on returning to Japan, I thought.
Besides, on the same day, during the event, one Nepali poet said, “I made haiku” and recited his tree haiku to us. These are as following.
We are
from the country
where dogs are worshipped.I have a desire
to wear
a garland of desiresNowadays
life pinches
even in a dream
Following the convention of English haiku, his works have three lines. The maker was Mr. Vihod Gauchah. At first I was listening to them thinking only he was kind enough to make haiku for us. But a little later when he gave me his explanation of his works, I got another impression. He explained the first haiku as “satirical, we are like dogs”, the second as “never been fulfilled”, and the third as “painful”. I did not understand them at all. His haiku were philosophical and at the same time satirical protesting against the darker side of Nepali life. At that time around, I did not know about Nepal at all, I realized. Nepal was full of sunlight. But, for grasping its reality, my stay was too short, only for two days. On that day, I was only an ignorant visitor to Nepal, rejoicing tropical plants and scenery at Pokkara, the first event’s place. He tried to face Nepali darker situation and protested it, I understood. He first taught me the higher quality of Nepali poets. In addition, Mr.Manjul gave me another comment that my haiku translations were explained too much. It meant that he understood Japanese language as well as English. The comment of haiku’s translation is very difficult. To say frankly, I was surprised. His comment meant also that he knew Japanese haiku literature, too. This is great!
On the tanka, I will tell you in brief. On the second event, on 24th, my turn for reciting came. I recited my poem included in “Bouquet II”, in English. After it, I happened to read aloud my tanka I had made in Japan, first in Japanese and then in English, to the Nepali festival music (sarangi and madal), wearing Nepali women’s costume (panjari).
I want to open like a flower
I want to bloom out like a flower
I want to dance with you all like a flower
I shall never forget the reaction then I got from my audience (including school children). Japanese tanka was revived out in English, to Nepali music and with Nepali women’s costume. And also with informal style! I shall never forget rejoice I felt when I explained to them that those were one of Japanese traditional short-styled poems, meaning a short song. They heard me surely with their two ears.
In Nepal, timely they had festival days for the goddess Vishnu and I saw garlands of the mary gold at places. They were the garlands for the festival. The flowers were shaped like the sun, indeed. The city was full of light. The hot sun. The orange color of the mary gold flower. Now I remember the precious memory of my Nepal traveling, which gave me precious experiences. Yes, we danced really. After the poetic recital, we all danced in a circle, Nepali and Japanese all together. I joined dancing, too, because everybody was dancing and they all seemed happy. I did not know Nepali dance, so I danced in my own way, remembering “the Flower Hat Dance”, which I had le bon-dancing of my living area, which I had learned on the occasion of our summer festival. But, to say a truth, I danced without any style, only to the festival music, imitating the next person’s gestures and so on. But I discovered. To Nepali music, Japanese folk dances suited well. I shall also report it on returning to Japan, thinking so, we danced like flowers. When we were dancing, we did not have to care about the boundaries, the difference of nationality and of languages.
(source : Writer’s Blog)
