Poem
Mitsuharu Kaneko
Monstrous Landscape
Handgun, knife, axe,weapons of any kind are lying there, anywhere.
You can take any of them.
Pick up any of them.
The burnt field the colour of soaprock scarlet –
you can go sidewise, go straight,
you’re free to pick your way.
There’s never been such an expanse.
Bathed in blood and alcohol,
the setting sun
sinks beyond
the naked horizon when,
damn, what’s this!
Blocking my way, mushrooming
are nothing but phalluses.
Some even with an anchor tattooed on them.
© Translation: 2008, Hiroaki Sato. Please note that editorial changes made to this translation have not yet been approved by the translator.
This poem is a part of a sequence that describes Tokyo, reduced to ashes during the last ten months of the war.
奇怪な風景
奇怪な風景
拳銃でも、匕首でも、薪割でも兇器なら、どこにでもおっこってる。
どれでもとりしだい。
ひろひしだいだ。
鶏血凍の朱の焼原は
横にゆこうが、縦にゆこうが
通りぬけ勝手次第。
こんなにひろびろしたことはない。
血とアルコールを浴びて
落日が
裸の地平に
しづむとき。
えい。なんたることだ。
ゆくてをさへぎってにょきにょきと
男根ばかりがはえてでる。
錨の入墨なんかしたやつまで。
© 1952, Mitsuharu Kaneko
From: Ningen no higeki (Human tragedy)
Publisher: Sogensha, Tokyo
From: Ningen no higeki (Human tragedy)
Publisher: Sogensha, Tokyo
Poems
Poems of Mitsuharu Kaneko
Close
Monstrous Landscape
Handgun, knife, axe,weapons of any kind are lying there, anywhere.
You can take any of them.
Pick up any of them.
The burnt field the colour of soaprock scarlet –
you can go sidewise, go straight,
you’re free to pick your way.
There’s never been such an expanse.
Bathed in blood and alcohol,
the setting sun
sinks beyond
the naked horizon when,
damn, what’s this!
Blocking my way, mushrooming
are nothing but phalluses.
Some even with an anchor tattooed on them.
© 2008, Hiroaki Sato. Please note that editorial changes made to this translation have not yet been approved by the translator.
From: Ningen no higeki (Human tragedy)
From: Ningen no higeki (Human tragedy)
Monstrous Landscape
Handgun, knife, axe,weapons of any kind are lying there, anywhere.
You can take any of them.
Pick up any of them.
The burnt field the colour of soaprock scarlet –
you can go sidewise, go straight,
you’re free to pick your way.
There’s never been such an expanse.
Bathed in blood and alcohol,
the setting sun
sinks beyond
the naked horizon when,
damn, what’s this!
Blocking my way, mushrooming
are nothing but phalluses.
Some even with an anchor tattooed on them.
© 2008, Hiroaki Sato. Please note that editorial changes made to this translation have not yet been approved by the translator.
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