Heavenly Maidens on Earth

Heavenly maidens on earth, wedded to fishermen and hunters,
always long for, unable to forget,
the days when we flew freely through the boundless heavens.

No one knows the joy I cannot forget
while life’s doleful grind of making a living
goes on from morning to evening with no respite.
As I draw water from the well
the heavenly light shimmers in it;
as flowers bloom
the heavenly robe of my past billows in them.
I sing to my children
of my yearning, whispered in the rain and wind
they learn it by heart
they may wonder what it means.

One day to console myself
I take a dip in ocean waves warmed by the Spring
my tears mix with the salty sea
the sky is far away, shining gold

Ah, part of me rides on a cloud
passing over distant ridges
Yet if I should someday leave
for that vapor-green
how my relatives will lament

Bound to the earth, while longing for the sky
on shores and in valleys filled with glorious trees
heavenly maidens on earth also grow old
as the years drift on with winters passing, springs arriving.

諸国の天女

諸国の天女