Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Shuntaro Tanikawa

Goodbye

My dear liver, it’s time to say Goodbye
It’s time to part with my dear kidneys and spleen as well
I am about to die
but no one is beside me
so I will say goodbye to all of you

You’ve worked for me for quite a while
you are going to be free now
you may go wherever you wish
once I part from you I will also be free
I will be just my soul, naked

My dear heart, I caused you trouble and palpitations
My dear brain, I caused you to think of trivial matters
My dear eyes, ears, mouth and penis, you worked hard for me
Don’t, all, think ill of me,
I was what I was thanks to you all

Having said that, my future without you is bright
As I will feel free of myself
I will have no hesitation to lose myself
to dissolve into dirt, to disappear into the sky
to become part of those with no words

さようなら

さようなら

私の肝臓さんよ
腎臓さん膵臓さんともお別れだ
私はこれから死ぬところだが
かたわらに誰もいないから
君らに挨拶する

長きにわたって私のために働いてくれたが
これでもう君らは自由だ
どこへなりと立ち去るがいい
君らと別れて私もすっかり身軽になる
魂だけのすっぴんだ

心臓さんよ
脳髄さんよ
目耳口にもちんちんさんにも苦労をかけた
みんなみんな悪く思うな
君らあっての私だったのだから

とは言うものの君ら抜きの未来は明るい
もう私は私に未練がないから
迷わずに私を忘れて
泥に溶けよう空に消えよう
言葉なきものたちの仲間になろう
Close

Goodbye

My dear liver, it’s time to say Goodbye
It’s time to part with my dear kidneys and spleen as well
I am about to die
but no one is beside me
so I will say goodbye to all of you

You’ve worked for me for quite a while
you are going to be free now
you may go wherever you wish
once I part from you I will also be free
I will be just my soul, naked

My dear heart, I caused you trouble and palpitations
My dear brain, I caused you to think of trivial matters
My dear eyes, ears, mouth and penis, you worked hard for me
Don’t, all, think ill of me,
I was what I was thanks to you all

Having said that, my future without you is bright
As I will feel free of myself
I will have no hesitation to lose myself
to dissolve into dirt, to disappear into the sky
to become part of those with no words

Goodbye

My dear liver, it’s time to say Goodbye
It’s time to part with my dear kidneys and spleen as well
I am about to die
but no one is beside me
so I will say goodbye to all of you

You’ve worked for me for quite a while
you are going to be free now
you may go wherever you wish
once I part from you I will also be free
I will be just my soul, naked

My dear heart, I caused you trouble and palpitations
My dear brain, I caused you to think of trivial matters
My dear eyes, ears, mouth and penis, you worked hard for me
Don’t, all, think ill of me,
I was what I was thanks to you all

Having said that, my future without you is bright
As I will feel free of myself
I will have no hesitation to lose myself
to dissolve into dirt, to disappear into the sky
to become part of those with no words
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
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