He doesn’t lose rain, doesn’t lose wind. He doesn’t lose winter and he is hot as a summer’s day. He has a strong body, and he doesn’t have desire, never got angry, always smiles quietly. He eats some rough rice and a few vegetables every day.
I want to be a man such as he.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
He doesn't lose rain, doesn't lose wind...
Last week, I mentioned an assignment where students wrote about their future dreams. We continued the lesson with other classes this week and this one student’s writing really stood out for me. I liked it so much that I copied into my notebook to bring to parties and such. Anyway, I should let him speak for himself:
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here is a translation of the original work, by Miyazawa Kenji
ReplyDeleteStrong in the Rain
Strong in the rain
Strong in the wind
Strong against the summer heat and snow
He is healthy and robust
Free from desire
He never loses his temper
Nor the quiet smile on his lips
He eats four go of unpolished rice
Miso and a few vegetables a day
He does not consider himself
In whatever occurs . . . his understanding
Comes from observation and experience
And he never loses sight of things
He lives in a little thatched-roof hut
In a field in the shadows of a pine tree grove
If there is a sick child in the east
He goes there to nurse the child
If there's a tired mother in the west
He goes to her and carries her sheaves
If someone is near death in the south
He goes and says, "Don't be afraid"
If there are strife and lawsuits in the north
He demands that the people put an end to their pettiness
He weeps at the time of drought
He plods about at a loss during the cold summer
Everyone calls him Blockhead
No one sings his praises
Or takes him to heart . . .
That is the kind of person
I want to be
© "Strong in the Rain" by Kenji Miyazawa; translation © Roger Pulvers
Wow, thanks man. My question now is, is it still plagiarism if you make an attempt to copy something into a different language and hand it in as your own? Especially when the translation is better than the original?
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