Tuesday, August 9, 2022
Previous senryu
- このオレに あたたかいのは 便座だけ
このオレに あたたかいのは べんざだけ
For this guy, / the only warmth’s the / toilet seat
Notes:
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I wasn’t sure whether to add or deduct points for an explanation that used the words “squished” and “warmth” in a sentence indirectly talking about toilet seats!
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“Poor me” vs. “This guy” was a tough call. On the one hand, “this guy” (referring to oneself) is a more direct translation without introducing the pitiful feeling implied by the rest of the sentence, but on the other hand it’s not completely obvious it’s talking about oneself without the double thumbs!
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I couldn’t agree more about @macha1313 's comment about learning more grammar from these every day. My grammar knowledge has improved noticeably since starting this thread. The nature of these short poems is that they introduce a LOT of different grammatical constructions, and they run the gamut from formal written-only constructs to much more colloquial spoken-only constructs. They also cover a lot of vocabulary ground. The cultural aspects are also fun to learn about and discuss. I’m indebted to @Gorbit99 for talking me into starting this thread!
Current senryu challenge
Volume: Heartfelt (しみじみ編)
- まな板のリズムで朝が動き出し
Speaking of new vocabulary! Today I learned what a まな板 is.
A まな板 I made as a Christmas gift for my mother last year
My mother had two cats. Then she got involved with a great charity that feeds, captures, and pays to sterilize wild cats (mostly ex-pets that stupid, evil people release into the wild when they no longer want to take care of them). They occasionally have to foster kittens that are born before they can capture the adult cats. My mom volunteered to foster for a while: she now has FIVE (5!) cats because she formed an attachment to three and couldn’t give them up. We don’t let her foster any more!
The photo makes it look like stickers, but that’s 1/2" ebony inlays!
I call it a cutting board, but she says it’s too nice to cut on so she only uses it as a charcuterie/serving board.
Speaking of my mother, I’m flying most of the day tomorrow to Virginia for a visit with her until Saturday, 8/20. I’ll try to post tomorrow’s poem before I leave the house (or at least during our layover in DFW).
@LaVieQ: please send an email to rw@pobox.com and I’ll send you the numbers of the next several poems if you’re still willing to guest host for a while. TIA!
Remember to please use the spoiler tag with your translation attempts! Also, please include the reading in kana with your submission.
Everyone is encouraged to participate, no matter your level! Questions and comments are as valued as translation submissions.
Please try not to be disappointed if your translation isn’t selected or if you disagree with the daily choice: the judge isn’t terribly consistent with his grading (and has awful taste!).
Online tools like dictionaries, sentence databases, and even AI translation engines are fair game and can be extremely helpful. Yomichan is particularly handy if you use the Chrome or Firefox browser. The 語源由来辞典 is also an excellent resource for researching the etymology of various words and expressions.
Here are the links to the 356 Japanese originals (spoiler free) and to the the spreadsheet with all the upcoming senryu as well as the translations to date.