Yeah, I don’t think it applies here, but I’m learning there’s more to these things than are apparent at first glance! <laugh> (Also: you’ve got a typo. I think you meant “that still jibes”.)
I thought you threw the beans to chase the oni out of the house, though. I don’t get how dad would be the one throwing if he’s got the mask on?
Not checked anyone else’s or read the discussion so maybe it’ll be totally off, but I want to try.
“Out with the devil!” [The devil is scattering beans.] “Out with me, I guess.”
A little clumsy, but it’s all I could think for my interpretation. Basically I read this as taking place on 節分, and the speaker is doing 豆撒き to banish the oni (and more metaphorically, bad fortune) from the house, but then the devil basically plays a reverse Uno card and banishes the speaker instead. I’m not that confident with this one; on top of language ambiguities I am autistic so if there’s some symbolic representation of a social interaction I am apt to miss it. But I wanted to try, so I made myself do it. Please be nice.
Now to read the discussion and feel embarrassed about having posted this
In regard to the 鬼が豆まき, could it be saying that the oni/Dad is taking part in the general activity of the豆まき, regardless of which role he plays? Sort of like '鬼(のオレ)が豆まき(活動するので、外にいる). Total guess, just something I thought of.
Don’t worry about it. I haven’t posted the last couple of days, but I get them wrong a lot, and I couldn’t make heads or tails of this one. I’m still not sure I agree with any of the attempts either, I can’t quite figure this one out, even with all of the translations people have posted.
Ok, I am having a lot of trouble with understanding this one, because I think I don’t really have any context about setsubun. But, my thought is, maybe…
It’s setsubun, the kids are saying there are oni outside, and they are throwing beans. But the dad thinks the kids are oni, and he goes outside to avoid the beans?
So for instance, “There’s oni outside! But actually, the oni are the ones throwing the beans. Now I’m outside.”
“Oni ha soto” is a set phrase during setsubun (a seasonal festival before the first day of spring). Typically, one or two adults or older kids wear paper masks to dress up as “oni” (demons/devils/ogres) and smaller kids and their parents throw dried beans inside and outside the house to drive away the demons while saying this phrase. (Yes, it’s one of those weird Japanese things.)
We aren’t 100% certain in our translation, so I’ve gone with the most literal translation and not translated the stock phrase.
My interpretation is that it’s a salaryman being driven outside by his “demon” kids throwing beans (the tradition is residents driving away the oni, this has it reversed).
Consider this translation tentative until confirmed by a native.
Note that this senryu does include some punctuation (quotation marks)! Rex is wrong yet again: apparently this is allowed.
Current senryu challenge
Volume: Heartfelt (しみじみ編)
棒グラフ伸ばしてくれた子の寝顔
Hints:
Apparently, the Japanese word for a “bar graph” is a “pole graph” (棒グラフ) — I learn something every day.
I’m struggling a little to translate this one. Need to ponder.
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!
I’m reasonably confident with my translation, but I’m struggling to interpret the meaning:
棒グラフ伸ばしてくれた子の寝顔
ぼうグラフ・のばしてくれた・このねがお
My sleeping child’s face / allows me to extend the bar chart
What I’m pretty sure of:
The author is grateful for the child’s sleeping face. I think there’s a sense of erased weariness from looking at the face.
What I’m completely mystified by:
What in the heck is going on with the bar chart? 棒グラフ伸ばして = “extending/stretching the bar chart”, but what on earth does that mean?
Does it mean that the sleeping child’s face made the long hours at the office slaving over bar charts worthwhile? Does “extending/stretching the bar chart” mean continuing to work on it? As in, making all the hard work to support the family worthwhile?
Or does it mean somehow creating a new record, extending a bar on the chart? But what does the bar measure?
Wow, I have literally no idea what this one’s supposed to mean. Might as well give it a go anyway.
My child’s sleeping face allows for the extension of the bar chart.
Like, that seems pretty logical as a direct translation, right? But I’m not sure what it could mean. Maybe that if the child is asleep, the speaker is able to do their work, because the child isn’t demanding attention?
I assume everyone else is similarly confused, so I’ll go look at you guys’ answers now.
Really unsure of the meaning… My theory is that the person who wrote the 川柳 is a businessman.
The sleeping face of my child
Boosted my sales
Something like:
businessman looked at his child sleeping → It’s so peaceful and beautiful and must be protected → got motivated to work extra hard for his child’s sake → His sales (or any kind of results that can be charted) went up
I’m not that happy with “boosted my sales” part, feels a bit prosaic, but I wanted to keep what I think is the feeling of the original. 伸ばす is transitive so it’s someone doing actively something + くれる imply that it’s really the sleeping face of the kid that dif the work of boosting sales/results. Of course it’s not possible, so I guess the author wanted to show that seeing the child sleeping compelled him so much that it’s as if the child did the work.