秋の月 autumn moon

pounding rice to make mochi*

that rabbit on the moon**

is said no to exist

the night of Heisei***

is purified by the autumn moon

*rice cake made of mochi-rice

**Old Japanese believed that a rabbit who pounded mochi 

lived on the moon by looking at the shades of lunar craters.

***the current era in Japan, started from 1989

photo by aunt jam

 roughly translated by aunt jam

歌集『六分の桜』p128より

短歌の七・七 seven and seven syllables of Tanka

 

for our afternoon walk

my daughter-in-law came in

but I said to her

"seven and seven syllables of Tanka

need to be finished first"

photo and rough translation by aunt jam

『コスモス』2015年　掲載

山萩 shrubby lespedeza

compared to the last time

I went for a walk

the shrubby lespedeza　

looks redder and

blooms a little more

photo and rough translation by aunt jam
『コスモス』2015年1月号より

木村屋のあんぱん Anpan from Kimuraya

 

the Higan season*

starts tomorrow 

my deceased mother-in-law's favorite

Anpan** from Kimuraya***

is what I buy on my way home

 

*when the souls of the ancestors 

are believed to come close to our world

**sweet roll filled with read bean paste

***a long-estabalished bakery in Tokyo

photo by aunt jam

 roughly translated by aunt jam

歌集『六分の桜』p15より

朝顔 Morning Glory

 

 

becoming slightly

smaller in size

the morning glory

flowers are blown in the wind

 already with the autumn coolness 

photo by sDrake

 roughly translated by aunt jam

歌集『六分の桜』p9より

強きもの something strong

 

Something strong

lurked in my soul

forcing me

to act feminine

when I grew up

 photo by sDrake

 roughly translated by aunt jam

歌集『六分の桜』p25より

大相撲 grand sumo tournament

 

 the spring tournament

has started

I tell my deceased husband in the altar

and watch sumo

on TV

photo and rough translation by aunt jam

『コスモス』2015年6月号より

八月十五日 August 15

 

on August 15*

not having lunch

my husband

sat in silence

with his eyes closed

*the memorial day for the end of the war

photo by sDrake
 roughly translated by aunt jam
歌集『六分の桜』p34より
 

野いちご wild strawberries

 

wild strawberries

red and ripe

on the edge of the lane

looking delicious

I stop for a while

photo and rough translation by aunt jam 

『コスモス』2015年8月号より

あぢさゐ hydrangea

 

 

rain has come back from the rainy season

the blue color of the hydrangea is

getting deeper

the person who left this world so young

appears in my mind

photo by sDrake

 roughly translated by aunt jam

歌集『六分の桜』p67より

単身赴任 working away from home

before the wedding of our daughter

my husband said

she was working away from home

how stubborn he was

seemed funny to me

photo by sDrake

 roughly translated by aunt jam

歌集『六分の桜』p48より

六分の桜 Under a cherry tree

 

 

under a cherry tree

two thirds in bloom

I stand with my husband

not talking much

we are all right today too

 

photo and rough translation by aunt jam

 歌集『六分の桜』p78より

慈しみ Motherly Love

 

 

As a mother

  I have nothing lofty

so I just loved

and nurtured

my children 

photo by sDrake

 roughly translated by aunt jam

歌集『六分の桜』p50より

花菖蒲 Iris Flower

 

at an open cafe

I ate Sakamanjyu*

with my husband

feeling a little bashful

I looked at iris

*sweet dumpling with Sake flavor

roughly translated by aunt jam 

photo by DD

  歌集『六分の桜』p78より