Morning Wind
by Frank Watson
Morning wind,
The north forest’s scent:
A bird flies.

Sincere, forgotten,
Anxious and sad—
I haven’t seen him yet.

In the mountain—chestnut leaves
In the marsh—the colors burst:
My grieving heart.

Sincere, forgotten,
Anxious and sad—
I haven’t seen him yet.

In the mountain—cherry leaves
In the marsh—a wild pear tree:
My drunken heart.

Sincere, forgotten,
Anxious and sad—
I haven’t seen him yet.


[After an anonymous poem in the Shijing. I have translated it as a series of haiku, which is not the original form, but felt appropriate to me given the images. The number of lines (18) is the same even though I have changed the form. It does, however, illustrate part of the relationship between Chinese and Japanese poetry and how the haiku developed from earlier forms.] 



Original Chinese

Traditional
Simplified
Pronunciation
晨風
晨风
chén fēng



鴥彼晨風，
鴥彼晨风，
yù bǐ chén fēng ，
郁彼北林。
郁彼北林。
yù bǐ běi lín 。
未見君子，
未见君子，
wèi jiàn jūn zǐ ，
憂心欽欽。
忧心钦钦。
yōu xīn qīn qīn 。
如何如何？
如何如何？
rú hé rú hé ？
忘我實多！
忘我实多！
wàng wǒ shí duō ！
山有苞櫟，
山有苞栎，
shān yǒu bāo lì ，
隰有六駁。
隰有六驳。
xí yǒu liù bó 。
未見君子，
未见君子，
wèi jiàn jūn zǐ ，
憂心靡樂。
忧心靡乐。
yōu xīn mí lè 。
如何如何？
如何如何？
rú hé rú hé ？
忘我實多！
忘我实多！
wàng wǒ shí duō ！
山有苞棣，
山有苞棣，
shān yǒu bāo dì ，
隰有樹檖。
隰有树檖。
xí yǒu shù suì 。
未見君子，
未见君子，
wèi jiàn jūn zǐ ，
憂心如醉。
忧心如醉。
yōu xīn rú zuì 。
如何如何？
如何如何？
rú hé rú hé ？
忘我實多！
忘我实多！
wàng wǒ shí duō！





Translation Notes


晨風
Early-morning Wind


鴥彼晨風，
Bird-flies that early-morning wind,
郁彼北林。
Sweet-smelling that northern forest.
未見君子，
Not-yet see gentleman child,
憂心欽欽。
Sad heart admire admire.
[Sad heart = concerned, anxious]
如何如何？
Like what like what?
[Like what = what way, how]
忘我實多！
Forget my honest much!
[Forget my = selflessness]
山有苞櫟，
Mountain has bud chestnut-leaved-oak,
隰有六駁。
Marsh has six varicolored.
未見君子，
Not-yet see gentleman child,
憂心靡樂。
Sad heart wasted happy.
如何如何？
Like what like what?
忘我實多！
Forget my true much!
山有苞棣，
Mountain has bud cherry,
隰有樹檖。
Marsh has tree wild-pear-tree.
未見君子，
Not-yet see gentleman child,
憂心如醉。
Sad heart like drunk.
如何如何？
Like what like what?
忘我實多！
Forget my true much!



All writings and translations are Copyright © by Frank Watson, also writing as "Blue Flute" (2011-2014).
Year: 
2013