Lemon Elegy (レモン哀歌)

This poem is in Japanese Below link is an English translated text for this poem http://intranet1.canacad.ac.jp:3445/High/admin/download.html?attachid=1460981 Lemon Elegy By Takamura Kotaro (1883-1956) PS. Chieko was his wife You had waited so for the lemon. In your sad, white, bright deathbed, you took from my hand a single lemon and plunged your pretty teeth into it. Those few drops of heaven-sent lemon juice from which a topaz-colored fragrance rose snapped your consciousness back to normal. Your blue, unclouded eyes laughed a bit Your power so robust as you grasped my hand. There was a storm in your throat, and just at last possible second, Chieko became the old Chieko, and the love of a lifetime tipped into a single moment. And in the next instant, you took a deep breath as you had long ago at the top of a mountain, and with that your machinery shut down. In the shadow of the cherry sprig standing in front of your photograph, I will put a cool, glistening lemon today. -- and below is original text レモン哀歌 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　高村光太郎 そんなにもあなたはレモンを待つてゐた かなしく白くあかるい死の床で わたしの手からとつた一つのレモンを あなたのきれいな歯ががりりと噛んだ トパアズいろの香気が立つ その数滴の天のものなるレモンの汁は ぱつとあなたの意識を正常にした あなたの青く澄んだ眼がかすかに笑ふ わたしの手を握るあなたの力の健康さよ あなたの咽喉に嵐はあるが かういふ命の瀬戸ぎはに 智恵子はもとの智恵子となり 生涯の愛を一瞬にかたむけた それからひと時 昔山巓でしたやうな深呼吸を一つして あなたの機関ははそれなり止まつた 写真の前に挿した桜の花かげに すずしく光つレモンを今日も置かう