Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Mitsuharu Kaneko

Pebbles

Wherever I go, pebbles.
There’s no place where you don’t lie about.
Blue lentils, round gravel.
Whichever, seems I\'ve met you before.

Near the roots of weeds white with dust,
around a utility pole, a road marker, along a fence,
smashed by cars, sprung by the hoofs of a draft horse,
trampled under shoes, kicked away by a wooden clog,

but no one pays any mind.
That they treated you cruelly, even that you were there.
By chance, someone may pick you up,
but only so he may capriciously throw you into the distance.

Those like you, in China,
were called “dark people”, were named “black heads”. (1)
Pebbles. You remain in silence,
from century to century, waiting for what?

In which direction are you looking?
You do not answer. But I know.
That after all the clutter’s gone from this earth,
you will be the ones that remain.

どこへいつても、石よ。
君がころがつてない所はない。
青い扁豆、丸い砂礫。
どれも、初対面ではなささうな。

土ぼこりで白い雑草の根方、
電柱や、道標の周りに、垣添ひに、
車輛に砕かれ、荷馬の蹄にはじかれ、
靴底にふまれ、下駄にかつとばされ、

だが、誰もこころに止めないのだ。
君を邪険にあつかつたこと、君がゐることさへも。
たまさか、君を拾ひあげるものがあつても、
それは、気まぐれに遠くへ投げるためだ。

君のやうなもののことを、支那では、
黎民とよび、黔首と名づけた。
石よ。君は、黙々として、
世紀から世紀へ、なにを待つてゐる?

君がみてゐるのは、どつちの方角だ?
石は答へない。だが、私は知つてゐる。
この地上からがらくたいつさいが亡びた一番あとまで、
のこってゐるのが君だといふことを。
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Pebbles

Wherever I go, pebbles.
There’s no place where you don’t lie about.
Blue lentils, round gravel.
Whichever, seems I\'ve met you before.

Near the roots of weeds white with dust,
around a utility pole, a road marker, along a fence,
smashed by cars, sprung by the hoofs of a draft horse,
trampled under shoes, kicked away by a wooden clog,

but no one pays any mind.
That they treated you cruelly, even that you were there.
By chance, someone may pick you up,
but only so he may capriciously throw you into the distance.

Those like you, in China,
were called “dark people”, were named “black heads”. (1)
Pebbles. You remain in silence,
from century to century, waiting for what?

In which direction are you looking?
You do not answer. But I know.
That after all the clutter’s gone from this earth,
you will be the ones that remain.

Pebbles

Wherever I go, pebbles.
There’s no place where you don’t lie about.
Blue lentils, round gravel.
Whichever, seems I\'ve met you before.

Near the roots of weeds white with dust,
around a utility pole, a road marker, along a fence,
smashed by cars, sprung by the hoofs of a draft horse,
trampled under shoes, kicked away by a wooden clog,

but no one pays any mind.
That they treated you cruelly, even that you were there.
By chance, someone may pick you up,
but only so he may capriciously throw you into the distance.

Those like you, in China,
were called “dark people”, were named “black heads”. (1)
Pebbles. You remain in silence,
from century to century, waiting for what?

In which direction are you looking?
You do not answer. But I know.
That after all the clutter’s gone from this earth,
you will be the ones that remain.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère