Tomb of Fireflies

original poem 〈螢火蟲之墓〉
english translation by Jeats


Tomb of Fireflies



I curled up so much to try to arch the
Space gradually withered
Memory maybe was the only silk suspended
Integrating craggy skeletons of the scenario, it forcefully
Snapped me at my cold myocardial

The river with vocal folds cut was in silence
The slanted swing quivered in fire
Behold! Dazzling flowers in bloom and fall
Stared in surprise with wings fluttering

But the grassland unselfishly with green of necessity
Rubbed agaist my melancholy soul and made me sink
And sink more. Tender 
Magnificently
Touching the hair of darkness

Perhaps I might forget the kind of gesture
Where you laid the umbrella was our home
Setsuko, let no tears fall
I hurled laughter back to the candy jar and shook it

Shook the step sounds of early death loud
Made a cloud linger around
To stop to become peaceful eye shade. Behold!
For now, I thought of flight and then I did