A Poem by Misuzu Kaneko

Posted on 09. Jul, 2011 @ 4:08 pm by in Art, Culture, Language Views: 5,202

Kaneko Misuzu

One of my good friends told me to check out this poem by Kaneko Misuzu [wiki] quite some time ago, and I finally got around to it. The poem is short and sweet, and not too difficult, so you can use it as a study tool as well. I have provided a simple translation below.

金子みすゞ

わたしが両手をひろげても
お空はちっともとべないが、
とべる小鳥はわたしのように、
地べたをはやくは走れない。

わたしがからだをゆすっても、
きれいな音はでないけど、
あの鳴るすずはわたしのように
たくさんなうたは知らないよ。

すずと、小鳥と、それからわたし、
みんなちがって、みんないい。

My weak translation. I have paid little attention to style. I have no skill in poetry, that’s my excuse.

Even if I spread wide both my arms
I cannot fly in the sky at all
but, that little bird that can fly
cannot run quickly on the ground like I can.

Even if I shake my body,
I cannot make it produce a pretty sound.
But that ringing bell
doesn’t know a lot of songs like I do.

The bell, the little bird, and then me.
We’re all different, but we’re all wonderful.

  • Thomas Hjelm

    Reading the poem it seemed really familiar.  I thought about it and realized that I have heard Koni-chan sing it about 100 times on the kids shows にほんごであそぼ :)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofF-xmFIhwQ

    • http://www.japannewbie.com Harvey

      Thanks for that link! I didn’t know about this kids show and didn’t know they had set this poem to music. Awesome find!

      • Sachiko

         The poem is wonderful and I’m glad they utilize it till today.  What I don’t appreciate is the culture’s willingness to let children do just what they please … (ex- child thumping and bobbing in front of the tv!).

  • http://bloggermalone.blogspot.com/ emmie

    この詩は、国語の授業で習うことが多いです。勇気づけられる詩ですよね。
    Many Japanese learn the poem at a language art class in elementary school. I like it too.

  • Cherri(秦始莲）

    Thanks for sharing! I am reading her book in Japanese, her poems are simply but very deep.

  • YUMI_HEIKE

    わたしが両手をひろげてもお空はちっともとべないが、とべる小鳥はわたしのように

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