Tuesday 21 June 2016

Ode to Kanda, Tokyo

Ode to Kanda
“I need not more wander the book shop streets.” / From Tale, Print, 2012
This tale was written by TANAKA Akio, pen-named LI Koh in autumn 2012 for remembering the poor but brilliant youth time of myself. This is one of my favourite phrases in this tale.
The book shop streets described in the tale is Kanda, Tokyo, which is located in the central Tokyo, where I frequently walked seeking the old Chinese classic books for the study from Oriental way of linguistics. In late 1960s, the streetcars were surely running in the old fashioned streets of Kanda, now perfectly changed to the subway streets.
From Print 2012, Chapter 10
もはや本屋街をさまようことはない。I need not more wander the book shop streets. 対象は私のうちにある。The object exists in my mind. 私はただこの運河をながめていればいい。I would better watch the canal. 遍歴は終わった。Wandering is over now.  たぶん永遠にマイスターにはなれないだろうが、みずからの小さな仕事場で、日が落ちるまで作業をすればいい。Perhaps I would not become meister  forever. In my narrow working place, I ‘d better do my work till sunset. すると仕事場の窓辺を聖者が通って行く。 So out of the window by the working place,  the saint passes by. かつてそんなロシアの民話を読んだ。I ever read the Russian folk tale like that.
秋の日ぐれは早い。The Autumn evening is fast. 路面電車のヘッドランプがまぶしいくらいだ。The headlight of streetcar  is dazzling. 黄褐色の窓に少ない乗客が照らし出され、古本屋街の方へ消えて行った。In the yellow-lighten window the passengers are picked out by the light. The car disappeared  to the book streets. 駅の売店がにぎやかな橙の光に包まれている。The station shop is also lighted up by the yard’s busy orange light.
Tokyo
26 November 2014
SIL


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