Tanikawa Shuntaro / 谷川俊太郎 – Ⅵ

If There’s Something Now
 

 

 

 

If there’s something now for me to do

it’s just to be here on earth until I die,

neither singing nor lamenting,

forgetting at once what I’ve seen, not writing it down,

sucking honey like a speechless beetle,

and helping a bit, as I may, so that flowers may bear fruit.

 

I have nothing to teach

those who live with just a little knowledge

in the mountains and along the rivers.

If there’s something now for me to do

it’s just to keep far away from them

and recall the first strain of a prayer;

 

to walk across the half-rotted suspension bridge

and approach people I love;

to let flow the warm blood

in the body forbidden to die;

to go into the ancient darkness of the ammonite

wearing a titanium mask.

 

If there really is something now

for me to do ….

Katmandu