Kiyoko Nagase Poem
By David Yamaguchi & Hikari Kono
The North American Post
The Kiyoko Nagase poem that inspired Ryuichi Sakamoto’s “Snowfalls” (2017) is superb. It reads, in part:
降りつむ 永瀬清子
かなしみの国に雪が降りつむ
かなしみを糧として生きよと雪が降りつむ
失いつくしたものの上に雪が降りつむ
その山河の上に
そのうすきシャツの上に
そのみなし子のみだれたる頭髪の上に
Furitsumu
Kanashimi no kuni ni
yuki ga furitsumu
Kanashimi o kate to shite ikiyo to
yuki ga furitsumu
Ushinai tsukushita mono no ue ni
yuki ga furitsumu
Sono sanga no ue ni
Sono usuki shatsu no ue ni
Sono minashigo no
midaritari touhatsu no ue ni…
The translation by Empress Michiko reads,
Snow Falls
Snow falls,
On this country of sorrow
Snow falls,
As though to say
Fie on your sorrow
Snow falls,
On loss and devastation
On mountains and rivers
On people with shabby clothes
On orphans with disheveled hair…
The entire premiere performance of “Snowfalls” (5 min, 8 sec.) is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q4HiA_kz9Y
