Thursday, November 22, 2007

hiragana, hiragana every where

Japanese poem Iroha-uta ("Song/poem of colours"), dates back to the 10th century and uses almost every hiragana once (except n ん).

いろはにほへと(いろ は におえど)
ちりぬるを(ちりぬる を)
わかよたれそ(わが よ たれ ぞ)
つねならむ(つね ならん)
うゐのおくやま(うい の おくやま)
けふこえて(きょう こえて)
あさきゆめみし(あさき ゆめ みじ)
ゑひもせす(よい も せず)

And here is what it means in English, as mentioned on Wikipedia:

Even colours and sweet perfume
Will eventually fade
Even our world
Is not eternal
The deep mountains of vanity
Cross them today
And superficial dreams
Shall no longer delude you.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

wait...

impoverished love
can accomplish feats unknown
feverish passion
can create marvels
mad determination
can take you where your dreams
wait lying lazily
on soft cushions of clouds
haste can only make
those beautiful fluffs of cloud
disappear like mist rising
from nainital in January
wait...

...if you will

Brown fringed minutes Slip through my fingers Faster than I try To hold on to them. Already, I am a minute closer to the end. Devasta...