Choka - Interpretation

Melons eaten
I remember my children
Chestnuts eaten
I remember my pain
Invisible - I see them
In my mind's eye
I cannot help them
Night without end
No rest or quiet sleep

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Uri hameba
Kodomo Omohoyu
Kuri hameba
Mashite Omowayu
Izuko yori
Kitarishi monoso
Manakai ni
Motona kakarite
Yasui shi nesanu


My interpretation of a choka by Yamanoue no Okura circa 730 AD.
I tried to honor the poetic aesthetic of this beautiful poem (particularly the repetition and rhythm) - Mine is not a literal translation of the text nor of its scansion... I would love to see other people's interpretations.