Japanese Mondernism translation. Yes, I prefer reading romanji to kanji anyday, so I 'cheat'.
写真 [Photograph]
作家：川端康成 [Yasunari Kawabata]
Paragraph One
ある醜いーーと言っては失礼だが、彼はこの醜さゆえに。詩人になんぞなったのにちがいない。その詩人が私に言った。
Aru minikui to itte ha shitsurei da ga, kare ha kono minikusa yue ni. Shijin ni nanzo natta no nichi ga inai. Sono shijin ga watashi ni itta.
[How hideous] is rude to say but, he was really that ugly.
You definantly should’ve bene a poet or something.
That’s what someone told me.
Paragraph Two
僕は写真が嫌いーでね。滅多に写そうとは思わない。四五年前に恋人と婚約記念に取ったきりだ。僕には大切な恋人なんだ。だって、一生のうちにもう一度そんな女が出来るという自信はないからね。今ではその写真が僕の一つのうつくしい思い出なんだよ。
Boku ha shashin ga kirai desu. Metta ni utsusou to omowanai. Yongonen mae ni koibito to kekkon kinen (commemoration; memory) ni totte kiri da. Boku ni ha taisetsuna koibito nanda. Datte, isshou (while life) no uchi ni mou ichido sonna onna ga dekiru to iu jishin ha nai kara ne. ima made ha sono shashin ga boku no hitotsu no utsukushii okide nanda yo.
It’s because I hate to have my picture taken.
??I rarely think to have my picture taken.
??45years ago, I had my picture take with my lover in only to wedding commemoration.
She was a such an important person to me.
Because I don’t think I have the confidence to have a girl like her again in my life
Even now that picture is my only beautiful memory.
Paragraph Three
ところが去年、ある雑誌が僕の写真を出したいと言って来た。恋人とその姉と三人で写した写真から僕だけを切り抜いて、雑誌社に送った。最近また、ある新聞が僕の写真を貰いに来た。僕はちょっと考えたんだよ。しかしとうとう恋人と二人で写したのを半分に切って記者に渡した。必ず返してくれように念を押しておいたんだが、どうも返してくれないらしい。まあ、それはいいさ。それはいいとしても、しかしだね、半分の写真、恋人一人になった写真を見て僕は実に意外だった。これがあの娘か。―――ことわっておくが、その写真の恋人はほんとに、可愛いくって、美しいんだよ。
Tokoro ga kyounen, aru zasshi ga boku no shashin wo dashitai to itte kita. Koibito to sono one to sannin de utsushita shashin kara boku dake wo kirimeite, zasshisha ni okutte. Saikin mata, aru Shinbun ga boku no shashin wo morai ni kita. Boku ga chotto kagaetan da yo. Shikashi to toutoukoibito to futari de utsushita no wo hanbun ni kitte kasha ni watashita/ kanarazu kaeshita. Kureyou ni nen wo oshite oitan da ga, doumo kaeshite kurenai rashii. Maa, sore ha ii sa. Sore ha ii to shite mo, shikashi da ne, hanbun no shashin, koibito hitori ni natta shashin wo mite boku ha jitsu ni igai date. Kore ga ano musume ka. Kotowatte oku ga, sono shashin no koibiti ha honto ni, kawaikute, utsukushiin da yo.
However last year, some magazine wanted said they wanted to publish my picture.
So I cut myself out of the photo taken of me with my lover, and older sister and sent the magazine publisher . Recently, a newspaper came to get a photo of me. I thought for a moment. However at last I took a picture of my lover and I, cut it in half, and handed it over. I stressed to him that I wanted the picture returned, however, but somehow I got the feeling it wouldn’t be returned. But that was fine. But you know, half a photo, and in reality I was surprised to see that in the photo my lover was now alone. This is that young lady huh. XXXX, the lover in that picture was truly charming and beautiful.
Paragraph Four
だって彼女はその時十七なんだ。そして恋をしている。ところがだ、僕と切り離されて僕の手に残った彼女一人の写真を見ると、なあんだ。こんなつまらない娘だったのかという気がした。今の今まであんなに美しく見えていた写真がだよ。―――永年の夢が一時にしらじらと覚めてしまった。僕の大切な宝物が壊れてしまったんだ。
Date kanojyo ha sono toki juunana nanda. Soshite koi wo shite iru. Tokoro ga da, boku to torihanasarete boku no te ni nokotta kanojyo hitori no shashin wo miru to, nan da. Konna tsumaranai one datta no ka to iu ki ga shita. Ima no ima made anna ni utsukushiku miete ita shashin ga da yo. Naganen no yume ni shirajira to samete shimatta. Boku no taisetsu na takaramono ga kowarete shimattan da yo.
But at that time she was only 17. And she was in love. HoweverI and the me I cut out, in when I look at the picture of the girl left alone…. Well!
Was she that trivial of a girl, I felt. Up until now, it seemed to be the most beautiful photo. I have temporarily woken up from a dream I’ve had for many years.
My most precious treasure had been completely broken。
Paragraph Five
してみると、――と、詩人は一段と声を落とした。
Shite miru to, to shijin ga ichidan to koe wo otoshita.
So when I looked at him, the poets voice dropped a little.
Paragraph Six
新聞に出た僕の写真を見れば、矢張り彼女もきっと思うだろう。たとえ一時でも、こんな男に恋をした自分が自分で口惜しい、とね。――これで、みんなおしまいだ。しかし若し、と僕は考える。二人で写した写真がそのまま、二人が並んで新聞に出たとしたら、彼女はどこかか僕のところに飛んで帰って来はしないだろうか。ああ、あの人はこんなにーーと、言いながら。
Shinbun ni deta boku no shashin wo mireba, yahari konojyo mo motto omou tarou. Tatoe ichiji demo, konnna otoko ni koi wo shita jibun ga jibun de kuchioshii, to ne. kore de, minna oshimai da. Shikashi moshi, to boku ha kangaeru. Futari utsushita shashin ga sono mama, futaru ga narande shibun ni deta to shitara, kanojyo ha doko kara ka boku no tokoro ni tondekaette kiyashinai darou ka. Aa, ano hito ha konna ni to iinagara.
Ｉｆ ｉ ｌｏｏｋ ａｔ ｔｈｅ ｐｈｏｔｏ ｏｆ ｍｅ ｔｈａｔ ｃａｍｅ ｏｕｔ ｉｎ ｔｈｅ ｐａｐｅｒ，I think about her more after all. Even if it was just for an hr, to have fallen in love with a man like myself, even I’d regret it. Well everyone, that’s all. and I think [ But what if… ]. But she won’t just appear by my side. While I say: Aa, that person’s like that .
© Caroline Alicia Harris
post script If you are the copyright owner of anything metioned in the above essay, I do have the bibliography os my sources if you need to see them. I choose not to post them on this site, in the hopes nothing will be reused.