Haiku Poems and Translation

Haiku poems - those short three lines that convey a world of meaning. But the translations - I'm not so sure. I read some haiku poems today and was baffled by the translations. I remember one haiku, which my mother loves and told me when I was a little girl. It is in my native language, Tamil.

"vizhigal vinmeenagalai varudinalum
viralgalo jannal kambiodu daan"

I wouldn't dare attempt a translation but it goes something  like - although the eyes may caress the stars, (you are merely present on Earth with) your fingers remain on the window grilles. Thus conveying the differences in daydreams or more aptly, mooning over stuff against the hard facts and harsh realities of life. It could also mean the planning yet to be done for some big dreams aspired to be achieved. Although, of course the former meaning is more romantic in a poetic sense.

This is the most famous 300 odd years old poetry in Japan. And the literal translation goes something like

The old pond;
a frog jumps in —
the sound of the water.

Furu ike ya                Old pond!
kawazu tobikomu      frog jumps in
mizu no oto                water’s sound

Do you believe the translations (not the Google translator!) retain the beauty and essence of meaning that is originally intended to be conveyed?

Hope

"Hope" is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops—at all

And sweetest in the Gale is heard
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm

I've heard it in the chillest land
And on the strangest Sea
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb—of Me.

Emily Dickinson

Without hope, there are no dreams of tomorrow.
Dare to dream, dare to hope.

Bleak Thoughts

The dark hours are endless                                            

the dull gloomy days drone on

in spite of the tropical weather of the city

the entire year has the coldness of winter

although the unforgiving cold northerly winds

are far removed from my geography

i constantly feel them in my heart

i bend unconsciously against the terrible cold 

as if im walking on a hard terrain

the merciless winds cutting across me

biting my skin creeping into my clothes

making my very frame shiver.

I feel a chill even at midday 

when the harsh sun beats down 

on the bare heads of commuters

i dont open my umbrella

i decide to walk on in the burning sun

hoping it would numb my pain.

I welcome the pain

believing i would reach that point

when more pain means nothing

so heavy is the burden in my mind

the lead stone in place of my heart

that i cant help but cry 

out loud for some mercy from somewhere

that would put out my misery

and deliver me from Earth.