The Ripple
2007
A Japanese correspondent asked if I would write some music to his poetry. Following is the English version of the poem, which I assisted in translating.
The Ripple
Something drops upon the surface of the water;
the sound of its falling extends into silence.
Beautiful concentric circles ripple outward.My thoughts, reflecting,
Does it extend unmeasured?
Does it diffuse helplessly?Anyway, if I notice,
there is a surface of water
(indistinct from the former)
in front of me.— Taihei Nebuka
The original poem is as follows:
『波紋』
何かがこの水面に落ちてくる
ぽちゃんという音が静寂に響き渡り
綺麗な同心円状の波紋が広がっていく
それを眺めるこの僕の心は
果てしなく広がっていくのか？
どうしようもなく拡散するのか？
いずれにせよ気がつけば
前と変わらぬ水面のまま
We tend to be most satisfied when we are employed with tasks that suit us.
We tend to be less satisfied when we are either unemployed, under-employed, or employed with tasks that do not suit us.
We tend to be less satisfied when we are either unemployed, under-employed, or employed with tasks that do not suit us.