A good piece of poetry?

[GTJ]

Hey, can I get some input from some of you more well-read Japanese speakers?

I'm making a motion graphics project for my portfolio and as the context uses photos of buildings in Osaka I've taken, I would like to use a Japanese poem to help along the mood and theme.

The piece is dark and there is heavy rain with lightning. The piece focuses mainly on the interation of rain with the city, and takes time to examine the rain on a close-up level such as perhaps only a piece of the city would be able to see. Therefore I'm looking for a poem involving rain in some way.

I'd like to put one line in between image changes, so that gives room for 5 lines.

This isn't a "hey provide me with some stuff I can't understand cuz I think it'll make my story/body/whatever look cool" thing, because I speak and read Japanese just fine. I'm simply not well-read in the language and am deferring to those of you who are

Ideas?

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by GTJ

Hey, can I get some input from some of you more well-read Japanese speakers?

I'm making a motion graphics project for my portfolio and as the context uses photos of buildings in Osaka I've taken, I would like to use a Japanese poem to help along the mood and theme.

The piece is dark and there is heavy rain with lightning. The piece focuses mainly on the interation of rain with the city, and takes time to examine the rain on a close-up level such as perhaps only a piece of the city would be able to see. Therefore I'm looking for a poem involving rain in some way.

I'd like to put one line in between image changes, so that gives room for 5 lines.

This isn't a "hey provide me with some stuff I can't understand cuz I think it'll make my story/body/whatever look cool" thing, because I speak and read Japanese just fine. I'm simply not well-read in the language and am deferring to those of you who are

Ideas?

I know a great haiku by Basho that might work, especially because it has to do with lightning, but it's sort of a positive theme, so maybe it won't work. I'll show you anyway:
稲妻にさとらぬ人の尊さよ
"How admirable, to see lightning and not think life is fleeting."　<-- a translation that has become popular

[BoyFromTheFuture]

Nice Haiku there. I'm interested in it now. Care to give sources, names, etc.? PM please (anyone who sees this and has knowledge in Haiku).
Sorry for derailing the topic GTJ.

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by BoyFromTheFuture

Nice Haiku there. I'm interested in it now. Care to give sources, names, etc.? PM please (anyone who sees this and has knowledge in Haiku).
Sorry for derailing the topic GTJ.

I gave the source/name in my post. Reread.

[GTJ]

Originally Posted by KyleGoetz

I gave the source/name in my post. Reread.

Kids these days

That's actually a nice one, though. I think the grammar is a bit beyond me at this point so I'd have to grill my lady about it and learn it tonight, but do you know where I could split that up?

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by GTJ

Kids these days

That's actually a nice one, though. I think the grammar is a bit beyond me at this point so I'd have to grill my lady about it and learn it tonight, but do you know where I could split that up?

稲妻に
さとらぬ人の
尊さよ

稲妻: flash of lightning
尊さ: pricelessness/venerableness
さとる: to achieve enlightenment—at least, this is the only satoru verb I'm aware of.

Don't ask me how the translation came to be. Just google and you'll see a lot of people use what I posted as a translation even though I sure don't read it that way at all.

[GTJ]

Originally Posted by KyleGoetz

稲妻に
さとらぬ人の
尊さよ

稲妻: flash of lightning
尊さ: pricelessness/venerableness
さとる: to achieve enlightenment—at least, this is the only satoru verb I'm aware of.

Don't ask me how the translation came to be. Just google and you'll see a lot of people use what I posted as a translation even though I sure don't read it that way at all.

Interesting! Thanks so much
I dunno, I guess Englsh-speaking poets like to take some creative license with translations. I have a couple books of translated Chinese poetry back when, and on the cover the name of the translator was just as big as the name of the author.