poetic ninjas

Thursday morning I got to bed at about 2 AM, which, all things considered, really wasn't too bad. The only problem was that I hadn't studied for my quiz. I had, however, spent about three hours "translating" a Chinese poem into English; it was more of an interpretation, I suppose, given the fact that I don't speak or read Chinese (well, some of it indirectly through Japanese). We had to take the literal translation of each character and put it in some semblance of English.

The first line was something to the effect of: "mutual see time hard part also hard." If this makes any sense to you, well, good jorb. First of all, the ambiguity and imprecision of English makes even understanding the individual words difficult. And it was also difficult because I had to go and be creative thanks to my ego or some such; more specifically, I decided to make a sonnet. Here's the final product:


Although it’s hard, I yearn to be with you;
O I would never leave you if I could.
So I will wait till flowers become few
And till the East wind cannot move this wood,
Until the silkworm breathes its final breath
And silk is made no more; till ends are nigh
For torches burning brightly meeting death;
The tear-streaks on my ashen face are dry.
So into morning mirror I will gaze
And grievingly see hair turned cloudy gray;
By night, while moon’s light goes from phase to phase,
Despite the cold, so warm my heart will stay.
Though Mount Peng nears, it’s you I wish to see—
I’ll be a bluebird waiting patiently.


Normally, I would make something up about how this relates to my life, mainly because I make analogies and other analagous things up as quick and as much as an, I dunno, an English major. There are only a couple problems. One is that I think this is from the point of view of a woman. Not to be sexist or anything like that, now; I just think that's what the (maybe) 8th/9th century author was thinking. And not that it's necessarily a problem; just doesn't fit in my current context. Another is that it'd probably be admitting a bit too much at the point where I'm at. Maybe not. Then again, maybe another time.

In unrelated news, last night I spent all my free time playing Disgaea 2, zam. In my sister's file (I'm not quite there yet; she's played nearly 10x as much as I have) there's this ninja who keeps on saying zam after every sentence, zam. My sister says that there are sentences where she doesn't say zam, but I've yet to hear one, zam. This, of course, makes for interesting fads, such as introducing the use of zam to friends who will spread the fun, zam. So I encourage the use of zam in your everyday conversation, in the classroom, at work, and anywhere else where you think you could get away with it, zam. Kinda like my chem homework, zam.