News of Mourning
Then spread the news of sorrow.
Despite illness, fatigue, family strain and society’s scorn,
that man who endured it all has fallen,
taken down by the charm of some enchanting woman who seemed innocent.
Helplessness
I thought you would listen to the words wrapped in my pain,
listen to the stories of my sorrowful days.
But now I see, you are the one who gives me this pain;
to whom shall I complain about the hurt you cause?
If the very place for complaint becomes the source of pain,
where then shall I keep this helplessness?
The Affection of the Living and the Dead
When a person dies, affection can be soothed.
You tell yourself the Lord has taken what was His.
But the loss and change of someone still living cannot be accepted;
you cannot make peace with it. Regret remains, why did they not stay with me?
Why did they leave me? If you had died, perhaps I could have reconciled,
but how do I accept your leaving while you are alive?
The Defeated Soldier
I am a defeated soldier who realized, on the brink of victory,
that the war itself was meaningless.
I reached the pair of eyes after losing everyone in battle,
those very eyes for which I began the war in the first place.
When Time Passes, Devotion Won’t Come
Then one morning the sun rose, but my brother never opened his eyes.
He, too, once thought as I do now, “I’ll begin worship from tomorrow.”
That day he did not think it through, and now neither do I,
when time is gone, devotion will not come.