DR 187 “Winter Jasmine” and “Tohoku Region Pacific Coast Earthquake”

DR 187 “Winter Jasmine” and “Tohoku Region Pacific Coast Earthquake”

I came to Korea in the end of April, 2003. So, I have lived in Korea for almost 8 years. This is my 8th spring I spend in Korea.

Comparing with the spring in Kamakura, Kanto area, the spring in Daejeon is much colder. Last winter was especially cold in Korea, so I looked for spring very much this year.

There is a kind of flowers which bloom first every spring in Daejeon. I enjoy seeing the blossoms every year, yet I did not know the name. I asked the name of this flower to my Korean friends. Many of them said, they were “kenari” or “forsythia” or “the golden-bell tree.” I know “kenari” but they began blooming much later, and the shape of flower is different.

["Forsythia" blossoms are blooming in the middle of April, レンギョウは4月に満開、개나리는 4월 상중순에 핀다.]

I took some pictures of the flowers and asked some of my Korean friends by e-mail. One of them gave me the right answer. It was “Jasminum nudiflorum” or “Winter Jasmine.” In Korean language, it’s “YongChunHwa” or “Welcoming Spring Flower.”
That’s exactly the name in Japanese, “Geishunka.”

["Geishunka" or "Winter Jasmine" blooming in the early March, 「迎春花」は3月上旬に咲く。「영춘화」는 3월 상순에 핀다.]

At last, I got to know one of my favorite flowers’ name.

“Tohoku Region Pacific Coast Earthquake”

When I began writing this DR #187, it was March 11. It was exactly that afternoon, the huge earthquake hit Tohoku Region with M 9.0 followed by the gigantic tsunami. When I went to the public bathhouse that afternoon, a friend of mine, the body scrubber told me that the huge earthquake hit Japan. I saw TV screen in the bathhouse and I could not believe my eyes! What I saw were the houses washing away by the tsunami, and gas tanks burning with big flames.

I called my wife that night, but the line was busy. I worried about my family who lived near Tokyo, but that night, my second son sent me an e-mail saying that he and my wife got no harm, they were all right.

The next morning, I called my wife again, and this time we could talk on the line. What a relief! A lot of my Korean friends called me or sent messages to my cellphone. They all worried about my family. Anyway, I could confirm that my family members were all right, but the damage to Japan was so big. Over 27,000 lives have been lost!

It seemed that the spring went away somewhere. I could not complete my DR, and saw news through internet, esp. via twitters.

The biggest worry was about the accident of TEPCO nuclear plants in Fukushima. Since then, Korean radio and TV news never stopped reporting about Japan and the disaster and the nuclear plant accidents. I felt gloomy every day.

Then one of my old friends introduced me a poem, written by a Garman poet named Cäsar Flaischlen.

The poem was translated by a famous Japanese writer, Yuzo Yamamoto (English version was translated by Brian Cole as follows:

“Have sunshine in your heart”

Have sunshine in your heart
even if it snows or storms,
if the Heavens are full of clouds
and the Earth is full of wars ...
Have sunshine in your heart
then let come what may:
you shall be full of light
even on the darkest day.

Have a song on your lips
with a happy little tune,
even if the pressures
of the day make you swoon ...
Have a song on your lips
then let come what may:
it helps you to overcome
the loneliest day!

Have a word for your fellows
who suffer in agony
and tell them what helps you
to be happy and carefree.
Have a song on your lips
and never give up the fight,
have sunshine in your heart
and everything's alright!

---
This poem gave me strength and power. Yes, we should live positively, having sunshine in our hearts. I like the last phrases
“Have a song on your lips
and never give up the fight,
have sunshine in your heart
and everything's alright!”

best of all.

George

["Weeping cherry" blooming over "Winter Jasmine," 迎春花の上に覆いかぶさるように咲く枝垂桜、영춘꽃 위에 덮이게 피는 실벚나무꽃]

DR 187号　「迎春花」と「東日本大震災」

2003年４月末に韓国へ来て現在、7年と11か月目である。したがって今は韓国で8度目の春を迎えている。

内陸的な大田の冬は、海に近く温暖な鎌倉に比べると厳しい。特に今年の冬は寒かったので、春が待ち遠しい。

毎年、この時期になると真っ先に咲く花がある。私の住む儒城区新城洞のワンルームから勤務先の大徳大学へ行く道の壁に沿って垂れさがって咲く、黄色い花だ。

友人に聞くと、「ケナリ(レンギョウ)」だろうと言う人が多いが、私はネナリなら知っている。ケナリは小灌木で薮状であり、もう少し遅く咲く。

["Forsythia" blossoms are blooming in the middle of April, レンギョウは4月に満開、개나리는 4월 상중순에 핀다.]

この花の写真を撮って、改めてメールで数人の友人に聞いてみた。すると20年来の友人のSさんが「ヨンチュンファ(迎春花)」だと教えてくれた。早速ウキペディアで確認すると、間違いない、この花だった。ちなみに日本名は「黄梅(オウバイ)・迎春花(ゲイシュウカ)」で、学名はJasminum nudiflorum、英語ではWinter Jasmine、中国語では「迎春花(yingchunhua)」である。

["Geishunka" or "Winter Jasmine" blooming in the early March, 「迎春花」は3月上旬に咲く。「영춘화」는 3월 상순에 핀다.]

8年目にしてようやく知った、春を告げる花の名前である。

「東日本大震災」

この花の名を知ってDRを書き始めた3月11日に、日本の東北地方太平洋沖で震度9.0の巨大地震が起こった。この日、近くの銭湯のTVで地震、および続いて起こった大津波のニュースを見た。

この夜、鎌倉に住む妻、および東京に住む次男に電話をしたが通じない。だが、夜のうちに次男からメールが入り、二人とも無事であることを知った。

翌朝、妻に電話が通じ、ひとまず安心したが、その後、地震の規模の大きさと被害、それにもまして巨大津波による被害の大きさがTV、ラジオ、インターネットを通じて知るところとなった。

この後、春はどこかへ行ってしまったような感じがした。気候が実際、寒さのぶり返しがあったことも事実だが、日本から伝わるニュースが、あまりに寒々しいことが春を奪われた気持ちにさせた。

特に簡単には解決できない原子力発電所の事故が気持ちを重くさせる。この日以来今日まで、日本がニュースに取り上げられない日は1日もなかった。

事故以来、DRを書く筆も止まってしまったが、今日、古い友人から素晴らしい詩を紹介された。それはドイツの詩人フライシュレン(1864-1920)の詩で、山本有三の訳「心に太陽を」である。

--------

心に太陽を持て

　心に太陽を持て
　あらしが吹こうが、雪がふろうが、
　天には雲、
　地には争いが絶えなかろうが！
　心に太陽を持て
　そうすりゃ、何がこようと平気じゃないか！
　どんな暗い日だって
　それが明るくしてくれる！

　くちびるに歌を持て
　ほがらかな調子で。
　毎日の苦労に
　よし心配が絶えなくとも！
　くちびるに歌を持て
　そうすりゃ、何がこようと平気じゃないか！
　どんなさびしい日だって
　それが元気にしてくれる！

　他人のためにも、ことばを持て
　なやみ、苦しんでいる他人のためにも。
　そうして、なんでこんなにほがらかでいられるのか、
　それをこう話してやるのだ！
　くちびるに歌を持て
　勇気を失うな。
　心に太陽を持て

　そうすりゃ、なんだってふっ飛んでしまう！

-----
この詩を読んで勇気をもらった気がする。そうだ、困難であっても、希望を持って生きれば道は開ける。最後のフレーズ、「くちびるに歌を持て、勇気を失うな。心に太陽を持て。そうりゃ、なんだって吹っ飛んでしまう！」は特に気に入った。

["Weeping cherry" blooming over "Winter Jasmine," 迎春花の上に覆いかぶさるように咲く枝垂桜、영춘꽃 위에 덮이게 피는 실벚나무꽃]