from the Japanese of Kaneko Misuzu.

On a night when the sea roars,
A winter’s night,
With roasting chestnuts crackling, crackling,
I heard the tale told.

A tale of whaling, long, long ago
Here in the sea of Shizu-ga-ura.

The sea was wild in the wintertime
Blossoms of snow whirled mad on the wind
And across the flight of snow flew the rope of harpoons.

The crags and the pebbles are purple here.
And even the water of Shizu-ga-ura
But then it turned red, dyed red up to the shore.

In their thick winter coats the whaling men
Stood in the bow of the boat and looked on
And when the whale’s strength was broken
They stripped down to their skin.
Below, the red eddies of ocean; without pausing they leapt in.
The tale of the whalers, long, long ago –

Just listening to the story
My heart dances within me.

The whales of those days do not come any more
And Shizu-ga-ura is now lonely and poor.

Outside the sea roars
On a winter’s night
When the tale ends
When you stop to hear.