Text: Ishigaki Rin’s poem “Gake (Cliff)” in translation:
Rin, Ishigaki. “Cliff.” Ed. Makoto Ooka and Shuntaro Tanikawa. Modern Japanese Poetry: One Hundred Years (n.d.): n. pag. Cirje: Centre of International Research on the Japanese Economy. Web.
This translation of the original Japanese poem differs in a few ways. One significant way is the use of indentation which is not found in the original. The translator has added the indentation to perhaps give the feeling of the female speaker being pushed closer to the edge of the cliff. Is this a legitimate way to try and explain the poem / speaker?
For the original artist and the translator, is what can or cannot be explained more important?