To the Living After the Earthquake
In an instant, the world became dim,
No more light,
No more electricity,
The sky turned into the earth,
The earth turned into the sky.
I didn't know if it was the end of the world,
Or if I had arrived in the underworld.
My dear baby,
Mom can no longer raise you to adulthood,
From now on, countless bumps on the road of life,
You must cross them all by yourself.
White-haired mother,
From now on, you will have to lean on a cane and gaze out the window in vain.
Husband, my love,
From now on, we will be separated by the heavens,
We can no longer grow old together in mutual support.
Who knew life was so fragile,
Life so brief.
Who tore apart our bodies?
Who destroyed our home?
Who took away our loved ones?
And who made the sea turn into mulberry fields?
Was it God? Was it nature? Or something else?
Ah, heaven,
If only you could give me one more chance at life,
Let me finish nursing my baby,
Let me watch him grow up,
Then I would die without regret.
Ah, God,
My mother is already advanced in years,
Why let me go before her?
Let her endure the torment of living because of me,
The hardship of being alive.
All this should not have happened,
Yet everything is so real right before our eyes.
To those who live,
These are my heartfelt words as I face death,
The dead have gone,
I hope the living can cherish life,
Finish with all your heart what the living should treasure,
Don't make excuses anymore,
Go home and visit often.