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Poetry

Noisy Animal

By Sayaka Ohsaki
Translated from Japanese by Jeffrey Angles
Language is the first disaster that humanity experiences. Language is the violence that we, as people, continue to experience everyday.  We experience this disaster, this violence, and, still babies, begin to speak, unable to keep quiet.  They repeat somebody’s words just as they are, reproducing the form of someone else’s experience with disaster.  As a result, I do not know where “this disaster” begins, nor where it ends.—Author’s note.   
Do not believe in words
Do not believe in “blue sky”
Do not believe in “shining earth”
Do not believe in “the light of hope”
I am a noisy animal
I am an animal that walks about speaking endlessly
I am not unable to speak only about what I have seen
You are not unable to speak only about what you have seen
Words lie and words tend to dream
Words tend toward cowardice
Words are ideals only, grand but unable to do anything
Words do not have any power
Words cannot do a thing
Therefore do not believe in words
Noisy animals can see the separation of Pangaea two hundred million years ago
Noisy animals can see the flames drawn in a Burmese cave ten thousand years ago 
Noisy animals can see the filth in the rivers all over Edo four hundred years ago
Noisy animals can see Sugiyama Chiyo’s awkward love sixty years ago
Noisy animals can see Klee’s angel between the clouds over Tokyo
Noisy animals can see Kafka’s castle in the valleys of the Musashino plain
Do not believe in words
Do not believe the words of politicans
Do not believe the words of the crowds of demonstrators
Do not believe the words of the sick
Do not believe the words of your teachers
Do not believe the words of women
Do not believe the words of warriors
Do not believe the words of celebrities
Do not believe the words of workers
Do not believe my words
Everyone in the world has suffered disaster
Everyone in the world has contracted disease
Everyone in the world has come down with symptoms
Everyone in the world has become infected
Do not believe in words
Noisy animals are distributed throughout the cities
We require money for housing
We require money for food
We require money for light and warmth
We need music
We need thought
We need words
Without them our bodies break down
And we come down with fever
But do not believe in medicine
Do not believe in spiritual mediums
Do not believe in singers
Do not believe in capitalism
Do not believe in Christianity
Do not believe the world’s citizens
Do not believe in love and courage
Do not block your ears
I am a noisy animal
I am an animal that has rid myself of the accent of my hometown
Mocha causes this much pain!
I am a noisy animal
I will be a noisy animal until I die
English
Language is the first disaster that humanity experiences. Language is the violence that we, as people, continue to experience everyday.  We experience this disaster, this violence, and, still babies, begin to speak, unable to keep quiet.  They repeat somebody’s words just as they are, reproducing the form of someone else’s experience with disaster.  As a result, I do not know where “this disaster” begins, nor where it ends.—Author’s note.   
Do not believe in words
Do not believe in “blue sky”
Do not believe in “shining earth”
Do not believe in “the light of hope”
I am a noisy animal
I am an animal that walks about speaking endlessly
I am not unable to speak only about what I have seen
You are not unable to speak only about what you have seen
Words lie and words tend to dream
Words tend toward cowardice
Words are ideals only, grand but unable to do anything
Words do not have any power
Words cannot do a thing
Therefore do not believe in words
Noisy animals can see the separation of Pangaea two hundred million years ago
Noisy animals can see the flames drawn in a Burmese cave ten thousand years ago 
Noisy animals can see the filth in the rivers all over Edo four hundred years ago
Noisy animals can see Sugiyama Chiyo’s awkward love sixty years ago
Noisy animals can see Klee’s angel between the clouds over Tokyo
Noisy animals can see Kafka’s castle in the valleys of the Musashino plain
Do not believe in words
Do not believe the words of politicans
Do not believe the words of the crowds of demonstrators
Do not believe the words of the sick
Do not believe the words of your teachers
Do not believe the words of women
Do not believe the words of warriors
Do not believe the words of celebrities
Do not believe the words of workers
Do not believe my words
Everyone in the world has suffered disaster
Everyone in the world has contracted disease
Everyone in the world has come down with symptoms
Everyone in the world has become infected
Do not believe in words
Noisy animals are distributed throughout the cities
We require money for housing
We require money for food
We require money for light and warmth
We need music
We need thought
We need words
Without them our bodies break down
And we come down with fever
But do not believe in medicine
Do not believe in spiritual mediums
Do not believe in singers
Do not believe in capitalism
Do not believe in Christianity
Do not believe the world’s citizens
Do not believe in love and courage
Do not block your ears
I am a noisy animal
I am an animal that has rid myself of the accent of my hometown
Mocha causes this much pain!
I am a noisy animal
I will be a noisy animal until I die

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