Kyouka Izumi: Mourning for Ryuunosuke Akutagawa /
Exquisitely, brilliantly, with your letters, with your quality, have you illuminated hills and isles, as if beads and balls of jade. May you turn away from this steamed summer haze, and calmly go to rest in refreshing solitude. Promptly shall this great star be in heaven. The light you give shall linger in Academy, never to be extinguished. Having said this, when we shook hands and come close during your lifetime, never has one been tired of seeing that figure, nor has one had enough of that voice of yours, and now that you have left us, in what way shall we help ourselves from grief? Buried by distress is the late autumn, and dewdrops shall fall with our tears. As we gaze at the moon, again someone shall bring to his lips the Worldly Pain of Separation. Would your noble soul not, for even a slightest instant, trace back onto earth? Those who yearn for you, those smart orphans of you, and that madam of good-virtue, all would have you come clear in their eyes.
I bear the shame of having only limited words; may them reach you from the bottom of my heart.
August, Year Shōwa 2
玲瓏(れいろう)、明透(めいてつ)、その文(ぶん)、その質(しつ)、名玉山海(めいぎよくさんかい)を照(て)らせる君(きみ)よ。溽暑蒸濁(じよくしよじようだく)の夏(なつ)を背(そむ)きて、冷々然(れい／＼ぜん)として獨(ひと)り涼(すゞ)しく逝(ゆ)きたまひぬ。倏忽(たちまち)にして巨星(きよせい)天(てん)に在(あ)り。光(ひかり)を翰林(かんりん)に曳(ひ)きて永久(とこしなへ)に消(き)えず。然(しか)りとは雖(いへど)も、生前(せいぜん)手(て)をとりて親(した)しかりし時(とき)だに、その容(かたち)を見(み)るに飽(あ)かず、その聲(こゑ)を聞(き)くをたらずとせし、われら、君(きみ)なき今(いま)を奈何(いかん)せむ。おもひ秋深(あきふか)く、露(つゆ)は涙(なみだ)の如(ごと)し。月(つき)を見(み)て、面影(おもかげ)に代(か)ゆべくは、誰(たれ)かまた哀別離苦(あいべつりく)を言(い)ふものぞ。高(たか)き靈(れい)よ、須臾(しばらく)の間(あひだ)も還(かへ)れ、地(ち)に。君(きみ)にあこがるゝもの、愛(あい)らしく賢(かしこ)き遺兒(ゐじ)たちと、温優貞淑(をんいうていしゆく)なる令夫人(れいふじん)とのみにあらざるなり。
辭(ことば)つたなきを羞(は)ぢつゝ、謹(つゝしん)で微衷(びちう)をのぶ。
昭和二年八月
