The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #56949   Message #914100
Posted By: GUEST,Emily Gunyou
19-Mar-03 - 10:14 PM
Thread Name: Obit: Jonathan Eberhart (18 Feb 2003)
Subject: RE: Obit: Jonathan Eberhart
In reading this forum I have been deeply (and rather profoundly)touched by the notion of a community growing around the love of an individual and of it's continual growth.

I didn't know Jonathan, but rather, am a friend of Ken Schatz. When Ken relayed the story of a dragonfly saving Jonathan's life in Japan I was immediately put in mind of a traditional children's song about red dragonflies I learned during my years at Concordia Japanese Language Camp on the White Earth Reservation in Northern Minnesota (and yet, we managed to elect Jesse Ventura?)

YUYAKE KOYAKE
by shin kusakawa

Yuyake koyake no aka tonbo
Owarete mitano wa itsu no hi ka?

This line translates, roughly, to mean "Is the sunrise/sunset due to the red dragonflies riding on the backs of their mates?"
Aka tonbo meaning red dragonfly.
Here's a link to the rest of the lyrics, melody and a Koto score:

http://koto.sapp.org/dict/akatonbo

I hope it's of interest and can act as a thank you of sorts.

Emily Gunyou
Minneapolis, MN
Harlem, NYC