Lines at Year's Beginning

 As night ends, a bright new year dawns!
 The old departs, the new arrives in the blink of an eye! What magic is this!
 In fresh attire this morning, the sun bursts forth, painting colors across ancient mountain slopes,
 and in that light, dazzled, the weary old year digs its own grave with tired feet and departs.
 In new light the new year stands still-bodied, calling near, spreading radiance.
 Waking, I embraced it thus, bound in vows: whatever was wrong, I'll set right.
 When the sun rose today, crossing year after year, hope's light touched my skin,
 this gift of a new day I received with tender care upon my head.
 In this auspicious celebration, today's prayer:
 may all, near and far, wherever they are, stay well, be happy,
 may the year turn in joy, all bonds united in this year,
 may sickness heal in body and mind, may jobs come to all unemployed,
 may all be drenched in mercy's stream, may the country smile for everyone's good.
  
 With new life, new melody, new flowers the year will wake, pushing aside nightmare hours, making us forget despair and pain.
 The infinite no longer pulls at me as before,
 what won't happen this year will never happen again, I'll keep this in mind, tie time down and get to work.
 Pushing all history aside, I myself will be one history, I give my word!
 Friend, listen, sit a while, extend your hand, the farewell bell tolls,
 work calls, scolds me, friend don't call me as before,
 when work is done you'll see, everyone will see, call me then in perfect joy.
  
 Last year's gray time covered body and soul's flesh in a coffin-house, teaching: when time comes, I'll go, memories will roll in street corners! What I am today will change a little tomorrow, but I won't remain. When balloon-life rises at terrible speed, know for certain: ahead lies the fall, when you hit the dust no one will stay beside you. However much you hold people, pull them with love, all ungrateful ones will live in ingratitude. The more you think well of them, the more they'll pierce you with thorns. In sorrow or joy, your day will change through your work, time's costume. If such law were different, alas never, whatever happens then, accept it, bow to fate. Happy dreams increase the burden, attainment's light grief breaks all courage's dam in a flood. Live then in fierce flame!
  
 Actually the year—old papers leap away, old clothes flee aside, old words sway in new melody's breeze.
 The numb year seats me face to face,
 all yesterdays—in unison holding darkness's account, singing dirges, showing fear, chasing hidden pain.
 Memories come crowding, some despair shadow-wrapped, some achievement comfort-bound, agony and tales of sorrow—they remain, don't they!
 Pain-memories burn like fire, turn to ash, ash-bodies fly in wind, burning eyes when I think,
 friend you were still there, if not in joy, coming in sorrow to hold my hand,
 the day the world moved away, earth swayed, sky cracked overhead, everyone said, "I'm leaving, stay well,"
 that day you bound me in a little hope's half-light saying just this: "Why fear? Here I am, see, right beside you as before.
 Whether you find me in joy or not, know you'll surely find me in sorrow. Keep me in this faith your whole life."
  
 In wool's solid barrier, winter fog runs fleeing,
 the fog that surrounds the mind, with what does that fog flee? May the new year untie that knot with its magic.
 Those who aren't here today but were yesterday, may they all stay well with much love.
 May the hungry find food, the naked find clothes, may medicine come to all afflicted.
 Whatever garb suits life, may that garb dress everyone's life,
 may rain of love, affection and care fall in word and deed. May life be bound in love's thread.
 May all melancholy rhythms merge with wind, may sin's burden lighten a little,
 may want disappear, may closed hearts wake today in pure understanding,
 may virtuous pride dance in blood, may justice and truth come, dispel slander,
 may envy retreat and beauty descend in everyone's heart, may peace and joy's sunshine rise!
 May disease and trouble's dominion lessen, may prosperity flow in trade,
 may greed for wealth go far away in true consciousness, may darkness cut away and light fill everyone's life.
 Words never spoken, in love and compassion, such words make hearts dance, wake in hope,
 may all sufferers' pain leave this year, may aged father's, aged mother's tears merge with joy's touch, this year.
  
 Various colors in countless styles dazzled eyes, various tunes in different ways filled hearts,
 just so in what delight did the year turn with all melody's color's gestures!
 I'll be a traveler to that strange color's unknown tune's wonderful land this year,
 thousands of suns will gather, burn in my chest with fierce metal in sharp blaze,
 riding on stars' wings today I'll cross millions of worlds seeking light,
 old yet young the heart will want life, all dream-path dreams will rise singing in that saga the heart weaves.
 Sometimes in gaps, in a cup of coffee, floating in colored thread's old joy when I drift a little, friend you stay then beside me too.
 As you remove sorrow with love, bind joy with the same love.
 Let all our stories turn in grass-flowers' ears, what does it mean, let all moments understand and forget,
 the wind knows! That wind in which I used to float away all sorrows,
 together. Extend your hand as before,
 you'll find me just as you used to, I make this vow.
  
 The year went collecting mistakes, year-start's goals all went limping quite carelessly,
 the accounts remained quite muddled. It all happened through my fault—everyone thinks so. This is the rule.
 I accept it all, yet say, everything isn't finished yet even now,
 as long as life remains, I'll stay engaged with whatever I can manage.
 This hour's pain chases countless lives thus—I'm not alone in this gray, I know this too.
 Whoever I've considered a friend and drawn close, they struck the first blow!
 Life alas lies destroyed in heaps. On that heap's very highway I walk in some strange joy myself.
 Puppet-life has passed thus year-round.
 I've thought mistakenly, playing away time, leaving accounts, as if life just passes in hand's grasp.
 Among all old dreams nightmare-mountains built, the year passed,
 in momentary delusion, losing life in petty feeling, hours ended carelessly.
  
 Each winter the years die,
 year-end's night trembles wrapping winter's sheet around itself, riding autumn's chariot year turns to year,
 so the new year came with flowers, with birds misty winds wage war.
 Binding the sphinx of mist, hide it in melody's cage in disguise. If today it
 suddenly rages, shows fear understanding nothing, in its fear the year flees,
 the old year will stay along! Remember this! Opening folly's book you'll have to read in the old way.
  
 The new year brings to mind such a person
 who never peeks even a little in any corner of the mind, for a whole year!
 The year turns on one wheel, dreams turn on another wheel, life mixed with love, amid this people turn.
 Under one year's every burden the next year presses its head,
 year-start's moment floats in resolution's inventory—seeing all this, a little away, silently fate perhaps smiles slyly.
 Calendar's turned pages increase sales.
 See, thinking, the new year is just a date, nothing more, what commotion over this!
 New year, keep just this request, don't call the old me by the old name anymore,
 know me by a new name, any name, as you please! I'll live by that name,
 however bad, even mistakenly don't wish to return to old pain with the old name this year too!