Most likely, the flames will destroy themselves 火は火みずからを滅ぼすだろう

original manuscript by

Mutsuo Takahashi [ 高橋睦郎]

Flames, Me, Memory

Flames, which gave birth to me
Flames, which will destroy me

I am the world
So what will destroy me
Will also destroy the world

After my destruction
Are flames all that will remain?
Most likely, the flames will destroy themselves

I am a flame because I was born of flames
So flames destroying flames is just like
Me destroying myself

After my destruction
Who will remember me?
After the flames go out
What memory remains of the fire?

Nothing
Nothing will remember nothing
Nothing will recall that nothing existed

The memory of flames
The memory of me
The memory of nothingness

Nothing does not exist
Non-existence does not exist
Just nothing

 . . . . . .

translated by Jeffrey Angels