私とジャネさんと先生と

私がどんなに水泳を習っても、
海にちっとも泳げないが、
海に潜れるジャネさんは私のように、
琴を上手に弾けない。

私が弓道を練習しても、
上手にはできないけど、
上手な先生は私のように、
左手で使えないよ。

ジャネさんと先生と、それから私のように、
皆違って、皆いい。

____________________
"Jane, My Teacher and I"

No matter how much I learn,
There is no way that I can swim in the sea.
But Jane, who can dive in the ocean,
Can't play the koto as well as me.

Even though I practice kyu-do (Japanese archery),
I am not good at it.
But my teacher, who is skilled at kyo-do,
Cannot use her left hand like me.

Jane, my teacher and I,
Are all different, but all good.

(Note: had to make this poem based on a famous one for an exercise in Japanese class last week. Sorry for the no translation at the first! The point of the poem is that everyone is good at different things, but that is actually alright. Obviously there is a deeper meaning since the original is quite famous in Japan, but sort of hard to hash out here.)