Tomorrow Never Comes

「最後だとわかっていたなら」震災で大切な人を亡くした「後悔」生徒が涙する“いのちの授業”に

Yahoo Newsを読んでいる内に、上記URLにある記事に行き当たりました。

題とされている詩は、ノーマ・コーネット・マレック(Norma Cornett Marek/1940-2004)によるもので、アメリカの詩人です。ケンタッキー州出身。10歳で亡くなった息子サムエルに捧げた詩「最後だとわかっていたなら（Tomorrow Never Comes）」を1989年に発表しています。9.11 同時テロの後に、彼女の詩がアメリカでチェーンメール、追悼集会での朗読によって広まり、広く知られるようになったとされています。

（「救出作業の途中で亡くなった消防士が生前に書いた詩」という説も流布しているようですが、実際は違います。）

色んな和訳が出回っているようですが、やはり詩は原文・原典です。どうぞ。

Tomorrow Never Comes
by Norma Cornett Marek (1989)

If I knew it would be the last time that I’d see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly, and pray the Lord your soul to keep.
If I knew it would be the last time that I’d see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss, and call you back for just one more.

If I knew it would be the last time I’d hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would tape each word and action, and play them back throughout my days
If I knew it would be the last time, I would spare an extra minute or two,
To stop and say “I love you,” instead of assuming you know I do.

So just in case tomorrow never comes, and today is all I get,
I’d like to say how much I love you, and I hope we never will forget.
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you’re waiting for tomorrow, why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes, you’ll surely regret the day
That you didn’t take that extra time for a smile, a hug, or a kiss,
And you were too busy to grant someone, what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today, and whisper in their ear,
That you love them very much, and you’ll always hold them dear.
Take time to say “I’m sorry,” “Please forgive me,” “thank you” or “it’s okay”.
And if tomorrow never comes, you’ll have no regrets about today.