sol.ace_r

Deep in the forest, on shaded ground where even sunlight falls with care,
small white treasures bloom in hiding.
Clusters of lily of the valley bow their heads shyly beneath green leaves.

Tiny bells, as if strung together one by one with devotion, stand in gentle rows,
and whenever the breeze softly brushes past, a very small, transparent sound.
A clear, refreshing chime rings out, like glasses lightly touching.

That sound drifts farther and farther away,
as if soothing all the sorrow in the world,
reaching my ears—or almost—seeping deep into my heart.
It feels like a secret story told only to me.

“Even when you are exhausted, collapsing and shedding tears, you are never alone.
Though it may feel like a dark night sky right now,
just as the stars are always there, shining in their place,
your happiness has not disappeared.”

Each time I walk among the lily of the valley,
a sweet, gentle fragrance brushes against my clothes.
It feels like the warmth of my mother’s arms from childhood,
or the fluttering memory of a first love.
That scent tickles the tip of my nose
and melts even a heart that had been tightly frozen, like magic.

Let that fragrance be your guide—close your eyes and listen quietly.
From very far away, beyond that vast river of time,
slowly, yet without stopping, a small sound of footsteps approaches me.
Tap, tap, tap—footsteps filled with hope.

The days I resigned myself to having lost forever.
The times I ached, turning away and telling myself I would never meet them again.
Within those moments, my happiness that had lost its light and wandered
is even now, in this very moment, rushing breathlessly back to me.
Crossing rough mountains, fording cold rivers, enduring biting wind and rain,
using the lovely scent of lily of the valley as its compass,
falling down and rising again, carefully yet firmly,
coming toward me—wholly, unmistakably, toward me.

Just as a dark, long winter passes and warm spring sunlight wraps around me,
just as a rainbow rises after a fierce storm,
my painful and exhausting times, too, will eventually pass.
And at last, the happiness that will lead me into bright light
is now turning that very corner and drawing close before my eyes.

One day, it will surely return to my arms in its most dazzling form.
With arms wide open, it will hold me tight,
so that I am no longer lonely, no longer sad,
embracing me in the warmest and deepest way.

Until that day comes, I will wait here, beside the lily of the valley.
Opening all my senses to the small chimes, listening closely,
following the path traced by its faint fragrance.

I will prepare my heart to fill it with bright smiles instead of tears,
with overwhelming anticipation instead of sorrow.
For the sake of my radiant happiness that I will meet again,
I will gather strength and wait, day by day.

So you—never give up.
Like the promise carried by the lily of the valley that blooms in painful, difficult times,
our happiness will surely, someday, without fail,
return to you, and to me,
in its most beautiful and radiant form. You can believe that.