Tanka Poem Examples About Nature
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Should Senryu Be Part of English-Language Haiku ? by Jane Reichhold
Essays Should Senryu Be Part of English-language Haiku ? by Jane Reichhold hanks TO THE INSTANT CONNECTEDNESS THAT THE )NTERNET BRINGS US Teven the most obscure concepts and ideas leap from continent TO LANDMASSHEART TO MINDWITHIN DAYS 4HE AVAILABILITY OF E MAIL PUTS OUR DESKS ANYWHERE ON THE GLOBE NEXT TO EACH OTHER )N THIS NEW ATMOSPHERE OF CLOSENESS ) WOULD LIKE TO ASK ALL THE EDITORS OF HAIKU magazines — paper and online — and the officers of haiku groups, as well as writers who love haiku, to reconsider their stand on senryu. We NEED TO RE EVALUATE THE HISTORY AND CURRENT SITUATION OF SENRYU AND TO make clear how we are to go forward in regard to its relationship to haiku. A simple Web search can bring anyone the history of senryu, with its origins in the maekuzuke (an informal contest to write a tan renga WITH TWO LINKS OF nn AND n SOUND UNITS WRITTEN BETWEEN TWO PER SONS )N THE lRST COLLECTION OF THESE CAPPING VERSES WAS PUBLISHED as Haifu yanagidaru BY +ARAI (ACHIEMON WHOSE PEN NAME 3ENRYû, MEANS h2IVER 7ILLOWv /VER THE NEXT HUNDRED YEARS FURTHER EDI tions of these collections were published until the submitted poems be came too raunchy and of too poor quality to publish. Currently there is an effort in Japan to rehabilitate and resurrect senryu. What may NOT BE SO EASILY DISCOVERED IS HOW WRITERS AND PUBLISHERS OF %NGLISH LANGUAGE HAIKU AND SENRYU DIFFER FROM THEIR COLLEAGUES IN *APAN ) would like to lead you through various divergences and show how we have gotten ourselves into the current situation. -
The Hyakunin Isshu Translated Into Danish
The Hyakunin Isshu translated into Danish Inherent difficulties in translation and differences from English & Swedish versions By Anna G Bouchikas [email protected] Bachelor Thesis Lund University Japanese Centre for Languages and Literature, Japanese Studies Spring Term 2017 Supervisor: Shinichiro Ishihara ABSTRACT In this thesis, translation of classic Japanese poetry into Danish will be examined in the form of analysing translations of the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu. Difficulties will be surveyed, and ways of handling them will be suggested. Furthermore, differences between the Danish translations and those of English and Swedish translations will be noted. Relevant translation methods will be presented, as well as an introduction to translation, to further the understanding of the reader in the discussion. The hypothesis for this study was that when translating the Hyakunin Isshu into Danish, the translator would be forced to make certain compromises. The results supported this hypothesis. When translating from Japanese to Danish, the translator faces difficulties such as following the metre, including double meaning, cultural differences and special features of Japanese poetry. To adequately deal with these difficulties, the translator must be willing to compromise in the final translation. Which compromises the translator must make depends on the purpose of the translation. Keywords: translation; classical Japanese; poetry; Ogura Hyakunin Isshu; Japanese; Danish; English; Swedish ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, I would like to thank both of my informants for being willing to spend as much time helping me as they have. Had they not taken the time they did to answer all of my never- ending questions, surely I would still be doing my study even now. -
Reading the Miraculous Powers of Japanese Poetry Spells, Truth Acts, and a Medieval Buddhist Poetics of the Supernatural
Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 32/: –33 © 2005 Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture R. Keller Kimbrough Reading the Miraculous Powers of Japanese Poetry Spells, Truth Acts, and a Medieval Buddhist Poetics of the Supernatural The supernatural powers of Japanese poetry are widely documented in the lit- erature of Heian and medieval Japan. Twentieth-century scholars have tended to follow Orikuchi Shinobu in interpreting and discussing miraculous verses in terms of ancient (arguably pre-Buddhist and pre-historical) beliefs in koto- dama 言霊, “the magic spirit power of special words.” In this paper, I argue for the application of a more contemporaneous hermeneutical approach to the miraculous poem-stories of late-Heian and medieval Japan: thirteenth- century Japanese “dharani theory,” according to which Japanese poetry is capable of supernatural effects because, as the dharani of Japan, it contains “reason” or “truth” (kotowari) in a semantic superabundance. In the first sec- tion of this article I discuss “dharani theory” as it is articulated in a number of Kamakura- and Muromachi-period sources; in the second, I apply that the- ory to several Heian and medieval rainmaking poem-tales; and in the third, I argue for a possible connection between the magico-religious technology of Indian “Truth Acts” (saccakiriyā, satyakriyā), imported to Japan in various sutras and sutra commentaries, and some of the miraculous poems of the late- Heian and medieval periods. keywords: waka – dharani – kotodama – katoku setsuwa – rainmaking – Truth Act – saccakiriyā, satyakriyā R. Keller Kimbrough is an Assistant Professor of Japanese at Colby College. In the 2005– 2006 academic year, he will be a Visiting Research Fellow at the Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture. -
Haiku Attunement & the “Aha” Moment
Special Article Haiku Attunement & the “Aha” Moment By Edward Levinson Author Edward Levinson As a photographer and writer living, working, and creating in Japan spring rain for 40 years, I like to think I know it well. However, since I am not an washing heart academic, the way I understand and interpret the culture is spirit’s kiss intrinsically visual. Smells and sounds also play a big part in creating my experiences and memories. In essence, my relationship with Later this haiku certainly surprised a Japanese TV reporter who Japan is conducted making use of all the senses. And this is the was covering a “Haiku in English” meeting in Tokyo where I read it. perfect starting point for composing haiku. Later it appeared on the evening news, an odd place to share my Attunement to one’s surroundings is important when making inner life. photographs, both as art and for my editorial projects on Japanese PHOTO 1: Author @Edward Levinson culture and travel. The power of the senses influences my essays and poetry as well. In haiku, with its short three-line form, the key to success is to capture and share the sensual nature of life, both physical and philosophical. For me, the so-called “aha” moment is the main ingredient for making a meaningful haiku. People often comment that my photos and haiku create a feeling of nostalgia. An accomplished Japanese poet and friend living in Hokkaido, Noriko Nagaya, excitedly telephoned me one morning after reading my haiku book. Her insight was that my haiku visions were similar to the way I must see at the exact moment I take a photo. -
6489 a Paper Panel Painted in Ink and Colour on a Gold Ground with Scenes from Ise Monogatari (The
6489 A paper panel painted in ink and colour on a gold ground with scenes from Ise Monogatari (the Tales of Ise) Japan Edo period 18th century Dimensions: H.17¾” x W.14½” (44.75 cm x 36.5 cm) This painting depicts two connected scenes from the 10th century literary classic, the Tales of Ise, the lower half illustrating Episode 23 and the upper half Episode 24. The ‘Tale of Ise' (Ise monogatari), 10th century is one of the most important texts of Japanese literature. It is a loose collection of medieval Japanese poems with brief prose introductions. This anonymous work is the oldest in the uta monogatari, or “poem tale,” genre. Although composed mostly of waka, a Japanese poetic form, the prose prefaces to these poems give the work a unique flavour, anticipating later developments in Japanese literature. Most of the poems deal with the amorous exploits of an unnamed lover, who is traditionally, identified as Ariwara no Narihira (825-80), one of the six “saints” of Japanese poetry. Ever since the 11th century, when the ‘Tales of Ise' came to be seen as a kind of cultural icon, generations of scholars and writers have been puzzling over the numerous problems the text poses. While some may read the episodes as semi-biographical account of the romantic pursuits of Ariwara no Nahira; others have hailed the text as expressions of ‘true Japanese spirit'. There are 209 poems comprising the 125 sections of the work, and each section is a clever and elegant meditation on love outside of marriage. -
©Copyright 2012 Sachi Schmidt-Hori
1 ©Copyright 2012 Sachi Schmidt-Hori 2 Hyperfemininities, Hypermasculinities, and Hypersexualities in Classical Japanese Literature Sachi Schmidt-Hori A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2012 Reading Committee: Paul S. Atkins, Chair Davinder L. Bhowmik Tani E. Barlow Kyoko Tokuno Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Department of Asian Languages and Literature 3 University of Washington Abstract Hyperfemininities, Hypermasculinities, and Hypersexualities in Classical Japanese Literature Sachi Schmidt-Hori Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Associate Professor Paul S. Atkins Asian Languages and Literature This study is an attempt to elucidate the complex interrelationship between gender, sexuality, desire, and power by examining how premodern Japanese texts represent the gender-based ideals of women and men at the peak and margins of the social hierarchy. To do so, it will survey a wide range of premodern texts and contrast the literary depictions of two female groups (imperial priestesses and courtesans), two male groups (elite warriors and outlaws), and two groups of Buddhist priests (elite and “corrupt” monks). In my view, each of the pairs signifies hyperfemininities, hypermasculinities, and hypersexualities of elite and outcast classes, respectively. The ultimate goal of 4 this study is to contribute to the current body of research in classical Japanese literature by offering new readings of some of the well-known texts featuring the above-mentioned six groups. My interpretations of the previously studied texts will be based on an argument that, in a cultural/literary context wherein defiance merges with sexual attractiveness and/or sexual freedom, one’s outcast status transforms into a source of significant power. -
Haiku in Romania by Vasile Moldovan
Haiku in Romania by Vasile Moldovan Romanian poets expressed their interest in Japanese culture as early as at the very beginning of the 20th century. Two classics of Romanian literature, Alexandru Macedonski and Vasile Alecsandri, were fascinated by the beauty of Japanese landscape poems, and wrote several poems inspired by classical Japanese literature. First Romanian essays on haiku and tanka appeared in the Iasi-based Literary Event magazine in 1904. In the same year, the poet Al Vlahuta published an essay titled “The Japanese Poetry and Painting” in the By the Fireside magazine; this essay contained a number of tanka and haiku poems. Poet Al. T. Stamatiad published the first haiku poems in Romanian language, 12 in total, in the anthology titled Tender Landscape, which won the Romanian Academy Prize. In the 1930s, the poet Ion Pillat experimented with one-line poems, many of which resembled haiku. His best miniatures appeared in his collection that he called- One-line Poems (1935). These poems usually had a caesura and comprised of thirteen to fourteen syllables. In the preface he claimed that even if his poems differ from mainstream haiku they should be regarded as a form of haikai poetry. Pillat’s book proved to be influential, and nowadays many Romanian poets follow this trend. At approximately the same time poet Traian Chelariu published Nippon soul, an anthology of classical Japanese poetry in his translations (incidentally, he translated it through German). Chelariu adhered to the 5-7-5 pattern, which afterwards influenced many Romanian authors of haiku. In 1942, Al. T. Stamatiad published Nippon Courtesan Songs. -
On Recording Waka Poems on Kaishi Sheets of Paper. the Example of the Shokukokinshū Kyōen Waka Collection
DOI: 10.24411/2658-6789-2019-10009 On Recording Waka Poems on Kaishi Sheets of Paper. The Example of the Shokukokinshū kyōen waka Collection M.V. TOROPYGINA Abstract. The article analyzes the rules for recording poems on kaishi sheets of paper by poets during or for the poetic events. The main source of the study is the recording of a poetic collection Shokukokinshū kyōen waka (1266) composed of poems read during a banquet in honor of the completion of the work on the imperial anthology Shokukokinshū. The Gunshō Ruijū publication was used as a source for the investigation, as this publication preserves the principles of recording poems on kaishi sheets. The record of Shokukokinshū kyōen waka is analyzed in context of the karon texts of the time – provisions regarding the recording of poems on sheets of kaishi by Fujiwara no Kiyosuke, Juntoku-in, Fujiwara no Teika. Keywords: poetry, karon, Shokukokinshū kyōen waka, imperial anthology, Gunshō Ruijū, Fujiwara no Kiyosuke, Juntoku-in, Fujiwara no Teika. The poetic collection Shokukokinshū kyōen waka (続古今集竟宴和歌 “Japanese songs composed at the banquet in honor of the compilation of the Shokukokinshū”)1 celebrates the compilation of the Shokukokinshū (続古今集 “Continuation of the collection of old and new Japanese songs”) 1 For the study, several publications and manuscript of the monument were used. The main source is the publication in the Gunshō Ruijū. The edition in open acсess at the National Diet Library digital database [Shokukokinshū kyōen waka (c)]; also [Shokukokinshū kyōen waka 1989]. The undated manuscript is published by the Waseda University [Shokukokinshū kyōen waka (a)]. -
Japanese Studies Review, Vol. XX (2016), Pp
ISSN: 1500-0713 ______________________________________________________________ Article Title: Performing Prayer, Saving Genji, and Idolizing Murasaki Shikibu: Genji Kuyō in Nō and Jōruri Author(s): Satoko Naito Source: Japanese Studies Review, Vol. XX (2016), pp. 3-28 Stable URL: https://asian.fiu.edu/projects-and-grants/japan-studies- review/journal-archive/volume-xx-2016/naito-satoko- gkuyojoruri_jsr.pdf ______________________________________________________________ PERFORMING PRAYER, SAVING GENJI, AND IDOLIZING MURASAKI SHIKIBU: GENJI KUYŌ IN NŌ AND JŌRURI1 Satoko Naito University of Maryland, College Park Introduction The Murasaki Shikibu daraku ron [lit. “Story of Murasaki Shikibu’s Fall] tells that after her death Murasaki Shikibu (d. ca. 1014) was cast to hell.2 The earliest reference is found in Genji ipponkyō [Sutra for Genji] (ca. 1166), which recounts a Buddhist kuyō (dedicatory rite) performed on her behalf, with the reasoning that the Heian author had been condemned to eternal suffering in hell for writing Genji monogatari [The Tale of Genji] (ca. 1008). Though Genji ipponkyō makes no explicit claim to the efficacy of the kuyō, its performance is presumably successful and saves the Genji author. In such a case the earliest extant utterance of the Murasaki-in-hell story is coupled with her subsequent salvation, and the Genji author, though damned, is also to be saved.3 It may be more accurate, then, to say that the Murasaki Shikibu daraku ron is about Murasaki Shikibu’s deliverance, rather than her fall (daraku). Through the medieval period and beyond, various sources recounted the execution of kuyō rites conducted for The Tale of Genji’s author, often initiated and sponsored by women.4 Such stories of Genji kuyō 1 Author’s Note: I thank those who commented on earlier versions of this paper, in particular D. -
Tsugiki, a Grafting: the Life and Poetry of a Japanese Pioneer Woman in Washington Columbia Magazine, Spring 2005: Vol
Tsugiki, a Grafting: The Life and Poetry of a Japanese Pioneer Woman in Washington Columbia Magazine, Spring 2005: Vol. 19, No. 1 By Gail M. Nomura In the imagination of most of us, the pioneer woman is represented by a sunbonneted Caucasian traveling westward on the American Plains. Few are aware of the pioneer women who crossed the Pacific Ocean east to America from Japan. Among these Japanese pioneer women were some whose destiny lay in the Pacific Northwest. In Washington, pioneer women from Japan, the Issei or first (immigrant) generation, and their Nisei, second-generation, American-born daughters, made up the largest group of nonwhite ethnic women in the state for most of the first half of the 20th century. These women contributed their labor in agriculture and small businesses to help develop the state’s economy. Moreover, they were essential to the establishment of a viable Japanese American community in Washington. Yet, little is known of the history of these women. What follows is the story of one Japanese pioneer woman, Teiko Tomita. An examination of her life offers insight into the historical experience of other Japanese pioneer women in Washington. Beyond an oral history obtained through interviews, Tomita’s experience is illumined by the rich legacy of tanka poems she wrote since she was a high school girl in Japan. The tanka written by Tomita served as a form of journal for her, a way of expressing her innermost thoughts as she became part of America. Indeed, Tsugiki, the title Tomita gave her section of a poetry anthology, meaning a grafting or a grafted tree, reflects her vision of a Japanese American grafted community rooting itself in Washington through the pioneering experiences of women like herself. -
The Basic Structure of Tanka Prose
The Elements of Tanka Prose by Jeffrey Woodward Introduction: Basic Definition The marriage of prose and waka, the forerunner of modern tanka, occurred early in the history of Japanese literature, from the 8th to 11th centuries, with rudimentary beginnings in the Man’yōshū and later elaboration as an art in the Tales of Ise and Tale of Genji. One aspect of the proliferation of prose with waka forms is that practice moved far in advance of theory. Japanese criticism to this day lacks consensus on a name for this hybrid genre. The student, instead, is met with a plethora of terms that aspire to be form-specific, e.g., preface or headnote (kotobagaki), poem tale (uta monogatari), literary diary (nikki bungaku), travel account (kikō), poetic collection (kashū), private poetry collection (shikashū) and many more [Konishi, II, 256-258; Miner, 14-16] The first problem one must address, therefore, in any discussion of tanka plus prose is terminology. While Japanese waka practice and criticism afford no precedent, the analogy of tanka with prose to the latter development of haibun does. The term haibun, when applied to a species of literary composition, commonly signifies haiku plus prose written in the ―haikai spirit.‖ It would not be mere license to replace haibun with haiku prose or haikai prose as proper nomenclature. Upon the same grounds, tanka prose becomes a reasonable term to apply to literary specimens that incorporate tanka plus prose – a circumstance which may lead one to inquire, not unreasonably, whether tanka prose also indicates prose composed in the ―tanka spirit.‖ Fundamental Structure of Tanka Prose Tanka prose, like haibun, combines the two modes of writing: verse and prose. -
A Crow on a Bare Branch: a Comparison of Matsuo Bashō's Haiku
A CROW ON A BARE BRANCH: A COMPARISON OF MATSUO BASHŌ’S HAIKU “KARE-EDA-NI…” AND ITS ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS Elin Sütiste Introduction This paper aims to describe, compare and analyse different shifts that have occurred in the translation of Matsuo Bashō’s haiku “Kare-eda-ni…” into English. With the help of close reading, attention is paid to the interference of the original haiku’s features (such as syllables, seasonal word kigo, cutting word kireji, imagery etc.) with the poetic standards of the target culture (e.g., characteristics like title, rhyme, number of lines etc.) As evidenced by the bulk of translations1 and the time-span during which these have been made, “Kare-eda-ni…” has fascinated Western translators since the beginnings of haiku2 translations. The text corpus used here consists of 32 English translations composed from 1899 until 2000 (see appendix).3 As is generally known, Japanese poetry is based on the 5- and 7-syllable patterns. Although the original haiku texts are presented in Japanese in the monolinear form, translations usually follow their underlying structure of 5-7-5 syllables and render a haiku in the form of three lines. However, this has not always been the case. Haiku was introduced to the West rather recently, at the turn of the 20th century. As there was no corresponding form for haiku in the West and haiku itself was a novelty, Japanese haiku was paralleled for some time and degree to epigram, as is evident from some of the first writings on haiku, e.g. B. H. Chamberlain’s “Bashō and the Japanese epigram” (1902), or William Porter’s anthology of translations, entitled A Year of Japanese Epigrams (1911) etc (Kawamoto 2000: 47, Kuriyama 1983: 80).