This
book is a translation of haiku by a noted Japanese physicist,
educator, and politician. The scientist-poet is not an unusual
figure in modem Japanese poetry. Perhaps the most beloved
of all modern Japanese poets, Miyazawa Kenji (1896-1933),
taught chemistry, natural science, and agriculture. He used
scientific terminology and Buddhist imagery in his poems
about life in northern Japan. Gary Snyder did an excellent
job of translating some of Kenjis poems in his The
Back Country (New Directions, 1967)
Gary
Snyder also contributed a short blurb for the back cover
of this collection. He points out that Dr. Arimas
poetry combines traditional elegance, and the seasoned
perspective of a world traveled professor and scientist.
While Miyazawas poetry concentrated on the countryside
of northern Japan, many of Dr. Arimas poems are picture
postcards from a globe trotter. There are poems about snake
charmers and magic lamps in India, a suit of armor in the
Tower of London, cotton fields in Mississippi, oysters in
New York, Venetian glass in Venice, ancient tombs in Rome,
theologians in Israel, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The
midnight sun shows up both in Moscow and Finland.
The
tradition is of that of the utamakura (literally: poem pillows).
Originally these were set phrases associated with different
localities. Eventually the term came to mean the famous
places themselves. Each of these places might have a particular
flower, season, or feature for which it was particularly
famous. For example to speak of the mountains of Yoshino
near Nara meant to imply cherry blossoms. The blossoms were
the honi (poetic essence) of the place. In this collection
the Eiffel Tower becomes the honi for Paris:
the
cats cradle
the Eiffel Tower too
into winter
|
ayatori
no
efferutô mo
fuyu ni iru. |
Although
travel poems dominate this collection, there are also a
number of poems about nature, the seasons, and everyday
life. Some of these are my personal favorites. In his introduction
to the collection William J. Higginson points out one that
is particularly charming:
a
kitten
however it is called
it answers back
|
neko
no ko no
dô yobarete mo
kotae keri |
Another
notable aspect of the poems is the frequent use of Christian
imagery. There are several references to the bible, Joseph
and Mary, and to Jesus. For example this poem is set in
Italy:
spring
haze
from the lake a man
resembling Jesus
|
harugasumu
umi yori iesu ni
nitaru hito |
The
poems are arranged in reverse chronological order and span
almost 30 years. In general the translations are excellent.
I would quibble with the rendition of tsuyu as plum
rain. The translators point out in a footnote that
tsuyu in Japan is the rainy season. This is a rather unpleasant
meteorological phenomenon in late spring or early summer.
For a period of several weeks incessant rain and extreme
humidity make life without air conditioning a miserable
experience. The word is written with the two Chinese characters,
one for plum and the other for rain. Japanese abounds with
examples like this, much like Greek roots for English words.
It can, however, produce a strange impression if the words
is broken up and the etymology is translated rather than
the meaning.
This
is, however, only a quibble with one translation in an otherwise
very well translated collection. The book is very attractive
with calligraphy by the author on the cover. It is 5.5"
by 8.5" perfect bound. In addition to the introduction
by William J. Higginson there is an introduction by the
translators and an authors preface. The book contains
approximately 170 haiku with two poems on each page. Included
are the vernacular Japanese, romanized Japanese, and English
translations. It is certainly a welcome edition to the growing
number of books in English which introduce major figures
in contemporary Japanese haiku to the Western audience
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