Ancient Japanese tanka into English

In the anthology, One Hundred Leaves, Frank Watson translated 100 ancient tanka from 100 Japanese poets in a stunning collection that makes new connections with contemporary poets and poetry readers who especially enjoy micropoetry.

When I received my review copy, I initially noticed the appealing cover with its restful scene and eye-appealing composition, which nicely illustrated the contents I went on to discover, beginning with “A Brief Guide to Appreciating Japanese Poetry.”

As traditional haiku lovers know, there’s more to that ancient form than meets the modern eye, and the same can be said for the tanka. A slightly longer pattern of syllabic verse, the 5 lines of a tanka break into units based on 5/ 7/ 5/ 7/ 7 syllables in their respective lines.

Besides that basic information, Watson explains the importance of characteristics typical of traditional Japanese poems:

Visual Images – where “emotions and abstract ideas are commonly symbolized through tangible images”

Pivot Words and Pillow Words – which might be stock phrases or the playful use of “homonyms, words with different meanings but the same pronunciation” that “introduce extensive wordplay and layers of meaning,” causing readers “to guess among many possibilities”

Nature - where “Almost every poem refers to nature in some way, and these references carry additional emotional, allusive, or historical connotations that add meaning to an otherwise short poem.”

Season and Time of Day – which also “have emotional connotations that add a layer of meaning to the poem.” For example, Autumn might signify sadness or loneliness while “spring symbolizes youth, love and vitality.”

Overall Experience – which traditionally relied on the poems being slowly chanted, giving the reader time to “layer in the feelings of the poet and try to imagine the scene, letting it come alive into a moving picture with sounds, scents, and colors”

With that information to enhance our reading, the layout further assists our appreciation of the poems in a consistent format that includes the title, byline and dates for the poet, Watson’s English version of the poem, the original lines in Japanese, a pronunciation guide, and a literal rendering.

In addition, Watson provides annotations on many of the poems in his “Literal Notes,” which I found most interesting. Not only do those notes give insights into the poems at hand but also the mindset of traditional tanka writers, whose works we do well to emulate.

For example, the poem “Scattered blossoms” by Ki no Tomonori (845-907) might have used those beautiful but short-lived cherry blossoms to express “unease over whether the peacefulness of the Japanese imperial court would last.”

More often, though, the poems had to do with secret love or love and a rendezvous. Of these, one of my favorites has an unusual twist that shows the fresh perspective ancient micro-poems often had.

To give you a better idea of that perennial freshness and this highly recommended book in general, I’ll present the translation and literal notes below.

#38 Lady Ukon, “How I pity your fate”
(960-966)

Being forgotten,
I do not worry for myself –
You made a vow
On your mortal life
and how I pity your fate.

As the “Literal Notes” explain:

“In this poem, the narrator speaks of her lover who vowed on his life to be faithful, but has now abandoned her. Instead of being upset for herself, she fears for his life.”

Amazing!


© 2015, Mary Harwell Sayler has several books of poetry.


One Hundred Leaves, paperback



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How to write haiku

To write haiku in English, most poets start with the familiar three lines of 5/ 7/ 5 syllables, which we will talk about in a moment. More importantly, haiku conveys an up-close, insightful encounter with the natural world so your readers can enjoy a similar experience.

Traditionally, this means you will use a symbolic word or phrase, such as plum blossoms or snow, to bring to your reader’s mind one of the four seasons. With Basho’s famous frog, for instance, Spring springs from the page and hops onto the reader’s lap – splash!

A quick sound, a close look, or a touch of humor adds splash to your haiku.

During his lifetime in the mid to late 1600’s, the now-well-known Japanese poet Matsuo Basho was not known for his haiku but for hokku – the three opening lines of a renga, whose five lines have 5/ 7/ 5/ 7/ 7 syllables, respectively. However, a 5-line renga often does not stop there since, like haiku, a renga can become a linked poem that goes on and on for dozens – even hundreds – of stanzas.

But what about those individual little syllables mentioned earlier?

In the Japanese language, syllables do not exist as such! Instead, the shortest possible sound is called an onji, which is usually said with greater speed than an English syllable. Therefore, poets who write in English but want a rhythmic feel similar to lines written in Japanese might not use a 5/ 7/ 5 syllabic form but a shorter approximation such as 3/ 5/ 3 English syllables.

Some poets prefer three lines of 2/ 4/ 2 syllables, but an odd number per line seems truer to the ancient forms which typically used an odd number of short sounds or onji.

Having said all this, though, American and British poets have written haiku for so many years now that the 5/ 7/ 5 form has long developed its own English tradition. So the form you choose will depend on your personal preference and on the haiku market you have in mind.

If, for example, the guidelines for a haiku journal or contest specify the syllabic count, consider those instructions to be the hard-and-fast rule for that particular outlet or publication. Otherwise, how to haiku is up to you and the private moment with nature you give to your readers through your clear eye, sharp ear, quick insight, and maybe a fast dash of totally charming humor.

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(c) 2011, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved.