Wednesday, May 30, 2012

First Day of Autumn


秋立つ日、上のをのこども賀茂の河原に川逍遥しけるともにまかりてよめる

川風の涼しくもあるかうち寄する波とともにや秋は立つらむ

貫之

This was composed on the first day of autumn when some courtiers took a trip to Kamo river.

There is a chill
In the breeze from the river,
As the waves break on the shore
It almost feels like
Autumn arrives with them.

Tsurayuki

This is the second poem in the first volume dealing with autumn in the Kokinshuu. The author's full name is Ki no Tsurayuki and he is the compiler of the entire Kokinshuu and thus the most famous poet in the Kokinshuu. I like this poem in particular but it's important to realize that poems in this collection can be analyzed microscopically as well as macroscopically. What I mean by that is that you can analyze and dissect each individual poem for the kakekotoba ("pivot word", like a double entendre) or makura kotoba ("pillow word", this references a famous place in Japanese literature or history).  
By macroscopically I mean that you look at the whole series of poems together and decipher a pattern. Ki no Tsurayuki spent a lot of creative energy not only to compose his own poetry and pick quality poems from other authors but he also arranged them in a way that flowed nicely and contributed aesthetically to the collection as a whole.
This poem or waka in particular is nice but I don't think it has any kakekotoba or makura kotoba or even metaphorical language. It does have some nice imagery though. I like the combination of chillness and the coming of autumn. It's very fitting. Another nice aspect of this poem is that if you look at the original Japanese the two principal verbs are うち寄する and 立つ which mean to break or fall (onto the shore) and to rise or stand up respectively. I like the image of the waves of the river falling onto the shore with the essence (chillness) of autumn arising from it. It's a nice juxtaposition which I found difficult to convey in the English translation.  

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

First one!

I have decided to start a blog for my modest translations of poems from the Kokinshuu  and Shinkokinshuu.  I'll also try my hands at some haikus and other poetry when I get a chance. I just want to practice my translating skills. Overtime I am going to include more analysis and other translations. I always appreciate feedback :)
This first poem is the first poem of the autumn collection and is written by a man named Fujiwara no Toshiyuki.


この頃私はあまり日本語が練習できませんから翻訳したいんです。私はフィリピン
にいている間によく翻訳しましたけど弁護士について書類だったのでちょっとつ
まらないです。大学で古今集と新古今集を勉強しましたけど英語で読みました。
今、色々な歌が翻訳したいです。絶対に日本人の友達は私を手伝うことが欲しい
です。日本語が難しいけど伝統的な日本語が難しすぎるでしょう。私の翻訳直し
てください :)

今、歌は一つだけ翻訳しましたけど直ぐに他な歌をできます。

この歌は古今集から来て最初の秋の歌です。藤原敏行は書きました。


古今和歌集

秋来ぬと目にはさやかに見えねども風の音にぞおどろかれぬる

藤原敏行

Autumn has arrived
I cannot clearly see it,
And yet I am taken aback
By that familiar sound
Of the autumn wind.

Fujiwara no Toshiyuki