Haiku by Professor Alexander Dolin (Part 3)
2009/11/28
Professor Alexander Dolin teaches Japanese Literature and Civilization Studies at Akita International University(AIU)（国際教養大学）in Akita. He also writes haiku.
First of all, we post haiku by Professor Alexander Dolin .
年毎に遊びに来たる秋の風
Every year he comes
to pay me a visit,
this autumn wind…
秋風に友の声かも山の道
With the autumn wind
it seems, the voice of my friend comes –
a mountain track…
秋田にて侘しく見ゆる案山子かな
In the autumn field
it looks so lonely,
this scarecrow!..
夜もすがら別れを惜しむきりぎりす
All night long
he is mourning the coming partition,
this grasshopper…
旅人の姿消えゆく秋の暮れ
The silhouette of a traveler
is slowly vanishing -
the autumn dusk
友達に会えば楽しむ秋の暮れ
When you meet a friend
you can enjoy it, -
this autumn dusk…
「小町にて小町に会えば」秋田夢
“Oh, if I only could
meet a beauty like Komachi in this small town!”-
Dreaming in Akita (in the autumn field)…
象潟や雨にねむれず銅の芭蕉
Oh Kisakata!
Under the rain among the mimosa flowers
Basho carved of bronze doesn’t sleep…
{reference to the famous haiku by Basho Kisakata ya…}
新しき友達の群れ美人ばかり
A flock
of new (girl) friends –
all of them so beautiful!..
カモシカも仲間もがなと思うかも
Even the mountain goat
maybe is thinking now:
“Oh, if I only had a friend!..”
After I read haiku about Komachi （小町）, I visited her hometown in Yuzawa City （湯沢市）, Akita, and met a beauty like her there.
There is a road station called “Ogachi , Komachi’s hometown”（道の駅おがち 小町の郷）(Michi no eki Ogachi Komachi no sato), which has an information center.
One of the staffs, Ms. Nori Saito (斎藤のり）there contributed her pictures to me and told me about Ono no Komachi (小野の小町).
Ono no Komachi (小野の小町, c. 825―c. 900) was a famous waka poet, one of the Rokkasen―the Six best Waka poets of the Heian period. She was noted as a rare beauty; Komachi is a symbol of a beautiful woman in Japan. She is also numbered as one of the Thirty-six Poetry Immortals.
According to one tradition, she is said to have been born in what is now Akita Prefecture, daughter of Yoshisada, “Lord of Dewa”.
Her hometown, Ogachi(雄勝), is now in Yuzawa City, and they built Komachi Shrine （小町堂）there and hold Komachi Festival on the second Sunday of June in front of the shrine near the road station in celebration of her birth there.
Behind Komachi Shrine stands a wooden notice board, saying that in 1785菅江真澄 (Sugae Masumi) (1754-1829), one of the most popular folklorists and travelers in the middle to late Edo period, visited Komachi’s hometown.
This picture was taken at the road station called “Kyowa”(道の駅 協和)(Michi no eki Kyowa).
According to his ‘Travelogue’ called “Ono’s hometown （おののふるさと）”, Sugae Masumi stayed in Yuzawa City for about four months from February 9 to June 6, in 1785, which the lunar calendar says was from January 1 to April 29.
During his stay, he visited Ono’s hometown on May 22 and stayed there.
In his diary, Sugae noted : Children say Komachi was born and brought up here till the age of nine, and then she went up to Kyoto. There are beauties seen around here, and it seems to have something to do with Komachi. He also noted about some legends passed down on about Komachi, and some remains related with her.
Last of all, I post waka written by Ono no Komachi.
思いつつ 寝ればや人の 見えつらむ 夢としりせば さめざらましを
omoi tsutsu nure baya hito no mie tsuran yume to shiri se ba same zara mashi wo
Is it because I fell asleep
Yearning for her
That he paid me a visit?
Had I known it was dream, I wouldn’t have woken up.
― Hidenori Hiruta
桝田愛佳（Masuda Aika）began painting haiga in her elementary school days.
In summer, 2008, her mother, 桝田純子(Masuda Junko), and David Ferron, an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) in Akita City, Akita, Japan, took up haiga by Masuda Aika as their haiga project.
We post their haiga project on the website, dividing it into three stages.
This is the last stage of the haiga project.
We hope that you will appreciate the last part of haiga, with the three basic haiga in the first part.
Ms. Masuda’s and David’s Haiga Project
わたしと俳画 Haiga and me
秋田市立外旭川小学校
Akita Municipal Sotoasahikawa Elementary School
六年一組 Sixth grade, First class
桝田愛佳 Masuda Aika
始めたきっかけ Why did I start?
母が知り合いの方に「うちの，愛佳は絵が好きなんですよ。」と，言ったら，その方が「私の母が，俳画を教えています。愛佳さんもやってみませんか？」と，おっしゃったそうです。
I heard that when my mom said to an acquaintance of hers, “My Aika likes paintings,” she replied, “My mother teaches haiga. Would like to try it?”
わたしはそれを聞いて、面白そうだなと、思っておけいこにいきました。
When I heard this I thought it sounded interesting, so I took some lessons.
北潟先生のこと Ms. Kitagata
北潟先生は、八十歳をすぎていても、お元気で、とても優しくおしえてくれる物知りな先生です。
Even though Ms. Kitagata is over eighty years old she is a very gentle teacher who knows a lot.
本名は「北潟幸枝」ですが、俳画で使う時は、「北潟枝穂」です。
Her real name is Kitagata Sachie, but when she makes haiga it is Kitagata Shiho.
愛佳 あいか
弟と おとうとと
ボール遊びの ボールあそびの
秋休み あきやすみ
With my younger brother
Playing ball
During fall break
愛佳 あいか
今日のこと きょうのこと
聴いて始まる きいてはじまる
わが団らん わがだんらん
Today
The time I enjoy starts
When I talk with my family
純子句 じゅんこく
おだんごで おだんごで
みんなでパーティ みんなでパーティ
月の夜 つきのよる
With dumplings
Everyone partied
During the moonlit night
自然との しぜんとの
思い出いっぱい おもいでいっぱい
まんたらめ まんたらめ
Plenty of memories
With nature
Mantarame
愛佳 あいか
初春元旦 はつはるがんたん
初雪の思い出のこるまんたらめ はっゆきのおもいでののこるまんたらめ
First day of the year
Mantarame, where memories of the first snow remain
愛佳 あいか
Cake
美沙季 みさき
愛佳より あいかより
Misaki
From Aika
幸福を こうふくを
祈る本堂 いのるほんどう
冬日さす ふゆびさす
Praying for happiness
In the main hall
Light shines through the window
純子句 じゅんこく
愛佳 あいか
地ふぶきの じふぶきの
果てにほおばる はてにほおばる
桜もち さくらもち
純子句 じゅんこく
The massive snowstorm’s
Mouth-watering, satisfying
Sakura rice cakes
始業式 しぎょうしき
たしかに春の たしかにはるの
かぜがふく かぜがふく
純子 じゅんこ
愛佳 あいか
As an opening ceremony
Without fail the spring
Wind blows
何べんも なんべんも
そりすべりして そりすべりして
春の雪 はるのゆき
純子 じゅんこ
愛佳 あいか
However many times,
Sliding on a sled
In the spring snow
愛佳 あいか
おもたせは おもたせは
秋の走りの あきのはしりの
味ゆたか あじゆたか
幸句 こうく
The souvenir is
The beginning of fall
So delicious
弟からのメッセージ A message from my younger brother
「おねえちゃんがやっているのをみてたのしそうだからやってみたい。」と言って今年七月に始めました。
He said, “I saw my older sister doing it, so I want to try.” He started from July of this year.
かっぱはそのときの作品です。 A kappa is his piece of artwork from that time.
大暑 たいしょ Dog days of summer
健太郎 Kentaro
愛佳 あいか
螢かと思ってみた ほたるがとおもってみた
空の星 そらのほし
I thought they were fireflies
The stars in the sky
二年間を振り返って Looking back at these two years
俳画をやってみて楽しくて、楽しくてアッと言う間に、二年間がすぎていきました。変わったところは、少しだけ堂々とはなせるようになりました。これからも俳画をつづけたいです。
I really, really enjoyed making haiga and before I knew it, two years passed. What changed is that I am now able to speak a little bit more elegantly. From here on, I want to continue making haiga.
A message from the translator (AKA the guy that messed everything up):
I would be happy to remain unacknowledged, however Ms. Masuda asked me to contribute a brief profile of myself with a piece addressing my feelings towards my contribution to the work. So here I go.
I am an American and originally hail from Kansas. Yes, Kansas. If you don’t know where that is, I suggest you watch “The Wizard of Oz” or try and buy something made of wheat from America. I currently work for the Japanese government as an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) in Akita City, Akita, Japan. That basically means I get paid to get kanchos from small children, among other things (I think maybe only two people got that last joke, but I swear those two people laughed really hard).
It is in this hectic, yet occasionally enjoyable school setting that I met Ms. Masuda. She mentioned her interest in haiga and I admitted my ignorance of the art form. After showing me her daughter’s and son’s artwork, we got on the topic of haiga in English and she wondered how they would sound in another language. From here, the details get sketchy: either she asked me to try my hand at translating them, or I offered myself. I honestly can’t remember exactly how the transaction went down, but next thing I knew, here I was in front of my computer looking at a blue and yellow frog (her son’s painting [which actually has a funny story itself, but I’ll let Ms. Masuda tell that herself, because she tells it with the passion only a mother can have]).
As for the translating itself, it actually turned out to be much more of a challenge than what I first thought. Coming into it with some knowledge of Japanese (it was my major in college) and having translated for fun during my free time certainly did help, but by far the hardest part for me was trying to convey the author’s Japanese feelings in English words.
When choosing what words I should use, I tried to keep in mind that the original author started writing haiga when she was nine and made the power point presentation (what I translated from) when she was twelve. So, I tried my best to use words that I thought a girl of similar age, speaking English would use. But at the same time this is a girl writing poetry, so that said, I tried to find a balance between the poetic and the everyday.
A related problem of equal importance was word order. As I was in the process of translating, I felt a lot of the haiga may sound more natural, and maybe even more “poetic” to a native speaker, if their word order was switched. But then I questioned: would this jeopardize the original meaning? Should I sacrifice the structure for the meaning? Was it my place to make this judgment call?
Ultimately, I decided yes, it was. So from the start, I had to choose which I valued more the structure of the haiga or its meaning, and in the end, I tried my best to find a happy balance. Overall, I tried my best to keep the Japanese word order, but when I felt it sounded significantly better in a different order, I changed it for that particular instance and continued on. Since the original Japanese lacks any punctuation whatsoever, I also tried to keep punctuation to a minimum and inserted it in only when I felt it was necessary. However, I did take some liberties with particles and used them to help smooth the beat for the reader. While the original Japanese versions are often times missing particles, I felt that when turned into English they sounded disjointed and incomplete without them.
Finally, I would like to thank Ms. Masuda for putting up with all of my questions and for being patient while I tapped away on my keyboard. Maybe what I wrote above just overanalyzed the entire translating process, but at the very least I hope it shows that I do care about what I did. And I hope it shows as you read it as well. Enjoy.-David Ferron
(The End)
― Posted by Hidenori Hiruta
Tanka by Mr. Tsutomu Nimure in Akita
2009/11/14
This is the first time to post tanka on the website.
We post tanka poems by Mr. Tsutomu Nimure, and one of tanka poems in 万葉集(Manyoshu),“Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves” , which is the oldest existing collection of Japanese poetry, compiled some time around 759 A.D. during 奈良時代（Narajidai）,“the Nara period ”.
First of all, Mr. Tsutomu Nimure introduces himself to us in Japanese, and then in English.
二牟礼 勉の 短歌への道
大学時代に授業で万葉集に触れ、先生が詠歌を勧められたのが最初です。二十歳前後に少し興味をもって詠歌し、先生に指導を受けましたが、その後は時たま詠歌する程度で、縁遠くなりました。６５歳で現役を終えてから、趣味として短歌に興味を注ぎ、レベルを知るために新聞等に投稿を始めました。以来１０年ほど経過しています。2008年の年間賞として朝日新聞秋田支社と毎日新聞秋田支社から記念の盾を受けま した。 (2009.10.20. 現在)
Tsutomu Nimure’s way of TANKA
As a college student, I had a Japanese class, which dealt Manyoushu. The teacher of the class advised us to write a Tanka poem. So at some twenty years of age I tried to make a Tanka and got some advice by the teacher. After that time I neglected to make Tanka poems. At age of 65 I retired, so I have begun to pay attention to Tanka for my hobby. Since that day it has been passed some ten years. In order to know my level I have continued to contribute my Tankas to some newspapers.. I was awarded in 2008 annual prize in Tanka by Asahi shinbun Akita branch and Mainichi shinbun Akita branch. (As of Oct. 20, 2009)
From now on, Mr. Tsutomu Nimure shows his tanka poems in Japanese as well as in English to us.
短歌とその英訳 No.1(2009.10.16)
My Tankas and the Meaning No.1 by Tsutomu NIMURE
1) 戦争の傷跡残る台湾のガイドの使う日本語巧み
A guide uses an excellent Japanese in Taiwan
where the scars of the War still remain
2) 秋の陽の優しく照らすひる時に懐かしき歌耳に届けり
During lunch time when an autumn sun shone softly
a good oldie song came to my ear
3) チェンソーの音に合わせて森の中小鳥互いに美声を競う
Birds in the wood, harmonizing with the sound of
a chainsaw, are singing beautiful songs respectively
4）仕事終えハンドル握り帰路急ぐ頬触れる風に秋感じつつ
Finishing the work I gripped a steeling wheel
and hurried home feeling fall in the wind touching my cheeks
5) 英語での講演聴きて眠りたる脳に突然エンジンかかる
While listening to a lecture in English
I felt my sleeping brain started suddenly
6) 朝明けの鳥海山を眺めつつ凪の沿岸運転楽しむ
Looking up at Mt.Choukai at dawn
I enjoyed driving along a calm coast
7）裏庭に積もりし雪をながめつつ今日もリハビリ続けて励む
Looking at the snow covering the back yard,
I went on striving for rehabilitation today, too.
万葉集(Manyoshu),“Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves” (1)
This is the oldest existing collection of Japanese poetry, compiled some time around 759 A.D. during 奈良時代（Narajidai）,“the Nara period ”.
The anthology is one of the most revered of Japan’s poetic compilations. The compiler,or the final in a series of compilers, is believed to be 大伴家持 (Otomo no Yakamochi). The collection contains poems ranging from A.D. 347 (poems 85-89) through 759(4516), the bulk of them representing the period after 600. The precise significance of the title is not known with certainty.
The following tanka was written by 大伴四綱（Otomo no Yotsuna）.
月夜よし 川音清し いざここに 行くも去ぬも 遊びて帰かむ
tsukuyo yoshi kawato sayakeshi iza koko ni yukumo yukanumo
asobite yukamu
On such a moonlit night
the river is flowing with a clear sound;
those present here,
the departing one and the staying ones,
let’s enjoy ourselves, shall we?
( Translated by Hidenori Hiruta )
This tanka was written at the farewell party for 大伴旅人（Ootomo no Tabito）, a Japanese poet, best known as the father of大伴家持 (Otomo no Yakamochi).
Before tanka was written at the party, 大伴旅人（Ootomo no Tabito） served as Governor-General of 太宰府(Dazaifu), the military procuracy in northern Kyushu(九州) from 728-730, and encouraged the composition of poetry among his subordinates in imitation of Chinese style elegance. He also showed his Chinese education in his set of thirteen tanka in praise of sake.
― Posted by Hidenori Hiruta
桝田愛佳（Masuda Aika）began painting haiga in her elementary school days.
In summer, 2008, her mother, 桝田純子(Masuda Junko), and David Ferron, an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) in Akita City, Akita, Japan, took up haiga by Masuda Aika as their haiga project.
We post their haiga project on the website, dividing it into three stages.
This is the second stage of the haiga project.
We hope that you will appreciate the second part of haiga, with the three basic haiga in the first part.
Ms. Masuda’s and David’s Haiga Project
わたしと俳画 Haiga and me
秋田市立外旭川小学校
Akita Municipal Sotoasahikawa Elementary School
六年一組 Sixth grade, First class
桝田愛佳 Masuda Aika
始めたきっかけ Why did I start?
母が知り合いの方に「うちの，愛佳は絵が好きなんですよ。」と，言ったら，その方が「私の母が，俳画を教えています。愛佳さんもやってみませんか？」と，おっしゃったそうです。
I heard that when my mom said to an acquaintance of hers, “My Aika likes paintings,” she replied, “My mother teaches haiga. Would like to try it?”
わたしはそれを聞いて、面白そうだなと、思っておけいこにいきました。
When I heard this I thought it sounded interesting, so I took some lessons.
北潟先生のこと Ms. Kitagata
北潟先生は、八十歳をすぎていても、お元気で、とても優しくおしえてくれる物知りな先生です。
Even though Ms. Kitagata is over eighty years old she is a very gentle teacher who knows a lot.
本名は「北潟幸枝」ですが、俳画で使う時は、「北潟枝穂」です。
Her real name is Kitagata Sachie, but when she makes haiga it is Kitagata Shiho.
ふるさとが ふるさとが
見え元日の みえがんじつの
炭俵 すみだわら
裕句 ひろしく
愛佳 あいか
In my hometown
During the upcoming New Year
With my charcoal sack
千代紙の ちよがみの
ひなのほほえむ ひなのほほえむ
三日かな みっかかな
Ornate, colored-papered
Grins
Dolls for March third, Girls’ Day
愛佳 あいか
愛佳 あいか
一つとや ひとつとや
二つとやあと ふたつとやあと
遊ぶ夜 あそぶよる
One, oh, yeah
Two, oh, yeah
A playful night
愛佳 あいか
水嵩の みずかさの
増してくる如く ましてくるしく
芹洗ふ せりあらう
The volume of water
Rises up
Washing the Japanese parsley
佳郎句 よしろく
新しい雅号 A new pen name
最初にいただいた雅号は「愛苑」だったけれど、同じ雅号の人がいたので「佳苑」という雅号をいただきました。先生に「佳苑」というはんこを作ってもらいました。
The first pen name I was given was Aien, however there was someone else with the same pen name, so I was given the name Kaen. I also received a personal seal with the name Kaen that my teacher made.
緑さし みどりさし
猫の歩みも ねこのあゆみも
映りけり うつりけり
秀旦句 Does anyone know how to pronounce this?
愛佳 あいか
Day by day, greener and greener
A cat’s steps too
Are reflected
父の日に ちちのひに
絵げいこに来れる えげいこにこれる
幸よ しあわせよ
On Father’s Day
I can practice haiga
So happy (Thank you, dad)
先生と吹く せんせいとふく
草笛の くさぶえの
まちまちに まちまちに
友子句 ともこく
愛佳 あいか
Blowing with my teacher
The blades of grass
Out of synch
母と俳句 Mom and Haiku
母は、時々川柳（せんりゅう）や俳句をつくっています。母が好きなばらを描いて母の俳句をのせたら、泣いて喜んでいました。母は、すっかりその気になって毎月おけいこの時は、はりきって、俳句をつくっています。
My mom sometimes makes haiku and senryu (humorous Japanese poems). When I painted a rose, which my mother likes, and added one of my mom’s haikus, she was so happy she cried. My mom was overwhelmingly pleased and now every month during my lessons cheerfully makes haikus.
嵐にも あらしにも
りんりんと咲く りんりんとさく
花畑 はなばたけ
Despite the storm
The flower garden
Is vigorously blooming
純子句 じゅんこく
愛苑 あいえん
苗代の なわしろの
月夜は つきよは
はんの木に はんのきに
けむる けむる
The bed of rice’s
Moonlit night
Is shrouded by
The Japanese alder
素逝句 そせいく
(To Be Continued)
― Posted by Hidenori Hiruta
