Daylight comes, the sun
Hiding herself modestly
Behind soft grey clouds
A shimmering curtain falls
Of autumn leaves, green and gold
link: progression, moon-lit paths to daylight
小鳥の歌 88
In these latter days
My dreams take me wandering
Upon moon-lit paths
To times lost, places distant
Anywhere there might be peace
link: time grows short to latter days
小鳥の歌 87
Colorful autumn grasses
Swaying gently in the wind
Arm for a pillow
I lay and watch them dancing
Even now as time grows short
Link: meadow to autumn grasses; rest to arm for a pillow
小鳥の歌 86
A split-rail fence
Separates a meadow by
The side of the road
Let me set my burdens down
Here may I rest me a while
Link: progressive: wandering to resting
小鳥の歌 85
Step by painful step
How far is it, I wonder
There, as the crow flies?
Alas, earth-bound, I must walk
This winding, wandering road
Link: progression–pebble-strewn path to winding, wandering road
小鳥の歌 84
Seeking balance as
I tread the pebble-strewn path
On these wobbling knees
The Middle Way is steady
But not free from obstacles
Link: balance to balance
Nanowrimo and Poetry Thoughts
Woman writing letter at desk (c.1940s). Henry Clive (Australian, 1882-1960).
I have decided to do Nanowrimo again this year, as I do every year. Even though I haven’t ever managed to hit the word count, Nanowrimo has helped me generate some good bases for stories or write a good stack of poems. I just seem to write short stories better than novels, but novels are what people want. And yes, I’ll miss a week, but I’m going to attend a few of the write-ins in the area and maybe meet some new folks.
Anyway, I have an idea and a name “Ephemeroptera”. It’s a horror story. That’s about all I’ll say for now.
Yes, I still plan to do the Tanka Challenge. I want to finish my first batch of 100 linked poems. I’ve done 83 so far. The Tanka Challenge should finish the batch. Hyakushu (100 poem linked sequence) is way more challenging than stand-alone tanka, and honestly, it’s been hard to tap into my inner elegant courtier when surrounded by the ugliness of our current government. Every day brings a new horror. But I’ve been reading a biography of the poet Fujiwara no Sadaie (Teika), as well as a biography of the poet Shinkei, who lived about 150 years after Teika. I also have access to some poetic treatises written by both these poets, as well as one from a disciple of Shotetsu.
What interests me about both of these men is that they lived during turbulent times. Teika lived and wrote during the end of the Heian period and the beginning of the Kamakura period. Shinkei lost his home during the Onin Wars. Yet they produced some of the most stirring poetry of the Japanese middle ages. I want to read their poems and their thoughts and see how they did what they did, and whether it can be accomplished in English.
This project will take time, since there is a wealth of source material available (in English!), but it’s an avenue I would like to explore.
小鳥の歌 83
Cheeky squirrel swaying
Upside down in the branches
Of that maple tree
Will you teach me how you keep
Your balance whilst the wind blows?
Link: Progression from fall to balance
小鳥の歌 82
Rainy autumn day
Droplets on the still-green leaves
Hesitate, then fall
Nature seems to hold its breath
For the inevitable
Link: Hesitating to hesitate, then fall, so link AND progression
Pre-Modern Japanese Text Bibliography
Stumbled on an awesome find today. It’s a list of Pre-modern Japanese texts and what translations (if any) have been done. Dated 2013, but it looks like they are trying to keep it updated. So if you are trying to track down a particular early Japanese primary source, this can tell you if it has been translated and where you can find said translation.
You can find it here: Pre-modern Japanese Texts and Translations.
Note: It is a bibliography, so the translations are not hosted. They try to link to articles and such, but how this helps is finding out if some of these primary sources have been translated into English (or other western languages) and finding out where those translations can be found.
Foxeholly 