Mount Fuji is sold
Original post Facebook:: Haiku Crossroads
There was a natural disaster hit Nippon. This was my haiku for it (with the Fuji image) and a link to the interesting item below. It was quite popular on the internet, where it appeared all over the place. . . .
reclaiming its property
the North Pacific
ripples
jp
LINKED TO. . . .
Here is a good example of the difference between a Japanese haiku and its English translation. [source: daily newsletter from the Issa translation site serviced by that most dilligent of translators, David G. Lanoue - assisted by Shinji Ogawa, who paints a haiga of each one to check the fidelity of David's efforts.]
.来るも来るも下手鶯よ窓の梅
hatsu yume no fuji no yama u[ru] miyako kana
year's first dream--
Mount Fuji is sold
in Kyoto
by Issa, 1824
The "capital" (miyako) was Kyoto in Issa's day. This is where the emperor and his court lived. Political and military power was centered in the Shogun's city of Edo, today's Tokyo. Shinji Ogawa notes that in Issa's Japan, at the end of year, special drawings were sold. It was believed that if one slept placing the drawing under the pillow, one would dream a wonderful first dream of the year. The best dream was believed to be of Mount Fuji. This is why Issa says, "Mount Fuji of the year's first dream is sold in Kyoto."
Shinji continues: "The picture is called takara-bune, or treasure ship; it includes the seven saints of luck with rice bags."
This contextual knowledge helps us to read the haiku as Issa's original audience might have done. However, to the modern reader unaware of this context, the translation alone, with its image of Mount Fuji being sold, is wonderfully surreal. — David G. Lanoue
JP
ALSO SEE
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11 people like this.
haiku crossroads Almost an icon of the recent tsunami affecting Japan, Mount Fiji by Katsushika Hokusai ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokusai
reclaiming its property
the North Pacific
ripples
— jp
March 20 at 2:18pm · Like · 3 people
Megan McMurray McGowen
A culture is embedded in its language! Sometimes, though, even mother-tongue speakers don't always grasp the subtleties of their own cultures and contexts ( as in haiku, and paintings, and music ...there are many layers). The work of the translator carries with it a great responsibility, and it is admirable when s/he goes beyond the literalism of the words or image presented (as in the example above). However, such sensitivity is sadly lacking - too often. Thanks for highlighting this :)
March 20 at 3:01pm · Like · 3 people
haiku crossroads Here in the scientific realism of a western mind-set the 'pure image' has to be good enough, as a standalone when translating (or reading) Japanese haiku. This applies to other non-local cultures also. What an interesting and refreshing thing, though, to research and thus discover a little of the original depth of cultural significance.
JP
March 20 at 5:45pm · Like · 1 person
Zen Anecdotes It would be interesting to have a reverse example; a translation into Japanese of an English haiku of "scientific-realism -mind-set", that has been lost in translation! The mind boggles ... in English speaking countries it "rains cats and dogs", and we try to "pick other people's brains". Is what is "good for the goose, good for the gander"? Just saying ... :)
March 21 at 10:36am · Like
Yes, ZA, an interesting observation. Here's an example of a Japan - English and then into Japanese and then back again (twice), using Goggle Translate . . .
furuike ya kawazu tobikomu mizu no oto
old pond
a frog jumps in
the sound of water
古池
カエルはジャンプ
水の音
Old pond
Frog Jump
Sound of the water
オールドは、池
カエルジャンプ
水の音
Old pond
Jumping Frog
Sound of the water
Of course many more tests would be needed . . .
reclaiming its property
the North Pacific
ripples
そのプロパティを再利用
北太平洋
波紋
Reclaim their properties
North Pacific Ocean
Ripple
取り戻すのプロパティ
北太平洋
リップル
Recover property
North Pacific Ocean
Ripple
How this is *understood* by a Nippon reader would need an anacdotal response from that reader, though.
JP
March 21 at 11:23am · Like · 1 person
Zen Anecdotes
I am curious (and wish I could read and write Japanese!)! If the translation of "sound of water" looks like this:
水の音 (Romanji) translation: mizu no oto - sound of water
then why does "sound of water" (implied) look like this in other scripts?
のおと (Kanji)
のおと (Hiragana)
I imagine that Basho used Kanji, not Romanji script, and given that there are so many translations floating around, from "plop" to "water's sound", this suggests that English translations haven't quite nailed it yet! The Japanese language is full of wonderful ideophones, and I cannot help wonder why on earth Basho would intend the verbose "sound of water" when there could be an ideophone that would capture this? Perhaps there is even an ideophone that is particular to the sound of a frog (or stone, even) as it enters the water?
Perhaps one of our Japanese fb friends could comment on this? :)
March 22 at 8:31am · Like
By using 'the sound of water' (an example of literary referential coinage, often used by Japanese poets to deepen context *) Basho invites the reader to EXPERIENCE UNCONDITIONALLY water's sound (from the pespective of the frog as well as the observer!) and also (importantly) effects a raising of the concept of water's sound to a high abstract level (in a similar manner to Modernist scientific realism in contemporary western art). With 'the sound of water' we can enter hyper-perception and begin to apprehend the 'deep mystery behind or beneath things' ('yugan' **).
* http://haikucrossroads.socialgo.com/magazine/read/shikishi_4.html
** http://www.stillinthestream.com/files/glossary.html#Yugen
ALSO SEE : http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=123270704378585
JP
March 22 at 11:54am · Like
I am not convinced that Basho "invites the reader to EXPERIENCE UNCONDITIONALLY water's sound" (that sounds more like Carl Rogers, and Basho was not a humanist!). Agreed, the sound of water has considerable significance, in all its living, moving, and unmoving forms, in Japanese literature. However, I still think that the English translation "sound of water" has become a bit of a cliche, a "blanket translation". This is why I am interested in the original script/s of those who write about water sounds, and unravelling the questions posed in my previous comment above. More when I find it ... :)
March 22 at 12:17pm · Like
Zen Anecdotes A starter link to Japanese sound symbolism:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_sound_symbolism
March 22 at 5:39pm · Like
haiku crossroads @ZA: For response see my redacted comment (made previously in this thread), here ... http://www.facebook.com/note.php?saved&¬e_id=123270704378585&id=124507644228482 (it's at the end of the item).
JP
March 22 at 11:23pm · Like
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