Santoka like Haiku, January 2010

World Haiku Review January 2010

THE MEANINGLESSNESS OF WRITING SANTOKA-LIKE HAIKU AFTER HIM

Haiku Poems after Taneda Santoka

By

Susumu Takiguchi

The literal meaning of haiku poems written by Santoka Taneda (1882-1940) is not that difficult to convey in translation into different languages. This is mainly because his words are clear, specific and plain. However, the style, choice of words and the rhythm of his haiku so distinct in the original Japanese get largely lost in translation. They are so distinct that ironically it is not difficult at all to create Santoka-like haiku in Japanese.

As far as I know, there has been little attempt by any Japanese haiku writers to compose haiku in the style of Santoka or even by imitating his works. In his days there were obviously poets of the vers libre school such as the group called Soun, who wrote haiku poems similar in style to Santoka, and of course there was Hosai Ozaki (1885-1926). This is somewhat puzzling when compared with poets like Kyoshi Takahama (1874-1959) in whose style millions of Japanese haiku poets have written their works. There are millions of copycats for Kyoshi and none for Santoka.

Among the reasons for this strange phenomenon I can think of, the following seem most important. Firstly, though the technical side of Santoka’s haiku (e.g. style, choice of words or ordinary events etc.) may be clear and therefore easy to imitate, the deeper meaning and philosophy of it are not easy to fathom or grasp. Secondly, it is not easy and may even be impossible for anyone to write Santoka-like haiku by mimicking him superficially without leading a life half as much desperate, poverty-stricken, reliant on other people’s alms, self-indulgent and self-mocking as Santoka’s. In short, they may imitate his haiku but can they be beggars?

Whatever the reason, it is odd that no one seems to be interested in writing haiku in the style of Santoka in a country where so many other things get copied almost overnight. My own strong feeling is that Santoka alone could write haiku that he wrote. Even stronger is my conviction that there just isn’t any point in producing imitations of Santoka’s works in the same sense as there is no point in producing imitations of Picasso’s works.

I wish to prove the two observations I have made by creating my own versions of Santoka-like haiku: (1) It is easy to create Santoka-like haiku; (2) However, there is absolutely no point in doing so.

The first ten haiku poems were written by me on 2 May 2000 after Santoka. They were written in Japanese as Japanese haiku and then translated into English.

１ 山はしぐれて踵（かかと）も濡れた

winter rain in the mountains/my ankles are also wet

２ 寝転べば伴はほうたる

lying down/my friends are but fireflies

３ どうしょうもない自分が菫をみてゐる

hopeless me/looking at violets

４ いつでも死ねる畦道をあるいてゐる

I can die any time now/walking along the rice paddy foot-path

５ 死ねない体がまっすぐの道を行くか

the body that cannot die/is it going along the straight road?

６ 山また山越えてあるくうまい水

hill after hill have I come/delicious water

７ 菜漬けのおべんたう海の青さか

picnic lunch with pickled vegetables/what blue sea!

８ 枯れてしまっても雑草

even if they are withered still they are weeds

９ 笠に当たるは霰か

are they hails/that are making noises on my kasa sedge-hat?

１０ ふるさとは友達いないよつくつくぼうし

back in hometown/no friends/tsukutsuku-bohshi cicadas

Some additional examples (from No. 11 to No. 30) were written on 25 and 26 October 2003 while travelling the Island of Hirado, Nagasaki Prefecture.)

11 秋の海右と左、山へ戻る

aki no umi migi to hidari, yama he modoru

the autumn sea, right and left

I climb back to the mountains

Note: Santoka is said to have disliked the sea

12 島だから、もう歩く先がない

shima dakara moh aruku saki ga nai

as this is an island

no more road to walk on

13 死の旅に出て又飲んでゐる

shi no tabi ni dete mata nonde iru

on a journey to death

I am still drinking

14 朝から時雨れて裾が濡れた

asa kara shigurete suso ga nureta

winter rain since morning

the bottom of my robe’s got wet

15 酔ふたあとに水をいただく

youta ato ni mizu wo itadaku

after becoming tipsy

I drink water

16酒を飲み雨だれの音を肴に

sake wo nomi amadare no oto wo sakana ni

drinking sake

with the sound of raindrops

as my companion

17 島を出てまた歩み続ける

shima wo dete mata ayumi tsuzukeru

leaving the Island,

once again I go on walking

18 この道を愛せない自分が歩く

kono michi wo aise-nai jibun ga aruku

I who am unable

to love this road

walk

19 島づたひに歩いては行けぬ

shima zutai ni aruite wa ike-nu

I cannot walk on,

hopping these islands

20 まっすぐな道はこの島にない

massugu na michi wa kono shima ni nai

no straight roads

on this Island

21 秋になってこの橋をふたたび渡った

aki ni natte kono hashi wo futatabi watatta

autumn

I have crossed this bridge

again

Note: Santoka wrote a haiku poem talking about never crossing a bridge again.

22 納骨の祠の中を秋風が吹く

nohkotsu no hokora no naka wo akikaze ga fuku

into the hollow

where the ashes are about to be placed

blows autumn wind

23 烏が低く飛ぶよ

karasu ga hikuku tobu yo

crows flying low

24 対岸があるから歩くのだ

taigan ga aru-kara aruku no da

because there is that opposite shore

I am walking

25 死の誘惑にも夜の星

shi no yuwaku ni mo yoru no hoshi

temptation to take my life,

night stars

26 島に来ても死が迫る

shima ni kite mo shi ga semaru

even coming to this Island,

death is just behind me

27 死ねない自分に何ができる

shine nai jibun ni nani ga dekiru

what can I do

who cannot even

die?

28 脱ぎ捨てる衣もない

nugi-suteru koromo mo nai

no clothes

even to cast off

29 灰になってしまえばそのまま

hai ni natte shimaeba sono mama

once ashes

that’s it!

30 腐った花梨をみてさびしい

kusatta karin wo mite sabishii

gazing at

a rotten quince,

I feel lonely