Post No. ３
Commentary by Mutsuo Shukuya
In my first two commentaries on the tanka poetry by Yoshihiro Kuromichi I commented on how his poems make you reflect on the images of modern society, which is awash with problems. I also noted that tanka poems by Kuromichi express the feelings he wants to share with the world - feelings that everyone experiences in their youth and often lose as they become adults.
This time I am introducing two of his tanka poems that suggest how most Japanese feel about the future, which nobody can predict. But I believe most people will agree with these sentiments.
(5）
いくつかの夢を叶えていくつかの夢を奪ってゆく流れ星
I tried praying to / shooting stars instead of god
for dreams to come true / as many people have done,
but only theirs would come true.
In this poem Kuromichi explains how shooting stars remind some Japanese of such things as happy experiences or miserable accidents that will happen in their near future, and there is a custom of wishing for dreams to come true to when seeing a shooting star. Even though it vanishes almost as quickly as it appears there are those who believe their wishes will come true. Those who do not to believe in this are more likely to agree with Kuromichi’s poem.
Disbelief in shooting stars granting wishes has long been expressed in proverbs such as, "No one can always tell your fortune." However, since ancient times, people in both the East and the West have dreamed of winning fortunes. The many forms of wishing/gambling, such as cards, horse races, cycle races, lottery tickets and pinball games, at least one of which most Japanese now try, attests to this.
Relating wishes coming true and shooting stars are not the only examples of such customs among many Japanese. There is also the celebration centering on the twin stars, Altair & Vega on 7th July every year. Called Tanabata or 'Star-Festival,' the two stars are said to meet from across the opposite sides of the Milky Way. Throughout Japan people participate in this event to wish for good fortune by writing their dreams on strips of paper and tying them with bamboo leaves.
Another custom in which people in Japan wish for their dreams to come true is called Hatsumode, or “First Visit” of the year to a shrine to pay respects to their ancestors and wish for a happy year for themselves and their families.
At the shrines they draw lots in order to read their fortune. I paid my first visit this year to the nearest shrine from my house with my family and drew a shrine lot in order to read my fortune for this year. The message that my dreams will come true was written on the lot I drew.
(６）
真っ白に一直線にのびてゆく飛行機雲が空を引き裂く
A white contrail, which
extends straight, runs across
the blue sky as if
to break my heart as well as
a girl who threw me over.
This poem by Kuromichi refers to the strange phenomenon that occurs in the sky during the day in contrast to the night-time phenomenon of shooting stars. The author implies that “a white contrail, which extends straight” as something which gives an affirmative image to people. So, he says it breaks his heart when bad things results.
This is the fundamental Japanese way of appreciation classic tanka poetry. Readers who are not aware of this Japanese belief would probably regard this poem as only musings about a white contrail extending across the blue sky.
I composed the following tanka in (1)Tanka in January (2000)[I]Themes for tanka composition(1)(Junior course I) of my lecture, "Classical Tanka Composition in English:" http://homepage3.nifty.com/PLABOT/plimer_course0.html
Today, it grows dark / while I lay in the sunlight
unconsciously, so / I find the moon rising up
in the sky where the haze hangs.
Mutsuo Shukuya
In other words, the interpretation of classical tanka depends upon readers themselves. But the scenes or objects of classical tanka poetry refer to general things that are beautiful, exciting, impressive or significant.
Here is another example of the spiritual nature of tanka, written by the famous poet Kakinomoto Hitomaro.
In and around the hill / covered with plum blossoms
where my cottage stands / lovely singing of warblers
sounds as they tell my fortune.
In this tanka the author says that even though he lives in the countryside without money he doesn’t regard himself as a poor because he can hear warblers singing merry songs.
I have never regarded myself as poor because I have heard warblers on a twig less than 2 meters away, singing merry songs in my garden last spring (in May 2009) for the first time although I didn't have much money after I retired. I was able to understand the feeling, which an author Hitomaro experienced although I had never visited places that were famous for warblers.
Since the mist of the time Japanese have given spiritual feelings priority over money. Even rich Japanese try to live simple and thrifty lives. The mother of the Prime Minister, Yukio Hatoyama lives simply and thriftily even though she has more than 10 billion yen. Prime Minister Hatoyama also lives without servants and cleans up after himself after he finishes his meals so his wife can relax at the table.
While Japanese have respected every existence not only invisible one such as god and ancestors but also visible one such things as both in the space and upon the earth ground, as there is a proverb, "Even a worm will turn."
The lifestyle discussed above seems to help all people in the world adapt themselves to any environment and live contented lives. That is to say, Mr. Kuromichi seems to suggest that we should respect not only invisible things but also tiny visible things such as worms.
Recently my elder brother Tsuneo Shukuya sent me a letter in which he told me he had built a new house although his baby daughter Akiko, born when he was thirty-five years old, had died. Since then he seems to have been praying that his dead daughter is happy in her spiritual world although he had ignored any existence such as god and ancestors before then.
I already believed in and worshipped an invisible god and the spirit of ancestors so I composed the following acrostic tanka poem in order to cheer up my elder brother and his daughter's spirit.
Shi ra yu ri ya
ku ra ki mo ri ni mo
ya he ni ho fu
a ma ki ka wo ri ni
ko to ri na ki ka fu
Elegantly lilies / are in full bloom with sweet scent
and the birds call to / each other in the deep woods,
although it is so dark there.
*1 An essay, “TANKACROSTIC” by James Kirkup (both original & translation into Japanese) used as Foreword of a book,“100 Tanka Poems for 100 People” by Mutsuo Shukuya published by Phoenix Books/Publishers USA:
http://homepage3.nifty.com/PLABOT/kuromichi_tanka6.html
*2 Book review by Mutsuo Shukuya on “The Japanization of America” by Boye Lafayette De Mente:
http://homepage3.nifty.com/PLABOT/Book%20reviewer1.html
Book review by Mutsuo Shukuya on “Japan’s Secret Weapon: The Kata Factor” by Boye De Mente:
http://homepage3.nifty.com/PLABOT/Book%20reviewer2.html
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