100 Tanka Poems by 100 Poets

100 Tanka Poems by 100 Poets
Compiled by Teika Fujiwara
Commentary by Mutsuo Shukuya

The collection 100 Tanka Poems by 100 Poets is said to have been compiled by Teika Fujiwara (1162-1241 A.D.) in the year 1235. The original title, according to another authority, was "100 Excellent Tanka Poems by 100 Poets." Fujiwara compiled the poems to show to Sanetomo Minamoto, the third shogun of the Kamakura shogunate, as his tanka mentor.

I learned classical tanka theory from the Reizei Family in Kyoto, which has continued the concept created by Teika Fujiwara. That is, I learned it from my tanka mentor, Fumiko Reizei, who is the 26th descendant of Teika Fujiwara who formulated the method of composition of aesthetic tanka called in Japanese "Kokin-denjyu." In February 2010, I published my lecture, Classical Tanka composition in English on the Internet.

In this lecture I introduce about 20 tanka from 100 Tanka Poems by 100 Poets. The origin of this lecture was my previous "Classical Tanka Composition", which appeared serially in the monthly bilingual magazine, Plaza Plaza. But at that time, I commented on the English translations by James Kirkup.

In order to prepare this commentary, I translated the 20 tanka myself, and later I began translating the rest of the collection.

More than half of all Japanese are probably ignorant of the real meanings of the tanka in this collection. I myself had not been aware of their real or deep meanings before I finished translating them. But I must understand each tanka deeply in order to translate it into English. Therefore, I studied the meaning which each author wanted to express. After I finished examining all the tanka, I recognized the following significant point: there are some tanka which deviate from the standard concept of composing aesthetic tanka, which I discussed in my lecture, "Classical Tanka Composition” mentioned before.

And then, I could not help thinking why Teika Fujiwara had compiled this collection. First of all, one of the thinking points is: what was tanka originally. I noted in the chapter of Primer course in my lecture "Classical Tanka Composition” that this point may be summarized as follows: First an Emperor composed tanka in order to present messages he received from the gods to his people. While people who listened to tanka composed by the Emperor seemed, in reply, to compose tanka in which they admired the beauty of nature, and to convey their feelings about the seasons and their emotions.

Tanka composed by using some techniques, which I noted in chapter [III] Themes for tanka composition (1) (Junior course I) of in my lecture, "Classical Tanka Composition” will be very pleasing to people who receive them although it is difficult to compose tanka using them.

One of them, Oriku or 'acrostic', is to insert each syllable of a five syllable word into the head of each line of your five-line tanka. This reminds your readers of some image beyond the words themselves. This is called Uta-mushiro or 'other ways to compose tanka in order to enjoy it together with others.'

From this view point, tanka compiled in this collection, that is to say, classical tanka written in the traditional tanka form which was introduced in the Heian period (about 1000 years ago), is not fundamentally different from Modern Tanka…authors compose it in order to express whatever they choose.

There are several aspects of composition used in Fujiwara’s collection. One of them is to praise the most prosperous period of the Imperial Family both in name and reality. It is proven that the tanka in this Collection began with those of Emperor Tenchi and Jito. Emperor Tenchi established a regime in which the Emperor himself ruled everything through a revolution called "Taika no Kaishin", which occurred in 645. Before then, people who were naturalized as Japanese citizens had the real power in the government of Japan. The last two tanka in the Collection were composed by Emperor Gotobain, who schemed to overturn the government of the Kamakura Shogunate, and his third son, Jyuntokuin, who continued his father's scheme. Both of them were ordered to go into exile on Oki Island (Gotobain) and Sado Island (Jyuntokuin) as criminals.

Furthermore, a tanka by Sanjyoin, who was the 77th Emperor, is significant to understand the aspect which I discuss above. The author, who had been Emperor in name only, composed his poem in this collection when Michinaga Fujiwara, who already held actual political power, compelled him to yield his throne to another, who was under the influence of Michinaga. So, he regarded this world as harsh. Furthermore, he seemed to have suffered from a serious illness.

Originally, the Fujiwara Family had maintained their status by supporting each Emperor one after another. But Michinaga held actual political power and also broke the custom of the eldest son of each Family holding the right of succession. That is to say, this Collection is of poets who were alive during the Emperor's reign, which was prosperous. The first poet is Emperor Tenchi, who returned to political power from the Soga Family along with Kamatari Nakatomi. So, Emperor Tenchi offered to change his Family name from Nakatomi to Fujiwara. But the last poet, Emperor Jyuntoku-in had lost actual political power because the Kamakura Shogunate held it in place of each Emperor.

In other words, this Collection of 100 poems symbolizes several things. One of them is the totality of the universe. Another is the ups and downs of all things in this world. Another is the proper order of all lives in this world. And the last is all phenomena of all lives. Therefore, the compiler, Teika, is said to have chosen each tanka as a factor for fortune-telling by an expert.

To begin with, fortune-telling in Japan, called Futomani, is said to have been a tanka collection compiled by an ancestor of the Imperial Family, Amateru-Kami. Each tanka had been written with a character called Katakamuna, which was used in olden times before the Hotsuma-character was used.

Teika Fujiwara is said to have been inspired by the collection of Amateru-Kami to compile the Collection. There are only 64 factors of fortune-telling in China called Eki. So, fortune-telling in Japan called Futomani seems to be more detailed than that of China. When one considers the Collection by Teika from this viewpoint, it is not strange that there were some tanka which deviate from standard concepts of the composition of aesthetic tanka: In order to tell the fortune of a person, there must exist not only good things but also ill ones in fortune-telling.

Why has this Collection remained so popular in Japan, even though it contains ugly tanka in which authors express deep sadness or grumbling or cursing? Each of the tanka in it may be composed using various techniques such as Makura-Kotoba, to modify the other special words, Kake-Kotoba, which stands for a word that has two different meanings although it sounds the same when we read it, Engo or a related word, and Utamakura, to compose tanka by quoting the same place names which old poets often used in their tanka on the same themes.

Also, Honkadori, to compose tanka using some phrases from refined tanka which old poets composed to give their readers a spiritual aftertaste.

Tanka originally had a musical effect on its readers. This is used in a card game called Karuta and now most junior high school students enjoy playing this game in school as one of the popular events. Furthermore it is also used as a text to study olden Japanese. Therefore, most people around the world might enjoy reading this Collection. So in forthcoming Posts, I will comment on each tanka, explaining their special meanings and significance.

How to Escape the Ill-Effects of Reality!

Tanka Poetry by Yoshihiro Kuromichi
Post No. 4
Commentary by Mutsuo Shukuya

"How to Escape the Ill-Effects of Reality.”

Recently there have been some strange phenomena, such as the earthquake which occurred in the Shikai area in China and the eruption of a volcano in Iceland. These phenomena relate to the poems I discuss in this article because the latter incident impacted on people all over the world…especially about 30 countries in Europe.

No planes were able to take off or land in many areas of Europe for several days. Of course, in Japan all planes bound for England, France, Italy and other European countries were also unable to take off for a few days. I watched on the news as many European tourists in Japan were ordered to delay their departure from Tokyo’s Narita Airport.

Through the following first tanka, the author expresses how people who wait for trains in the rooms on platforms look like slaves. When you replace the phrase, "The rooms on platforms" with, 'earth,' how does it change this poem?

It means that all people in this world look like slaves. We the people of the world regard ourselves as individuals who behave freely, that is with our free will. But we must be seen like slaves interned inside our dark asylum of earth. When faced with such an incident as the eruption of the volcano in Iceland no one could fail to regard himself as a slave.

007) 駅の待合所はどことなく檻
のようだねみんな奴隷のようだ

The rooms on platforms/ resemble cages somewhat
and people who wait/ for trains look like slaves
interned inside their dark asylum.

This poem was selected as one of the best works in a tanka contest for beginners. The author declares that he wrote it in order to express how all human beings look like slaves used by a huge invisible authority, but nevertheless they regard themselves as human and able to behave freely.

When we reflect on the history of the world we recall the fate of dictators who ruled countries. But fundamentally this should not be, as democracy has risen after Imperial rule in most countries. During the Roman period in Europe, the concept of democracy existed, but at the same time there were slaves.

Modern democracy might be said to have begun after the French Revolution. But this concept of democracy seems also to have existed only for white people because people in the USA , which won its independence from Britain, brought in colored people and used them as slaves.

Real democracy can be said to have become established after World War II. Although people have learned not to make slaves of others, we humans ourselves could not survive without being bound by rules which gods or natural powers have created. Nothing, including humans, could live even for a short while without natural rules, under control of God. But can human beings be slaves of God? No! It can't be possible. It is natural rule, or God, that brings up everything including human beings.

A researcher recently found through scientific experiments that human brains are influenced by signals that come from the cosmos. He declares in his book titled "Cosmic Effect on Human Brains – A Micro Cosmos in the Brain" that there have been many reports of the abnormal behavior of "lunatics" and of an increase in crime during the full moon. Werewolves' deviation at the full and new moon is not entirely a work of imagination. Animals have been known to manifest heightened sexuality, aggressiveness, and metabolism at the full and new moons.

If the human brain has an annual ring system under the direct influence of the earth's planetary motion, the assumption of an influence of the moon on brain activity is also plausible.

008) 夜に吹く口笛は魔を呼び込むと母は狂ったように叫んだ
I used to whistle/ merry tunes in my childhood
although my mother/ prohibited this to me
fearing that I'd call demons.

The author composed this tanka to talk about the Japanese proverb, "When one whistles late at night, he calls demons." So, I would like to discuss this proverb in detail. In this case, the existence of demons is invisible to human beings.

There are many instruments, which make sounds besides whistling. Among these, drums and flutes or whistles are used in the ceremony called "Kagura" or 'Shinto dance accompanied by music and performed on a sacred occasion." That is to say, these are made in order to call spirits of the earth or of ancestors. Most people who have watched Noh plays would understand this, I think. During a Noh play, the main actor, called "Shite," dances accompanied by music, which is created by players of drums and flutes or whistles.

Among the ceremonies of initiation of Indian Yoga or Meditation, called Chinkon of Shinotism, there are also whistlings to call spirits or God. These ceremonies are not for calling demons, but proper spirits, or God. Recently I watched a TV program in which the life of a tribe in Africa was introduced. In these people's lives, I focused on a special annual ceremony in which the chief tried to whistle in order to call his god. That is to say, it is evidence that to whistle late at night is not to call demons, but proper spirits or God.

Meditation is a ceremony that an individual tries to do for himself/herself and god to form a harmonious whole. In this ceremony, there is an initiation in which one whistles the sounds "Ohoo...mu" in Yoga, and "Ohooo...." in Chinkon of Shinotism. This initiation is called "Keihitsu" and has been used for a person to call another person in ordinary ceremonies, such as "Hiko" or 'Tanka recitation" in the Annual Poetry Ceremony of New Year's at the Imperial Palace.

I noted that the author of "Cosmic Effect on Human Brains -- A Micro Cosmos in the Brain" found that an individual who is meditating and practicing Yogic breathing can avoid the abnormal effects of cosmic influence. That is to say, whistling late at night is not to call demons, but to call proper sprits, or god, and furthermore is to revive the proper activity of the human brain if we whistle in the right manner.

When I encountered and read this tanka by Yoshihiro Kuromichi, I came to recognize again how significant it is to try to meditate in ordinary life and I thus gave this commentary the title, "How to Escape the Ill-Effects of Reality.”