100 Tanka Poems by 100 Poets

Commentary by Mutsuo Shukuya Post No. 1
As I noted in the preface, 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 from the original title, "100 Excellent Tanka Poems by 100 Poets." Furthermore, I mentioned that I recognized the following significant point: there are some tanka which deviate from the standard concepts of composing aesthetic tanka, which I discussed in my lecture, "Classical Tanka Composition."

And then, I could not help thinking why Teika Fujiwara had compiled this collection. First of all, one of the points to consider is: what was tanka originally. This point may be summarized as follows: First, the 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 unorthodox techniques may be very pleasing to people who receive them, but it is difficult to compose tanka using them. This is called Uta-mushiro or 'other ways to compose tanka in order to enjoy it together with others.' From this viewpoint, 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 Emperors Tenchi and Jito. Emperor Tenchi established a regime in which the Emperor himself ruled everything following 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. Japan became a puppet state operated by the Soga family, who controlled the real power.

All the ceremonies in the Imperial Palace, in which Shinto forms were accepted had continued since Emperor Jinmu, who established the state of Japan in 660 B.C., were abolished and replaced with Buddhist forms, which the Soga family adopted. In those days the Nakatomi and Mononobe families had been concerned with all Imperial ceremonies since Emperor Jinmu. But both of them were eliminated by the Soga family and the survivors ran away to the Tohoku area.

There were not a few people who disliked the fact that the Soga family rose in the government. Kamatari Nakatomi, who was the president of the other branch of the Nakatomi family, and some people from the Soga family who disliked the others, defeated the Soga family completely and drove them from the Imperial Palace of Emperor Tenchi. This revolution was called "Taika no Kaishin."

Each direct descendant of Amenotanekonomikoto, the first ancestor of the Nakatomi family had conducted all ceremonies in the Imperial Palace, in which Shinto forms were accepted for 1300 years, since Emperor Jinmu. But 50 years had passed during which these ceremonies, in which Shinto forms were accepted, had been abolished and replaced with Buddhist forms which the Soga family adopted.

But as the Soga Family was defeated in the revolution, "Taika no Kaishin," ceremonies in the Imperial Palace, in which Shinto forms were accepted, were revived again. The authority of the Emperor had also been revived again, both in name and reality.

Kamatari Nakatomi, who was the president of the other branch of the Nakatomi family, contributed greatly to this revolution.　He was given the family name Fujiwara, instead of Nakatomi, in reward for his contribution to this revolution. And he was respected as the founder of the revival of the ceremonies in the Imperial Palace, in which Shinto forms were accepted, and his shrine, called Danzan-Jinjya was constructed.

The first emperor and empress after the authority of the emperor had been revived again in both name and reality of were Tenchi and Jito. So I would like to introduce two tanka by Tenchi and Jito, who revived the real authority of the Emperor:

001 by Emperor TenchiA ki no ta no
ka ri ho no i ho no
to ma wo a ra mi
wa ga ko ro mo de wa
tsu yu ni nu re tsu tsu

Everyone who views
the paddies from the cottage,
whose thatched roof is
roughly meshed, will find his sleeves
are always quite wet with dew.

002 by Empress JitoHa ru su gi te
na tsu ki ni ke ra shi
shi ro ta he no
ko ro mo ho su cho fu
a ma no ka gu ya ma

Spring already gone
and summer seems to have come
for summer costumes
flutter now on Mt. Kagu
as they have done year by year.

Reference (1): The beginning of tanka poetry
http://homepage3.nifty.com/PLABOT/plimer_course1.html


The tanka by Tenchi means that when he stayed at the cottage to watch the paddies all through night, even he will find his sleeves wet with dew, just as farmers experience every year. Through this tanka, he tries to express his thanks to all farmers.

The tanka by Jito means that spring has already gone and summer seems to have arrived at her village, because summer costumes are fluttering on Mt. Kagu as they have done year by year. She composed it on the theme, "A seasonal change of clothing," that is to say, she tries to express her pleasure at the arrival of summer in her village, where she views Mt. Kagu.

Both of these tanka were composed under the standard concept of composing aesthetic tanka, which I discussed above, and they express the pleasure and grave attitude for the restoration of authority in the Imperial Palace. So, these tanka remind me of the following poem named "Pippa's song" by the English poet, Robert Browning (1812-89):

The year's at the spring
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hillside's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in his heaven ―
All's right with the world!

Robert Browning composed this poem in 1841. In those days, Great Britain, where he was born, was the Kingdom which dominated the whole European world. It is said that a poet express the feelings of other people. So he expresses the feelings of the white people including Europeans and Americans in this poem, I think. If Japan hadn't won the war between Japan and Russia, "All's right with the world!" would have also applied to their people.

The tanka by Emperors Teichi and Jito seem to be similar to this poem by Robert Browning.