Reflections of a Man's Heart

Received several new books from Amazon. This time they are poetry books, all dedicated to japanese poets.

 

Decided to get them after reading the incredibly beautiful translations of Heian era women poets by Jane Hirshfield and Mariko Aratani, in The Ink Dark Moon.

 

The first one is Ariake: poems of love and longing by the women courtiers of ancient japan.

 

Learnt that ariake means 'the waning moon at dawn'. Amazing! We don't have words for such things around here ^^

 

In the foreword, they explain that ". . . the waning moon at dawn was an image associated foremost with love in the ancient courts of Japan. Two lovers, absorbed in their passion, knew that when the dawn moon floated toward the western hills, they would soon have to part . . ."

 

". . . The most renowned poets of the era were women. Not the passive object of desire characteristic of Western courtly love, these women were passionate and demonstrative, writing poetry about their lovers and themselves in brief, intense outbursts of image and rhythm'"

 

Have to say that the book is really beautiful. Not only because of the poems, but because of the paintings that accompany each and every poem.

 

If you have somebody who loves poetry and is important to you, you can do worse than buying that book as a gift for him/her . . .

 

Here is a poem:

 

The white drops of dew

That glisten in the evening sun

There in my garden

Fade no more quickly from the grass

Than I faint from desire.

 

- Lady Kasa

 

. . .

 

The second book is Women poets of Japan. This one covers women poets from the 7th century to this day.

 

Read some poems written by Izumi Shikibu and Komachi. The translations are veeery different to those by Hirshfield and Aratani. Apparently, Rexroth, the main translator, is an authority in the field.

 

Well, ok. For me, Hirshfield/Aratani translations are unsurpassed. Must be me!

 

A lovely detail: the name of each poet is written by Machi Shunso, a famous woman calligrapher in Japan . . .

 

. . .

 

The third book is River of Stars: selected poems of Yosano Akiko. Skimmed through it. Looks good.

Here is a sample:

 

Friends, please don't ask

whatever remains of love.

And don't preach to me.

Let our poetry endure.

It is the cross we bear.

 

- Yosano Akiko