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supdankosmos's review
3.0
This is my first time reading a classical Japanese verse, I thought it's going to be a hard read. How I wrong about that. So many of them are relatable to me (or maybe us?).
Here's some of my favorites:
10. Semimaru
So this is the place!
Crowds,
coming
going
meeting
parting,
those known,
unknown -
the Gate of Meeting Hill.
People come and go.
- -
44. Fujiwara no Asatada
If we had never met,
I would not so much resent
your being cold to me
or how I've come to hate myself
because I love you so.
It be like that sometimes.
- -
50. Fujiwara no Yoshitaka
I thought I would give up my life
to hold you in my arms,
but after a night together,
I find myself wishing
that I could live for ever.
THIS. IS LOVE.
When you're in love, you, too, might wish that you could live for ever.
how terrible it is to love something that death can touch.
- -
57.Murasaki Shikibu
Just like the moon,
you had come and gone
before I knew it.
Were you, too, hiding
among the midnight clouds?
- -
66. Prelate Gyoson
Mountain Cherry,
let us console each other.
Of all those I know
no ones understands me
the way your blossoms do.
'no ones understands me the way your blossoms do.' how? how do you write something so beautiful like this? how do you manage to think about yourself and a mountain cherry are the same thing? It's beautiful, excuse me but I'm going to cry.
- -
84. Fujiwara no Kiyosuke
Since I now recall fondly
the painful days of the past,
if I live long, I may look back
on these harsh days, too,
and find them sweet and good.
True. It's just one of those days. Please stay alive, there's so many beautiful things in this cruel yet so beautiful world.
--
Here's some of my favorites:
10. Semimaru
So this is the place!
Crowds,
coming
going
meeting
parting,
those known,
unknown -
the Gate of Meeting Hill.
People come and go.
- -
44. Fujiwara no Asatada
If we had never met,
I would not so much resent
your being cold to me
or how I've come to hate myself
because I love you so.
It be like that sometimes.
- -
50. Fujiwara no Yoshitaka
I thought I would give up my life
to hold you in my arms,
but after a night together,
I find myself wishing
that I could live for ever.
THIS. IS LOVE.
When you're in love, you, too, might wish that you could live for ever.
how terrible it is to love something that death can touch.
- -
57.Murasaki Shikibu
Just like the moon,
you had come and gone
before I knew it.
Were you, too, hiding
among the midnight clouds?
- -
66. Prelate Gyoson
Mountain Cherry,
let us console each other.
Of all those I know
no ones understands me
the way your blossoms do.
'no ones understands me the way your blossoms do.' how? how do you write something so beautiful like this? how do you manage to think about yourself and a mountain cherry are the same thing? It's beautiful, excuse me but I'm going to cry.
- -
84. Fujiwara no Kiyosuke
Since I now recall fondly
the painful days of the past,
if I live long, I may look back
on these harsh days, too,
and find them sweet and good.
True. It's just one of those days. Please stay alive, there's so many beautiful things in this cruel yet so beautiful world.
--
darumachan's review against another edition
5.0
This is a great translation-- the style and presentation of poems on their own (without footnotes) makes the text wonderfully accessible and enjoyable as literature in its own right. The inclusion of a concise introduction, detailed endnotes, and other resources such as maps makes this edition ideal for use in the undergrad classroom or as a volume through which the interested general reader can delve as deeply into the historical and social context as they wish. Looking forward to reading it again with my class in the future.
spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition
3.0
Edited and translated by Frank Wilson. The original poems in Japanese are included alongside the English-language translation, along with a pronunciation guide. Most poems have further notes and explanations. Also, there's a bunch of cool art!
m_anabel's review
mysterious
reflective
3.5
I didn't read all 100 of the poems, but I enjoyed the ones that I did read. I like how illustrations are sprinkled in among the poems. The commentary makes up a little less than half of the book and really enhances the experience, especially for non-Japanese readers, as it provides a lot of cultural context.
natalie_b's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
I loved the context and translations given. The translator was very clear about thier intentions and how this isn't perfect. The poems were lovely and easy to understand with this context. Super interesting and I'm glad I grabbed this off the shelf at the library.
shivani_maurya's review against another edition
4.0
One of the most bizarre things that led me to a book was for this gem. I was watching a Japanese TV series where one of the characters recited the first verse from this book. And given how lyrical things can be in Japanese, I was smitten. At the time I had no idea about Hyakunin Isshu. But merely listening to the verse put me on the trail to look it up. That verse is the only one I can recite from memory even now. It led me to this book which I have read twice since. And I believe I can attempt its review now.
This book is an anthology of imperial poetry from the Heian period of Japanese history. Knowing the influence the Fujiwara family had during the Heian times, it isn't surprising to find one of their scions as the editor behind one of the most famous anthologies. Teika, a renowned poet himself, had edited other anthologies before. For this one, he chose hundred classical verses and compiled them into an anthology that has come to be highly regarded ever since. One can't help but get charmed by the selections he made, that leverage the strengths of classical waka poetry, expressing deep emotion and refinement of sensibility in images of profound simplicity. Hyakunin Isshu is without doubt an exemplary work in this regard. Subtlety and allusiveness are wielded deftly to conjure visual imagery with profound emotion. And if there's one thing that the Heian poetry was the best at, it was this play on different senses of the reader. One need not pair these poems with any visual depictions. They are powerful enough to evoke both the imagery and the feelings paired with it. Not ekphratic in the truest sense, but close. Very close.
The collection is rife with references to famous locations which have retained their associations even in the present time. The ambiguity of the subject allows for multiple reading of several verses, each rich with meaning in the changed context. Much focus is on the natural world, celebrating the beauty of a fleeting moment and the ability to be moved by it. The abundance of punning and wordplay which doesn't lend itself well to any translation, can still be seen in the attempts made by the translator, with more information on the nuances and other details offered in the accompanying commentary section.
There is just so much to recommend this collection of poems. This work alludes to many other well known works of Japanese literature ( [b:The Tale of Genji|7042|The Tale of Genji|Murasaki Shikibu|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1616514777l/7042._SX50_.jpg|2212225], [b:The Tales of Ise|25938375|The Tales of Ise|Anonymous|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1618509827l/25938375._SY75_.jpg|182746] etc.) There is a sense of history reaching out to the readers and pulling them back to much simpler but nuanced times. Will I read this again in the future? Definitely. Personally, I have come to love this short collection. So much so that I wish I could read and enjoy the original. I will be listing some of my favourites below, in the hope that more people will read this and experience the beauty within. :)
This book is an anthology of imperial poetry from the Heian period of Japanese history. Knowing the influence the Fujiwara family had during the Heian times, it isn't surprising to find one of their scions as the editor behind one of the most famous anthologies. Teika, a renowned poet himself, had edited other anthologies before. For this one, he chose hundred classical verses and compiled them into an anthology that has come to be highly regarded ever since. One can't help but get charmed by the selections he made, that leverage the strengths of classical waka poetry, expressing deep emotion and refinement of sensibility in images of profound simplicity. Hyakunin Isshu is without doubt an exemplary work in this regard. Subtlety and allusiveness are wielded deftly to conjure visual imagery with profound emotion. And if there's one thing that the Heian poetry was the best at, it was this play on different senses of the reader. One need not pair these poems with any visual depictions. They are powerful enough to evoke both the imagery and the feelings paired with it. Not ekphratic in the truest sense, but close. Very close.
The collection is rife with references to famous locations which have retained their associations even in the present time. The ambiguity of the subject allows for multiple reading of several verses, each rich with meaning in the changed context. Much focus is on the natural world, celebrating the beauty of a fleeting moment and the ability to be moved by it. The abundance of punning and wordplay which doesn't lend itself well to any translation, can still be seen in the attempts made by the translator, with more information on the nuances and other details offered in the accompanying commentary section.
There is just so much to recommend this collection of poems. This work alludes to many other well known works of Japanese literature ( [b:The Tale of Genji|7042|The Tale of Genji|Murasaki Shikibu|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1616514777l/7042._SX50_.jpg|2212225], [b:The Tales of Ise|25938375|The Tales of Ise|Anonymous|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1618509827l/25938375._SY75_.jpg|182746] etc.) There is a sense of history reaching out to the readers and pulling them back to much simpler but nuanced times. Will I read this again in the future? Definitely. Personally, I have come to love this short collection. So much so that I wish I could read and enjoy the original. I will be listing some of my favourites below, in the hope that more people will read this and experience the beauty within. :)
"Breezes of Heaven, blow closed
the pathway through the clouds
to keep a little longer
these heavenly dancers
from returning home."
"This troubled heart of mine
is like the watch fire of the guards
of the palace gate -
it fades to embers by day,
but blazes up again each night."
"When the wind gusts
over the autumn fields,
white dewdrops
lie strewn about
like scattered pearls."