万葉集

Today, I found a interesting book at a book store. The tittle is "英語で読む万葉集". It means "Manyoshu, Reading in English". Manyoshu was compiled Japanese tanka poems in from 7th century to 8th century.



We can learn about Japan's spiritual archi-scenery from Manyoshu. As of Manyoshu's poems composed, Buddhism wasn't imported. Therefore, it is very important classic literature and artistically, the best, at least one of best, Japanese profound　literature. It is not too strong word. Researchers study about it as line of life. And no one can concluded.



I cite 2 poems composed by Yamanoue Okura.



"漸々に　形崩ほり　朝な朝な　云うこと止み　霊きはる　命絶えぬれ　立ち躍り　足すり叫び　伏し仰ぎ　胸打ち嘆き　手に持てる　吾が子飛ばしつ　世間の道"

（山上憶良）



From

poems longing for his son Furuhi



...Time slowly

ravaged his features,

morning after morning

he spoke less and less

until his life,

that swelled with spirit,

stopped.



In frenzied grief

I leaped and danced,

I stamped and screamed,

I groveled to the earth

and glared at heaven,

I beat my breast and wailed.

I have let fly the child

I held in my hands.

This is the way of the world!







"若ければ　道行知らじ　幣はせむ　黄泉の使ひ　負ひて通らせ"

（山上憶良）



Poems longing for his son Furuhi



He is young,

and does not know the way.

O bearer of Hades,

I shall send you an offering.

Carry him there on your back.





There is no Buddhist term. 黄泉(here we call this word したへ(Shitae), and I know different version of this poem which use 下方, and this is also したへ） is another wold where Japanese go after our death. And it is not a world of buddhism.



Autumn is a season filled with love in your country? There are two meaning of love , "Koi" and "Ai", in Japanese. And I cite two poems of Koi. Koi means ,,,hmm,,a feeling that someone feel drawn to a opposite sex and wants to meet the person and wants to get the person alone and wants to marry.





"秋水の　この下隠り　行く水の　吾こそ益さめ　思ほすよりは"

（鏡王女）



Like the hidden stream

trickling beneath the trees

down the autumn mountainside,

so do my thought of you, my load,

increase more than yours of me.



(Poem by Princess Kagami in response (to the Emperor's poem)





"秋の田の　穂向の寄れる　片寄りに　君に寄りなな　言痛ありとも"

（但馬皇女）



Poem by princess Tajima when she was staying at Prince Takechi's palace thinking of Prince Hozumi.



As the ears of rice

on the autumn fields

bend in one direction,

so with one mind would I bend to you,

painful though the gossip be.



I think last one is a poem of illicit relationship.



There are not a few version of Manyoushu. And I cited just one of them.



And, I cited many literatures as if those are, might be, totally alive in current Japan. However, I don't mean it, that is, the spirit of Japan keeps always changing. It may be that I forgot to mention about it on this website.



By the way, Do you think Matsuzaka can be an Ace of Red Sox? would you invite me to the United States by paying 4,200 million dollars? I move to the United States with pleasure if you pay 1,000 million dollars annually for my annual salary. I will pitch straight fastballs, 100 "kilometers" per hour, with pleasure, with me putting out all my strength at your favorite base ball team's stadium.