TWO ESSAYS ON BAN'YA NATSUISHI'S WORLD HAIKU.
EXPRESSION OF EMOTIONS IN THE INTERNATIONAL / MULTILINGUAL HAIKU OF BAN'YA NATSUISHI.
Some old-fashioned "experts" still insist that human emotions in haiku are only to be expressed in figurative ways through depictions of nature, while others are venturing into somewhat more obvious analogies. I - myself - am a bit wary of the pitfalls of falling prey to reading too much into the subtleties of haiku, or to limit the usage of such expressions of subtlety to Japanese culture and tradition.
There are many opinions circulating regarding the mechanics and functions of haiku-writing, as well as some individuals who would seem to maintain that the only good haiku-writers are those who follow strict Japanese tradition. As I have written elsewhere, contemporary haiku - and perhaps especially international haiku and haiku adaptations into other languages - must address many cultural and linguistic differences that may challenge traditional Japanese rules regarding classical haiku, including but not limited to meter, linguistic and culturally-associated rhythms and sounds of words employed, expansion of time beyond "the moment" etc.
I was impressed to read the following in Natsuishi's essay entitled "Composing Haiku in a Foreign Country" (A Future Waterfall, 2004, Red Moon Press, ISBN 1-893959-46-5, USA):
"[Nevertheless,] not many Japanese Haiku poets have been open to foreign experiences ... The main reason is their idée fixe about nature ... This situation has effectively prevented Japanese haiku poets from looking at a foreign land from a non-Japanese perspective. Foreign landscapes remain largely alien and incomprehensible.
"A haiku poet in a foreign country has many occasions for inspiration. Many things provoke him to look at them from new and different angles -- provide him with a new insight and a different sensibility. This is the way it should be. After all, one principal purpose of haiku is to discover something new in everything and to reveal it to the world ...
"More than three hundred years after Bashô, I am trying to create in my haiku diverse, astonishing traditions and phenomena of the whole world."
It occurs to me that the cultural associative expertise required in international haiku and haiku in translation is perhaps especially significant in regards to communication of emotion - both viscerally and figuratively. While classical Japanese haiku expresses emotions more figuratively than directly, modern forms of haiku and international / non-Japanese haiku forms would appear to be experimenting with and stretching the "old and the traditional" into more "liberal" expressions of emotion and usages of kigo.
Ban'ya Natsuishi is classically-schooled and does employ many traditional Japanese forms in his haiku-writing, but he is also constantly exploring the haiku in literary evolution. His work with World Haiku presents special challenges and many new possibilities in regards to the internationalization of contemporary haiku-writing.
Some outstanding examples of innovative contemporary haiku by Natsuishi follow:
from "A Future Waterfall", 2004, Red Moon Press, ISBN 1-893959-46-5, USA:
page 13:
From the future
a wind arrives
that blows the waterfall apart
page 18:
Cherry blossoms fall:
newspapers
suck in a great deal of blood
In Tokyo
the angry flower is
a snow crystal
page 23
Into the Sea of Japan
lightning's tail
is plunged
page 31
On my tongue
a temple appears
allegro
page 43
Above the sea
lightning violates
the Galaxy
Tunisian
blue lightens
the swindling
and from "Endless Helix", 2007, Cyberwit.net, ISBN 978-81-8253-072-0, India:
page 42
Perfection
is the symphony of the valley --
a stray sheep
Parfaite est la symphonie
de la vallée --
un mouton perdu
Sinfonía perfecta
en el valle
la oveja perdida
page 48
A cloud beyond any shape --
we have lost
our memory
Un nuage au-delà de toute forme --
nous avons perdu
notre mémoire
Una nube que tiene
más que todas las formas ...
¿ perdimos nuestra memoria?
page 50
The sea of tears
always waiting
for our haiku
La mer de larmes
attend toujours
notre haiku
El mar de lágrimas
siempre espera por
nuestro haiku
page 53
Under the scorching sun
I have forgotten
how to love myself
Sous le soleil brûlant
j'ai oublié
comment je pourrais m'aimer
Bajo el abrasante sol
he olvidado
como amarme a mí mismo
Page 87, Dream no. 10
One after another our soldiers bleed to death.
We have lost any reason to press ahead.
We make up the blood pressure readings of our king,
the balance so to speak, of his rivers underneath.
Yet, we raise lances, dash forward,
And my voice is drowned out trying to hold us back.
Page Dream No. 12
Scratched.
Beaten.
Cut.
Ice sheds tears.
A beauty dances over this frozen swell.
She falls down by its caprice.
It is my premise that expression of emotions in art is not merely a question of perspective of nature, but concerns color, form, verb form, sound, meter and time as well.
In the above examples Natsuishi plays with the "rules" most creatively, experimenting with time ("a future waterfall"), direct and less direct references to emotions, sometimes more liberal approaches to the usage of kigo, and purposeful liberation from 5-7-5 meter in favor of culturally-effective adaptations in English, Spanish and French (I cannot comment on other languages which I do not understand). Successful adaptation of haiku from Japanese (or another language) to other languages is not merely a question of cultural and linguisitic translation but perhaps also entails a oneness in expression in the original language that at times surpasses literary and cultural norms in the mother tongue in order to achieve a more universal expression.
The ability to successfully make creative decisions depends on the artist's understanding of tradition (where artistic expression norms have hailed from) as well as the understanding of how to employ intentional techniques to achieve desired new forms of expression. Decisions regarding usage of meter, form, sound, suggestion, time, length etc. should be conscious and intentional, and yet give the appearance of evenness and technical ease and dexterity. A technically or emotionally difficult passage in a work of music, literature or art should appear as effortless in execution as a technically or emotionally easy one. Here Ban'ya Natsuishi unabashedly shows his mastery of artistic execution and suggestiveness and his intelligence in decisionmaking and planning -- resulting in a natural feeling recognizable by readers from various cultures, traditions and in many languages.
Despite his intellectual and technical expertise, Natsuishi has loftier goals than merely to find new ways of expressing emotions. He says himself: "My concern is not expressing emotion in a new way, but something deeper than emotion is my target."
- Adam Donaldson Powell, 2009.
A SHORT ESSAY ON PRESENTATION OF WORLD HAIKU.
An essay based upon the following multilingual haiku books by Ban'ya Natsuishi:
MADARAK / BIRDS, 50 HAIKU, including aquarelles by Éva Pápai, translations by
Ban'ya Natsuishi, Jack Galmitz and Judit Vihar, published in 2007, Balassi Kiadó,
Budapest, Hungary, ISBN 978-963-506-743-5; and VOICES FROM THE CLOUDS,
translations by Leons Briedis, Ban'ya Natsuishi, Jim Kacian and James Shea,
published in 2008, Minerva, Latvia, ISBN 978-9984-637-42-5.
World haiku books are generally characterized by bilingualism or multilingualism, i.e.
haiku books published with translations or adaptations in one or more languages in
addition to the mother tongue of the haiku writer. This is also true of the world haiku books
of Ban'ya Natsuishi. Mr. Natuishi's literary adeptness is well-established - both by fans and
reviewers such as myself, and by the international and Japanese literary communities at large.
What I would like to address in this essay is presentation -- the function of haiku with
translations / adaptations in the same book, and the function of haiku together with and in competition
with art / photography. In other words: the aesthetic dimensions and considerations.
I have previously commented upon the now-popular combination of haiku with photography:
"I have written elsewhere that I prefer photography books without captions and titles ...
this is often a sensitive and over-debated question. However, I do not believe that it is
solely a question of aesthetics or subjective 'likes and dislikes' / personal preferences.
There are also the questions of functionality, total artistic impression as well as
technical questions such as 'when is more actually too much?' Are the haiku captions
or poetry? Do they serve a complementary function or an interpretative function, and are
they (in fact) essential to understanding the photographs? Is the placement of these
haiku optimal, or would another approach to combining photography and haiku have
a stronger effect? These are all questions that strike me in my own personal experience ..."
It is important to me as reader and reviewer that presentation of haiku in book form satisfies
the underlying aesthetic values of simplicity, space for thought and reflection, and maximal
visual interpretation by the reader himself / herself. Furthermore, it is important to me that
the haiku and the artwork function both on their own as artistic expressions AND together
as complements, but not as explanations or rationalizations of each other. They should
not be in competition with one another, and not too interpretative of each other.
This applies as well to presentation of haiku translations and adaptations alongside
one another. The number and placement of haiku in translation / adaptation must not
create a sense of constriction in regards to space, or be too overwhelming in terms of text.
There are many possible solutions to these challenges, including: separating
haiku and photography / art into different sections in the book, limiting the number of
translations / adaptations, utilizing artistic imagery that is less concrete (eg. abstract imagery,
painted calligraphy which gives a simple visual presentation, etc.) or watercolors or another
medium that mimics the lightness of haiku to name a few possibilities. Of course, another
possibility entails combining haiku with imagery that does not attempt to comment directly
upon the visual imagery created by the haiku artist but rather explores the underlying "feelings"
in other visual expressions. These suggested solutions might allow the reader / viewer to experience
the visual, intellectual and emotional openness of both artistic forms of expression -- both independently,
and in "indirect" comparison, without the one form competing with, overshadowing or directly leading /
affecting the experiential and interpretative process of the reader / viewer.
The Hungarian book MADARAK / BIRDS, 50 HAIKU is a very attractive hardbound book
(12 x 18,5 cm), with fine illustrations by visual artist Éva Pápai. The illustrations are aquarelles,
sensitively executed and without too much direct interpretation of the contexts expressed in
the accompanying haiku. The illustrations are consistently placed on the pages adjoining each haiku
in English and in Hungarian, and the original Japanese haiku appear under each illustration.
Although this attractive book is not of a standard coffee table book size, the excellent presentation enables it
to function both as a work of art and as a small inspirational book that may be carried in a bag or in one's pocket so as to be read on the bus, the metro, the train ... or during a break at work or in between appointments.
One reason that the presentation achieved in this book is so successful is that the illustrations are more than
mere illustrations -- they are works of art which function both independently and together with the haiku, they
are simple in execution and style -- thus mimicking and accentuating the lightness and spontaneity and "space" of haiku as an art form, there are only two haiku translations / adaptations to the page -- giving a feeling of time and space for personal reflection in a way that the language that is unimportant to the particular reader can (in fact) disappear on the page, and also because the Japanese original haiku are tastefully reproduced with calligraphy in red -- thus giving a sense of writing as visual art, as well as writing and art balanced both on the illustration pages and also together with the haiku in English and in Hungarian (on the opposing pages).
In "Voices from the Clouds" (11 x 19 cm, softcover), there are no illustrations or
works of art accompanying each haiku. There are however haiku in original
Japanese, Latvian and English on each page. In my view, this small book works
quite well in terms of presentation. This largely because of the excellent paper quality,
the sequence and placement of haiku on each page (starting with the original
haiku in Japanese in one line across the top of each page, followed by the
Latvian translation / adaptation, and then with the English version on the bottom
of each page), as well as the feeling of "airyness" and space created ... all of
which give the book a sense of completion.
There are many memorable haiku in these two books which are both beautiful
and thought-provoking. I will mention a few from each book:
from MADARAK / BIRDS:
Old women, pigeons,
winds and gossip
gather in this square.
- page 16
A wild eagle
is invited to
the room of mirrors
- page 24
Every thing will disappear:
even the rice paddy,
over it a white heron dancing
- page 54
To the goldcrest
every water drop
smiles
- page 106
and from VOICES FROM THE CLOUDS:
In Tokyo
The angry flower is
A snow crystal
- page 23
Long, long ago
A fountain
At the bottom of the sea.
- page 39
Walking is philosophy's
Best friend --
Voices from the clouds.
- page 80
Wisteria flowers
Suck in our
Sweet nothings.
- page 120
If I were to point out one thing that I would criticize with either of these books,
it would be the consistent starting of each line with capital letters in the book
VOICES FROM THE CLOUDS. Sometimes initial capital letters feel natural
and at other times (as in these haiku) they can (in my opinion) tend to
disrupt the flow and music of short literary works where lines are supposed
to both function on their own and as a continuous flow. However, this is
my own personal opinion and experience.
All in all, I would recommend lovers of world haiku to purchase these books,
as they are quite worthy of inclusion in one's permanent collection ... for re-reading
time and time again, at one's leisure.
- Adam Donaldson Powell, 2009.
The novice struggles to make pretty feet dance in the wind, while the haiku of the master yawn and stretch toward infinity … like a century-old bonsai.
- Adam Donaldson Powell
Reaching towards infinity.
Literary criticism (2009) by Adam Donaldson Powell (based upon “World Haiku 2009, No. 5, The World Haiku Association, published by Shichigatsudo, Japan, 2009, ISBN 978-4-87944-135-5, 198 pages, paperback, US$15).
This year's annual World Haiku (2009, No. 5) does not disappoint. Ban'ya Natsuishi and his translation staff have – once again – succeeded in compiling a quality presentation of world haiku featuring some 192 haiku artists from around the world in addition to junior haiku artists and essayists of haiku criticism.
Many of the works are in translation or adaptation. Of course, the book also contains a Japanese version which reads from the opposite direction.
That the World Haiku Association and Ban'ya Natsuishi have produced yet another fine publication featuring world haiku is no surprise in itself. However, the presentation of quality haiku originating from several continents and especially the phenomenal junior haiku (this time from Japan and New Zealand) make this edition noteworthy and distinctive. Some time ago, I was struck by the thought:
The novice struggles to make pretty feet dance in the wind, while the haiku of the master yawn and stretch toward infinity … like a century-old bonsai.
Adam Donaldson Powell
However, in World Haiku 2009 No. 5 many of the featured haiku by artists from countries where haiku-writing is an “adopted” art form, and many of the “junior” haiku artists, write with a spontaneous dexterity usually exemplified by masters of this age-old tradition. I will cite a few of my personal favorites as examples:
I am as old as rain
And as young as rye:
Golden medium
Once in eternity
Even the mountain rises to the clouds
Like a bird of passage
Don't torture your memory,
Insistently asking,
When did you meet last time?
Leons Briedis, Latvia
adding its voice to the ocean's rain
sundown a momentary ache and gone
paddling out changing the shape of the sea
Jim Kacian, USA
Red dragonfly,
settle on my hand
that has worked hard
I trust a wintry tree
with my soul
for a while
Affirming it
will hurt someone –
holly blossoms
Tomie Yamamoto (Japan)
and from the juniors:
Summer ocean:
noisily a wave
gulps down sand grains
Ayane Inden, Japan, age 12
Trees, forests
cut down
are crying
Chihiro Niinou, Japan, age 8
The spirit of the sky
Lives in mother earth
Tears flow through rivers.
Te Arani Huia, New Zealand, age 10
Ancestors' treasure
At the end of a river
Waterfall blessings.
Kairau Stirling, New Zealand, age 10
The book also contains thought-provoking essays by Toshio Kimura (The Missing Link: From Classic to Modern – Modern Japanese Haiku Observed from Overseas), Aleksandar Prokopiev (A Journey to The Quintessence), Karunesh Kumar Agrawal (Haiku in India) and Jim Kacian (State of the Art: Haiku in North America 2007).
Adam Donaldson Powell, Norway, 2009.
YUKO TANGE: INJURED ROSES.
Injured Roses ... the Yuko Tange Haiku Collection.
English translation by Anthony P. Newell
(Published by Cyberwit.net, Allahabad, India, 2009, 79 pages, paperback, US$15)
Injured Roses is a first-time haiku collection by Japanese haiku artist and visual artist Yuko Tange.
This short collection of haiku in Japanese and English (in translation) is divided into seven sections. As with most first books, the author has included here a variety of approaches, subjects and subtle style variations. Some of the poems are – in my opinion – of a very high caliber, while others are rather less striking.
I find that the poems that are the most precious to me are those that reveal the mature reflective attributes of the author, and which are less analytical and active. The author has a talent for expressing passive irony in a classical literary sense, which is timeless. I would have preferred to see this book focus upon that particular style of haiku, one on a page with an accompanying work of art by Yuko Tange on the facing page. This because her original cover art reveals the same qualities that I find so endearing in the haiku that I am referring to. Some good examples of this style follow:
on page 14:
The Acropolis
is patient
facing the sun
on page 19:
I punctuate
with a sigh
the end of summer
on page 23:
It snows furiously
on the dilemma
of an impossibility
on page 30:
Red roses
invite bewitchment
and a misunderstanding, too
on page 48:
In the setting sun
the sand and the sea
rest in silence
and on page 70:
The vessel of pathos
moves to the time
of a miracle
I am impressed that the author has written her first book at an advanced stage in her life. When I read and re-read the poems I have cited above I understand that it has perhaps taken a lifetime to be able to express oneself so artistically, and with such quiet and mature reflection. I hope that Yuko Tange publishes more books in the style and spirit of the poems I have applauded, and that she considers perhaps making a lovely coffee table book including her artwork, and her haiku in calligraphy and in translation.
Adam Donaldson Powell, 2009.
ADAM DONALDSON POWELL (Norway) is a literary critic and a multilingual author, writing in English, Spanish, French and Norwegian; and a professional visual artist. He has published nine books (including collections of poetry, short stories, novellas and literary criticism) in the USA, Norway and India, as well as several short and longer works in international publications on several continents. His poetry and essays have been translated into several languages, including: Spanish, French, Russian, Japanese and Bengali.
(photography by Adam Donaldson Powell)
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