A working space for my notes on Ogura Hyakunin Isshu - a classical Japanese anthology of 100 poems by 100 poets. My thanks to Jane Reichhold and fellow members of the AHApoetry Forum for their encouragement, advice and participation; and also to my fellow fellow members of Eratosphere for their comments and suggestions.

Saturday 28 April 2012

#010 これやこの


これやこの
行くも帰るも
別れては
知るも知らぬも
逢坂の関 

kore ya kono yuku mo kaeru mo  wakarete wa shiru mo shiranu mo Ōsaka no Seki

Semimaru

This is it! This place
we come to and we go from
in constant parting,
acquaintances and strangers
at the gate of Meeting Hill.

(trans. Köy Deli)
here it is
with the coming and going
we part again
from the known and unknown
at the gate of Meeting Hill

(trans. Jane Reichhold)


Crib

This is it! People come and people go, friends and strangers in constant parting at the gate  of Meeting Hill.

Parsing

kore ya kono
this | !/and | this
yuku mo kaeru mo
come | also | go | also
wakarete wa
part | again
shiru mo shiranu mo
known | also | unknown | also
Ōsaka no Seki
Place name (Meeting Hill) | of | Gate

Devises

Kakekotoba
Another pun here on a place name - the Ō of Ōsaka being read as to meet.

Syntax
The structure is a series of oppositional contrasts, friends and strangers, coming and going, parting and meeting.

Metaphor
The gate of meetings and partings may be read as that of life, of birth and death and the cycle of reincarnation as of Buddhist belief. Also the term for to meet here as associations with romantic rendevous, amorous encounters, dating and we may read into it the doctrine of desire for temporal things as a cause of sorrow, this life a place of brief encounters followed by inevitable loss.


kore
これ
This (the current topic, or of something near speaker or of speaker’s actions); at this moment (now); this person; I, me; here; certainly

 10
ya
Exclamation; particle in list of things (such and such and ...)
kono
この
pre-noun adjective this (of the speaker or of things close to the speaker) –

 10
これやこの
Kore ya kono
Look at this; see here; well now, well now! Here and now; This is it!; Here we are!
[this and this; this ! this] a set phrase in classical Japanese;
10
yuku
行く
To go;  proceed

10
mo
Particle – also, too; about, as much as, even;
kaeru
帰る
To return, come/go home, go back

10
Wakare (-te)
別れ (-)
To part, separate, divide, diverge

10
(te) wa
(-)
Conjuctive particle : repeated action (again), two simultaneous actions (while) [similar to -tsutsu つつ]
shiru
知る
To know; understand; feel; be acquainted with
noun
10
shiranu
知らぬ
Unknown; ignorance; not acquainted with
The antonym of shiru.
10
Ō [saka]
To meet; encounter; a tryst; date; rendezvous

10
Ō [saka]
[ ]
slope; incline; hill
Noun

Ōsaka
逢坂
Place name
Noun
10
no
Genitive particle (of)
Seki
connection; barrier; gate;
Noun
10

2 comments:

  1. Just wanted to say how much I appreciate your efforts in translating this work. And that you are sharing the ongoing translation online is very generous. I admire your shaping the translation to the formal parameters of Waka; quite a task.

    Thanks,

    Jim

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the comment and encouragement Jim, much appreciated.

    ReplyDelete