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Here is this month’s poetry column from poet and translator Keiji Minato…

The Minase Sangin Hyakuin by Sogi, Shohaku, and Socho

雪ながら山もとかすむ夕かな　　　　宗祇
Yuki nagara yama-moto kasumu yube kana

As it snows the base
of the mountain is misty
this evening (Sogi)

行く水とほく梅にほふ里　　　　　　肖柏
Yuku mizu toku ume niou sato

Far in the way the water goes
a plum-blossom-smelling hamlet (Shohaku)

川かぜに一むら柳春みえて　　　　　宗長
Kawakaze ni hitomura yanagi haru miete

The wind from the river
sways weeping willows
now it’s spring (Socho)

舟さすおとはしるき明がた　　　　　宗祇
Fune sasu oto wa shiruki akegata

The pole of a boat makes
a clear sound at dawn (Sogi)

月は猶霧わたる夜にのこるらん　　　肖柏
Tsuki wa nao kiri wataru yo ni nokoru ran

The moon must be
visible even
in a foggy night (Shohaku)

霜おく野はら秋はくれけり　　　　　宗長
Shimo oku nohara aki wa kurekeri

Frost on the field
autumn at its end (Socho)

Above are the first six verses of Minase Sangin Hyakuin (水無瀬三吟百韻; 1488), a renga written by Sogi (宗祇; 1421-1502), Shohaku (肖柏; 1443-1527), and Socho (宗長; 1448-1632). Renga is a type of collaborative poetry with linked 5-7-5 and 7-7 verses. Lengths vary from just two (tan-renga) to 10,000 or more(!). The genre was at its height in the late fifteenth century, and Minase Sangin Hyakuin is often considered the best work in its history. Renga emulated the aesthetics of the world of classic waka and were thought to please gods, especially war gods. At that time renga masters travelled around the country, often invited by feudal lords, and “rolled” scrolls of their verses for religious/political occasions.

The first verse in Minase Sangin Hyakuin is based on a waka by the retired emperor Gotoba-joko (後鳥羽上皇; 1180-1239):

見渡せば山もと霞む水無瀬川夕べは秋となに思ひけむ 　　　後鳥羽上皇

Miwataseba yamamoto kasumu minase-gawa yube wa aki to nani omoiken

I look over the misty base

of the mountain where

the Minase River runs through —

Why did they say the evening

was best in autumn? (Gotoba-joko)

Gotoba-joko was the strong center of culture in his day and led the editing of Shin-kokin-wakashu (新古今和歌集), one of the best anthologies of waka. Most of all Gotoba-joko was a great poet himself, who wrote great works like the above. He often visited Minase, situated right between current Kyoto City and Osaka City, to spend time at his favorite villa there. He is reported to have been fond of writing renga too, and he enjoyed rolling renga scrolls in Minase for sure. In the poem above he challenges his predecessors’ judgment that evening time is most beautiful in autumn, the common view even among contemporary Japanese. [Read more…]