Session 26—Haiku from Bashō's Oku no hosomichi

Topics for this session

Haiku from Bashō's Oku no hosomichi 平泉
"Nexus" strategies in the work

Poems for this session

• 44 夏草や兵共が夢の跡
  

Details

44 夏草や兵共が夢の跡

なつくさ | や | つはものども | が | ゆめ | の | あと

Collection: 奥の細道 • 平泉

Author: 松尾芭蕉 (まつおばしょう・ばせを)

季語: announced later

切字: announced later

Special requests for preparing this poem

• As before, be ready to say what the 季語 and 切れ字 are. But, in addition, now also be able to say how that affects the poem.
• Using the bSpace file Oku text and image - hiraizumi (translation by Donald Keene in Narrow Road to the Deep North):
  • be ready to compare the 俳句 to the 俳文 (the prose text).
  • be ready to explain why you think the artist chose to portray the poem in the way that he did.
• When reading, follow these instructions:

  "The three generations of the glory of the Fujiwara of Hiraizumi" STOP at this spot and read the first paragraph and the "History" section of this Wiki entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiraizumi,_Iwate. Then continue.

  "in the space of a dream" STOP and read the introduction to the No play "Kantan" and the play in full (bSpace, translation by Author Waley in The No Plays of Japan). PRINT OUT THE INTRODUCTION AND PLAY AND BRING IT TO CLASS.

  If you want to see the original of the No play "Kantan", it is at JapanKnowledge, 新編日本古典文学全集 vol 59 (謡曲集), beginning on page 166, search 邯鄲 (the title of the play).

  In "Kantan" in English, the "in a moment's dream" (195, 196) is 一睡まどろむ in the original, "one light sleep / nap".

  "but his glory turned in a moment into the wilderness of grass." STOP and read the excerpt from the military tale Yoshitsune (Gikeiki, Muromachi period) titled "Yoshitsune's Death" (bSpace, translation by Helen McCullough in Yoshitsune).

  If you want to see the original of the military tale Yoshitsune (Gikeiki, 義経記) it is a volume itself in the 新編日本古典文学全集 series: vol 62 義経記.

  "Countries may fall,"

  Note: This is the original verse from the 杜甫（とほ, Du Fu / Tu Fu, Chinese poet 712-770） poem 春望: 国破山河在　城春草木深（国やぶれて山河あり。城春にして草木深し。）

Poems are covered in the order presented. We may not be able to discuss all poems listed. It is likely that I will add links and preparating requests as we go along, even in the last hour before class. There is no class participation grade so all of this work is optional, but interesting, and will enhance your ability to share in the session. Poem details are given in class and not repeated. Take excellent notes. They are the basis for the test. Our course goals in order of priority: 1) above all, appreciation of the poem as a poem, 2) understanding the components of the poems (the words in their function as grammar and their history in poems), 3) details of authors and collections. Prepare with these priorities in mind.