10/18/2011

Natsume Soseki

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Natsume Soseki 夏目漱石
Natsume Sooseki, Natsume Sōseki

February 9, 1867 – December 9, 1916



Born Natsume Kinnosuke (夏目 金之助), he is widely considered to be the foremost Japanese novelist of the Meiji period (1868–1912). He is best known for his novels Kokoro, Botchan, I Am a Cat and his unfinished work Light and Darkness. He was also a scholar of British literature and composer of haiku, Chinese-style poetry, and fairy tales. From 1984 until 2004, his portrait appeared on the front of the Japanese 1000 yen note.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !



1000 yen  1000円札

Wagahai wa neko de aru 吾輩は猫である
Botchan ぼちゃん

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Sooseki Ki 漱石忌 (そうせきき)
Soseki Memorial Day


kigo for mid-winter

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

君が代や年々に減る厄払
waga dai ya nennen ni heru yakubarai

people of my age -
with the passing of years
less impurities to cleanse



. WKD : yakubarai 厄払 Casting off the Old Impurities and Sins .

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The famous novel "Botchan" by Natsume Soseki takes place in Matsuyama, where he lived with Masaoka Shiki for a while.

Soseki Natsume who participated in the haiku parties convened by Shiki, etc. left several haikus such as
"A long day, we pass yawns and depart."

. Soseki and Masaoka Shiki .



When Natsume Soseki came to visit Masaoka Shiki in Matsuyma in 1892, Shiki's mother Yae prepared the dish for them.
Kyoshi, who happened to be there too, wrote about this meeting, describing Soseki sitting in his western suit on the cushion, trying to eat carefully so as not to soil his suit and the floor and finishing every little grain of rice.



. Matsuyama sushi 松山すし and poetry .


.................................................................................


kane tsukeba ichoo chiru nari Kenchooji

kaki kueba kane ga naru nari Hooryuuji


when they strike the bell
these gingko leaves are falling -
Temple Kencho-ji

Soseki


when I eat a persimmon
this bell reveberates -
Temple Horyu-ji

Shiki

. Two friends, two haiku - Honkadori 本歌取り .


.................................................................................


行く我にとゞまる汝に秋二つ
yuku ware ni todomaru nare ni aki futatsu

for me going
for you staying here
two autumns


for Natsume Soseki staying in Matsuyama, when Masaoka Shiki left for Tokyo.

tr. by University of Virginia Team

.................................................................................



春立つや子規より手紙漱石へ
haru tatsu ya Shiki yori tegami Sooseki e

spring starts -
a letter from Shiki
to Soseki

Tr. Fay Aoyagi

Enomoto Yoshihiro 榎本好宏


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


かたまるや散るや蛍の川の上
katamaru ya chiru ya hotaru no kawa no ue

Now gathering,
Now scattering,
Fireflies over the river.

Tr. Sooiku Shigematsu


Discussion of this haiku:
. Fireflies and the river Seta .


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


瀑五段一段毎の紅葉かな
baku godan ichidan goto no momiji kana

five-tired waterfall -
on each tire there are
red maple leaves


Karakai no Taki 唐岬の滝 near Matsuyama

. WKD : Waterfall .


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


元日に生れぬ先の親恋し
ganjitsu ni umarenu saki no oya koishi

on New Year's Day
I long for my parents
before I was born



The "original face" points to "the nonduality of subject and object"
. The Original face .

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


立秋の紺落ち付くや伊予絣
risshuu no kon ochitsuku ya Iyogasuri

the dark blue
is relaxing at the beginning of autumn -
ikat from Iyo


. Kasuri 伊予絣 Ikat from Iyo .


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


kogarashi no ima ya fuku tomo chiru ha nashi

Bitter winter wind --
blowing now
yet no leaves to drop.

Tr. Haiku International Association


. kogarashi 木枯らし, 木枯, 凩 withering wind .


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



mokuren no hana bakari naru sora o miru

the sky I see
seems full of
magnolia blossoms



voll von Magnolienblueten
der Himmel
in den ich schau

from Kusamakura 草枕



. Kusamakura 草枕 - Matsuo Basho und Soseki .  


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


aritake no kiku nageire yo kan no naka

All the chrysanthemums that there are; lay them in the coffin

Discussion by Hugh Bygott

his tribute to Madame Naoko Otsuka

source : translating haiku forum


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

On New Year's Day
I long to meet my parents
as they were before my birth.


source : www.haikusociety.com

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


kawabaori furumekashitaru samusa kana

. kawabaori 皮羽織 leather haori coat .



More haiku by Soseki
. Reference 夏目漱石 俳句 .


my haiku translated by Soseki


Japanese Reference

夏目漱石

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



- quote -
Master Soseki
by Ippei Okamoto depicts writer Natsume Soseki
with a black cat and "hibachi" brazier. (Hiromi Kitagaki)

The mystery remains on how the long-established Hiiragiya inn in Kyoto obtained a portrait of literary master Natsume Soseki created by manga artist Ippei Okamoto (1886-1948).

But the artwork is viewed as an invaluable piece for studying the connection between Soseki (1867-1916) and Japan’s ancient capital.

The drawing, titled “Master Soseki,” appears to be an original piece in a collection created and distributed at the beginning of the Showa Era (1926-1989) by Tokyo Manga Kai and its successor, Nihon Manga Kai, according to Yoshiteru Nakayama, a 76-year-old former curator of the Kyoto Prefectural Library and Archives.

Okamoto apparently drew several of the same portraits of Soseki. A drawing of identical composition to the one at Hiiragiya is kept at the Tohoku University Library.
- source : ajw.asahi.com


*****************************
Related words

***** Introducing Japanese Haiku Poets 


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

botchan ningyoo 坊ちゃん人形 "Botchan" dolls



at Dogo Onsen hot spring, in memory of the novel


. Ehime Folk Art - 愛媛県  .


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

8 comments:

Gabi Greve - Masaoka Shiki said...

Masaoka Shiki

Later during the New Year of 1895, Shiki wrote

漱石が来て虚子が来て大晦日
Sooseki ga kite Kyoshi ga kite ooomisoka

Soseki came
and Kyoshi came -
New Year's eve

.
Eating Matsuyama Suchi together.

Gabi Greve - WKD said...

霞みけり物見の松に熊坂が
kasumikeri monomi no matsu ni kumasaka ka

spring haze
at the "Lookout Pine"
it that Kumasaka ?

MORE
about Kumasaka, the robber

Gabi Greve said...

Natsume Soseki Digitial Literary Museum, Kanagawa Prefectural Modern Literature Museum:

http://www.kanabun.or.jp/souseki/index.html

Gabi Greve - Darumapedia said...

菜の花の中に糞ひる飛脚哉
nanohana no naka ni fun hiru hikyaku kana

the fast messenger
shits in the middle
of a rapeseed field


more about the hikyaku messengers

Gabi Greve - Darumapedia said...

Tokyo Ushigome Fukuromachi 江戸牛込袋町

In the late Edo period an entertainment establishment named 藁店亭 Waradana Tei was built and 都々逸坊扇歌 Dodoitsubo Senka the First (1804 - 1852) was active here.
He was a singer- raconteur who scored his greatest triumphs singing dodoitsu and other popular songs.
In the Meiji period, this became the 和良店亭 Waradana Tei, where 夏目漱石 Natsume Soseki used to come visiting.
.
https://edoflourishing.blogspot.jp/2017/03/ushigome.html
.

Gabi Greve said...

Larry Bole wrote in facebook :
Here is a haiku by Soseki about his friend Shiki. According to Donald Keene, it has the headnote:
"Hearing in London the News of Shiki's Death"

kiri ki naru ichi ni ugoku ya kagebooshi

See how it hovers
In these streets of yellow fog,
A human shadow.


-- Soseki, trans. Keene
.

Gabi Greve said...

Larry Bole
and here are two of my favorite haiku by Soseki:

sumire hodo chiisaki hito ni umare tashi

Into a man
as tiny as a violet
may I be reborn!

--Soseki, trans. Ueda

[no Japanese given]

The year going by:
Even the Buddha
Once was a layman.

--Soseki, trans. Sooiku Shigematsu, from "Zen Haiku: Poems and Letters of Natsume Sooseki" (Weatherhill, Inc., Inklings paperback, 1994)
.

But the Japanese version is
菫ほどな小さき人に生まれたし
sumire hodo na chiisaki hito ni umare tashi

Mein Wunsch nach Wiedergeburt:
Als Mensch so klein
wie ein Veilchen.

With a discussion here
https://www.facebook.com/groups/326285114152188/permalink/1461258660654822/
.

Gabi Greve - Darumapedia said...

Tokyo Kikuichoo 喜久井町 Kikuicho district
The Natsume family lived in this district since the Edo period.
The father of the famous author Natsume Soseki, 夏目小兵衛直克 Natsume Kohei Naokatsu named the area after the family crest
igata ni kiku (i no kiku) 井桁に菊 well pattern 井 with chrysanthemum 菊.
He choose the characters 喜久 Ki Ku instead of 菊 kiku for chrysanthemum, to express his love for literature and auspicious meanings.

Natsume Sōseki wrote about this district in his novel
. 硝子戸の中 Inside My Glass Doors in 1915.
.
夏目漱石生誕之地碑 Natsume Soseki place of birth memorial stone
.
Natsumezaka 夏目坂通り Natsume road and slope
.
Natsume Soseki Memorial Museum 漱石山房記念館
.
早稲田大学喜久井町キャンパス Waseda Daigaku Kikui Campus
.
https://edoflourishing.blogspot.com/2019/01/kikuicho-district-shinjuku.html
.