Basho's poems reign near top of haiku genre
"Abide by rules, then throw them out!
— only then may you achieve true
freedom."
— Matsuo Basho
My column this week serves a dual
purpose. Last winter, I was enrolled in
Japanese 425, a literature course on
haiku poetry taught by Professor
Stephen Kohl. We read and discussed
Matsuo Basho's classic "Oku-no-Ho
somichi" ("The Narrow Road to the
Deep North"). Our final project was
to write a 15-20 page paper related to
Basho's poetry. I never wrote it, and
have had a glaring "I" on my winter
2002 grades ever since. So, nearly a
year later, and after numerous false
starts, I have finally begun. So part of
this goes out to Professor Kohl to say I
haven't forgotten about my paper
and, furthermore, I never stopped
reading Basho. For the rest of you, en
joy the column.
Matsuo Basho was not the first
haiku poet, but he is arguably one
of the most influential. He mas
tered the now familiar five-seven
five syllable form more than 300
years ago, which remains immense
ly predominant in Japan and is of
ten fetishistically adhered to by
American haiku writers and transla
tors of Japanese haiku.
The haiku form evolved out of a
longer, 31-syllable Japanese form
called "tanka." In Yoel Hoffmann's
compilation "Japanese Death Po
ems," he writes the following: "The
tanka poet may be likened to a person
holding two mirrors in his hands, one
reflecting a scene from nature, the
other reflecting himself as he holds
the first mirror." Hoffmann notes that
haiku poems drop the reflection of
the poet and leave only the mirror re
flecting nature.
Another important form here is
"renku," "renga" or linked verse that
would be composed by numerous
people. According to Jane Reichhold
(writings on the subject available
on the Web site http://www.ahapoet
ry.com/renga.htm), renga has an 800
year history. Other sources claim it's
more than a thousand years old. Re
gardless, Basho composed linked verse
throughout his life, and many of his
earliest poems were anthologies of
linked verse written with other poets of
his day.
Basho was born in 1644 in Ueno,
Iga Province, and was originally
Aaron Shakra
The poet’s tree
named Matsuo Munefusa. He
served in a samurai household of
his master, Yoshitada. Once Yoshi
tada died, Basho left behind his
samurai name and position. In
1672, he reappeared as an editor of
the poetry anthology "Kai Oi" ("The
Seashell Game"). In 1687, he left
for Edo (modern-day Tokyo), and
there he took a job at a waterworks
company in order to care for his
nephew, Toin. He continued estab
lishing a name for himself in haiku
contests and with collaboration of
other poets. Before long, Basho had
gained a following and disciples of
his poetics.
Although he wrote haiku, Basho's
most famous writings mix haiku and
prose in a form called "haibun." His
first of these was "Nozaraishi Kiko"
("Travelogue of Weather-Beaten
Bones"), which was composed from
a journey Basho took between 1684
and 1685.
Buddhism, Confucianism, Shinto
ism and Zen informed Basho's writ
ing. He claimed he always carried
around a copy of the Taoist writings
of Chuang Tzu. He studied Chinese
poetry and took to the works of Tu
Fu and Li Po. Sam Hamill, one of
Basho's recent translators, notes that
while Basho's earlier poems were
clearly derivative of these influences,
Basho began to come into his own as
he entered his forties. He attracted
students, who built him a small hut
on the Sumida River in 1680 or 1681
that was eventually named Basho-an
after a plantain tree was planted in its
yard. This is the name which the poet
eventually took for himself.
Note that while there are various
translations of Basho's work, not all
are equal. In Kohl's class last year, we
read from the most common and
prevalent "Narrow Road to the Deep
North and Other Travel Sketches,"
translated by Nobuyuki Yuasa
sometime in the 1960s and
so-named after Basho's most famous
haibun. Last summer, I picked up a
copy of the aforementioned Hamill's
translation of his works. The edition
of this currently in print is called
"Narrow Road to the Interior: And
Other Writings." It contains the same
haibun that Yuasa selected, plus adds
200 selected haiku with the Roman
ized Japanese translations.
While I am not familiar with the
Japanese language, in my opinion,
Hamill's translations are superior.
This is because he seems to take into
account the SOUND — ono
matopoeia, rhyme and slant rhyme
— when translating Basho's poetry
into English. However, I wouldn't
have been able to make this discern
ment had I not been able to com
pare and contrast. For those looking
for a greater selection, Professor^
Kohl maintains a Web site at
http://www.uoregon.edu/~kohl/bas
ho that contains numerous transla
tions of the poet.
For me, a few questions about the
poet still remain. In Hamill's after
ward to his translation of Basho's
work, he mentions the poet wrote
Turn to SHAKRA, page 12
Reno isn't lots of gambling fun when you're under 21
Winter break was a time of exotic
destinations for some travelers. My
roommate went to sunny Mexico. My
boyfriend and his family went to trop
ical Hawaii. I took off for (drumroll,
please) Reno, Nev. The closest 1 got to
a warm shore was when I heard my
cell phone chime its beach tune.
The billboard displayed on Reno's
"strip" reads, "The Biggest Little City in
the World." Well, it really should read,
"The Biggest Little Bore in the World."
My father, who enjoys a game or two of
keno, has been taking nongambling
Mom and I to Reno every few years.
While there we filled our time strolling
the dirty sidewalks and have since
memorized every pawn shop selling
the old watches of unlucky gamblers
among Reno's desert landscape.
Going to Reno in December 2003
left out a large chunk of activity options
for me because I turn 21 in May. 1 don't
long to bet my hard-earned money, but
walking in casinos with Dad is always
inevitable. However, I chose to avoid
the casinos this time because I always
seem to get kicked out by some grumpy
old security officer. I really wasn't in the
mood for being accused of attempting
to illegally throw away my money. You
know, being interrogated about some
thing I have no desire to do really
makes me feel left out! I didn't want to
gamble anyway. So I decided to find
fun away from the gaming rooms.
One delight in Reno that can be ac
cessed easily by bus is the Meadowood
Mall. Mom and I went during our first
day, but since it was Dec. 21 and our
wallets were already drained from
Christmas shopping, window shop
ping was our only option. We walked
and looked, and when it was time for a
hot drink to help us brave the cold out
side, we realized the mall had no
Natasha Chilingerian
Nat goes to town
espresso bar. I stood in line for 30 min
utes at Cinnabon to get a hot tea, and
when I finally ordered, the Cinnabon
boy seemed very appalled that I want
ed milk in my tea. Not so delightful.
On the second day, Mom, Dad and I
decided to bus it to Carson City, which
we heard was a "cute Western town."
When we stepped off the bus, we could
n't believe our eyes. I had imagined
streets of saddle shops, museums and
shops selling cowboy paraphernalia,
but instead, the town consisted of sev
eral blocks of stores and one casino.
The gray sky seemed to be closing in on
us. I longed for my hotel room. Never
theless, we went exploring.
"Scary Western people" would have
been a more accurate description of
Carson City. In one smoky tavern, we
spotted a woman in a puffy-sleeved
dress from the 1800s, and another in
a giant fur ensemble. The city's per
sonnel looked like the cast of "Blazing
Saddles." At first glance, Reno makes
Las Vegas look like the pinnacle of
glamour, but Carson City did the
same justice for Reno. I felt very civi
lized back in Reno, dining at a restau
rant in the bustling Eldorado hotel.
My trip ended on a pathetically hap
py note. Mom and I discovered there
was a Walgreens within walking dis
tance from our hotel, so we spent our
last morning in Reno there. It was
wonderful. There were rows of perfume
and soap, aisles of makeup and hair
products, piles of magazines and shelves
of glittering accessories. We went on a
mini shopping spree with a portion of
Dad's keno winnings, and pathetic or
not, it ieallywas the highlight of mytrip.
It's amazing how extraordinary everyday
things can look in bleak settings. After
going in gift shops full of plastic frogs
and cigarette lighters, Walgreens looked
like Saks Fifth Avenue
Reno may be a drag, but at least I
found joy at the end. One of my Wal
greens purchases was a body mist that
smells like the tropics. When I took
the first whiff, I dreamed of traveling
to a sunny destination with plenty of
beaches. Oh well, maybe next year.
Contact the Pulse reporter at
natashachilingerian@dailyemerald.com.
Her opinions do not necessarily
represent those of the Emerald.
HEINL
continued from page 8
karaokes over the songs, only occa
sionally actually playing an instru
ment or showing that he had any
thing to do with the music itself.
This might seem like an artistically
dubious thing to do, but it works. The
album is made up of the kind of 1950s
or 1960s country-western songs that
are often performed in karaoke bars.
The second half of the album consists
of a karaoke version of the first half, so
listeners can perform their own in the
privacy of their homes.
"With or Without Me" also works as
a throwback to a particular style of
country music from 30 or 40 years ago.
Right down to the font on the front cov
er of the disc, this album looks like it
could have been put out by George
Jones or Patsy Cline. I would almost
expert it to find in buried in the vinyl
rack of a St. Vincent DePaul's.
But other than being built around
an interesting concept, the album is
above all else funny. Heinl mixes a
great eye for the low points of mod
ern society with a country artist's
panache for the pathetic. Songs like
"Half Day Vacation" and "Trailer
Fever" are ballads about the lifestyle
of those with severe income defi
ciencies, while "IHOP" could be the
I
AU BOOKS.
Longer hours.
Lower prices.
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
S2S—u""’ o'*’°n
theme song for anyone who has
found themselves hungry and ine
briated at 2 a.m.
While there are few outlets for
comedic performers in the music in
dustry these days, Heinl is an artist
who deserves an audience. Let's wish
him some luck in finding one.
Contact the senior pulse reporter
at ryannyburg@dailyemerald.com.
WITH OR ?
WITHOUT ME
■
THREE-WM *.■
EMPTY
CRXlSTldSSTREE 0»
Los Angeles $175
New York $280
Frankfurt $291
London $360
Paris $415
Mexico City $349
Lima $619
Rio de Janeiro $715
Tokyo $547
Hong Kong $489
Bangkok $609
Bali $719
Sydney $984
Delhi $1029
Fares are roundtrip from Portland. Restrictions apply.
Taxes not included. Fares subject to change.
Eurailpass issued
On-The-Spot
1430 S.W. Park Ave.
niRAVELCUIS
See the world your way
Portland, OR 97201
503-274-2323
800-592-CUTS (2887)
portland@travelcuts.com
ASK US ABOUT OUR EXCLUSIVE FLEXIBLE FARES
www.travelcuts.com