R.H. Blyth is one of the most respected scholar in Japanese traditional poetry. I have immense respect for him, together with Makoto Ueda because of the painstaking mission they have undertaken in their own ways, to bring beautiful verses to a much larger audience in the world. What distinguishes them from the rest of the other "scholars" and translators of Japanese haiku and its poetic cousins is that they bother to place the original verses, printed or in Blyth's case typed, in Japanese hiragana no less (because computers were not used in his time), alongside their translated versions. Their personal comments/critique of each verse also contribute to a better understanding and appreciation of the works. Wanted to put a pic of the book "Senryu" on the blog but the book is so old, I can't find an image online. Not that the book has a cover design anyway. But here is a photo of Blyth himself. As I have benefited so much from their hard work, I hereby sincerely proclaim the deepest respect for REGINALD HORACE BLYTH and MAKOTO UEDA. *kowtows*
And I am still trying to hunt down the complete 4-book series of Haiku by Blyth (cheaper one of course): "Eastern Culture - Vol. 1", "Haiku Spring - Vol. 2", "Haiku Summer-Autumn - Vol. 3", "Haiku Autumn-Winter - Vol.4". And A History of Haiku (2 volumes); bloody NLB only has the first volume up to Issa's time and am dying to get hold of the second volume. If I still have money and energy and lobang, that 5-volume Zen and Zen Classics is also highly highly desirable.
Top top top on my to-read list before I die.
Post a Comment