Dimitar Anakiev
NEW TOOLS: THE DIMENSION OF THE LINE
(first published in Frogpond, 2003, second edition)
It was Tohta Kaneko who first noticed that Masaoka Shiki was the first haiku poet to establish the dual structure of haiku. That is to say, who noticed that dualism is the true nature of haiku in many of its aspects: it is a popular poem easily written by anyone, and at the same time, it can be the highly artistic product; it is both national and international poem; etc.Such dualism has provided the form with an enormous dynamism, flexibility and open-endedness throughout its duration as a form.
It is interesting seeing the „three eternal dogmas“ of haiku (fixed form, kigo and kireji) eroding one by one through time, starting from the most external (form) to the most essential. That process occursin Japanese as well international haiku through the works of creative poets, editors and translators. The most recent replacement of „kigo“ by „key words“ offered high hopes for new possibilities of an universal understanding in haiku. But even after accepting such radicalisation of the basic haiku tools–like „kigo“–the sense remained that haiku remained based upon a single one, the first and the last: „the kireji“. The use of „kireji“ established the technique of juxtaposition (in fact, primitive, undeveloped metaphor), influental in other arts (like film), and become the the basic foundation of western haiku as well. Even more, it seems that „kireji“ is the main „culprit“ for another haiku dogma: the representation of haiku as a three-line poem among Westerners.
A new translation of haiku of Santoka executed by Hiroaki Sato has dome just in time to reintroduce the one-liner in a completely new and artistically successful way. Ignoring the traditional tool of „kireji“, Sato's translation open a new dimension in haiku, introducing new tool for the composition of haiku, and creating an independent, autonomous artistic language. Even though I count myself as a local expert in Santoka's work, having trnaslated ten years ago this same collection of Santoka's poems for the first time in the Balkans, „Grass and Tree Cairn“ fascinated and surprised me. Perhaps this is because the translation meet my thoughts about the autonomous and universal language of haiku, expressed in my speech at the first World Haiku Association Conference and much more concrete in another article published in „Ginyu“ (Saitama, Japan).
Let me introduce some idea of these tool of artistic language provided in English by these translation masterpieces.
In this first example, Sato counters the most basic haiku strategy, the limning of images, through a pointed verbalism–let's call it „cumulative line“:
Yuki ga furu furu yuki miteoreba
The snow falls falls as I watch the snow
The tension is created through the repetition of a single noun and single verb. The „cumulative line“ is the only poetic tool employed, quite outside any particular national tradition–that is it works equally well in different languages. It creates a kind of „magic structure“ well known from primitive poetry as well as in western expressionism.
Another strategy I would like to term „lineal syncopation“:
Houi konnani yaburate kusa no mi
My monk's robe so torn grass seeds
Syncopation is widely used in many free form haiku but is usually built through the creation of a new line. It may be a mechanical break or phasal break. But here we have very new idea, substantial break which results from liberating words from any syntactical function („grass“, „seeds“) and transforming them into pure objects. Here they cause a break in the phrase, creating their own space and a smaller break between them. In this example it is the only strategy used and is, also, independent of any haiku tradition. Syncopation is a recognized jazz technique, and seems like an ideal tool for free form haiku, particularly the one liner. It, too, works equally well in several languages.
There is yet another strategy I would like to borrow from the art of filmmaking. (Through the years of development of the art of film filmmakers have borrowed many artistic tools from haiku; perhaps the time has come to pay back the debt) This one is known as the „subjective take“. Let's take Santoka's next poem in two English translations:
Yuki e yuki furu shisukesa ni oru
Snow falls
On the snowfall
Silently
(Translated by John Stevenson)
I'm in the quietness of snow falling on snow
(Translated by Hiroaki Sato)
In translating the above poem John Stevens chooses the strategy of objective representation. It is the „mainstream“ strategy in both Japanese and US haiku, following Shiki's conception of „kyookkan byosha“ (objective description), but we know that Santoka and other poets of “jiyuritsu“ („free style“) haiku school did not follow these mainstream rules. Similarly, in the theory of shooting some filmmakers choose the strategy of „subjective take“, breaking the illusion of objective perception with a strongly pointed psychological aspect in the take. In Sato's translation the center of the expression moves from the objective to the subjective. The power of the poem is not in the building of a clear image (following T.S. Eliot's „objective correlative“); the position of the poet is not merely academic, that is, is not that of detached observer. The power is in the unity of the poet and nature. This is typical Zen point of view. In my opinion the subjective take is the most outstanding trait of Santoka's poetry.
It is interesting that the linear translation nicely points to this subjectiveness (the time aspect!) while three lines occupying the space points the image and objectivity.
Finally, I want to suggest a technique borrowed from the art of film: action cutting.
Asayake ame furu daikon makou
Morning glow rain falls I'll sow daikon
Actually this is a poem in three parts: „Morning glow“, „rain falls“ and „I'll sow daikon“ even without „kireji“ but still works as a dualistic poem: „Morning glow“ and „rain falls“ „I'll sow daikon“. The transformation into dual structure is very important. The functional link between the latter two images are edited like two takes from a film: in the art of film it is possible to link two different contents by moving an action from take to take. For example: black girl in Nigeria is moving up the hand (cut) a white boy in Russia is moving his hand to the ear–both takes are linked by the action of hand. This is „action cutting“. In haiku the role of „action“ is taken by the verbs. The energy of the verb can similarly link two (or more) elements within a poem even though they contain different contents, especially in the one-liner. This opens up possibilities for using verbs in haiku, as Santoka has freely done. „Action cutting“ is the only strategy in this haiku and again works in different languages equally well.
A careful reading of these translations of Santoka's one-liners yields much creative joy and many surprises, and demonstrates great creative potential for one-line haiku.
Formal elements can never by eternal dogma. They are changeable and adaptable to the needs of „poetic license“.
The only „eternal qualities“ of haiku are internal ones related to the spirit: „the haiku moment“ (i.e. Inspiration), and even more, poetic truth. (However form 5, 7, 5 is necessary in the definition of haiku. How much and what way the poet will respect the form as the basic artistic means of haiku depends only on him, that is. his "poetic license" which we often forget. )
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