Modern Japanese Haiku: An Anthology by Makoto UedaReview by: Marian UryJournal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 98, No. 3 (Jul. - Sep., 1978), p. 291Published by: American Oriental SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/598693 .

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Brief Reviews of Books Brief Reviews of Books

The Philippines. By KEITH LIGHTFOOT. Pp. 251 + 26

photographs. New York and Washington: PRAEGER PUBLISHERS. 1973. $10.00.

The combining of historical event and process often occurs with such rapidity that it exceeds our ability at

any point in time to place these events in proper per- spective. The rapidly changing political mosaic of con-

temporary South East Asia provides a clear and emphatic case in point. This volume on the Philippines in the "Nations of the Modern World Series" attempts to

provide a kaleidoscopic view of the pattern of historical events and processes from pre-colonial to contemporary times. The Philippines, a nation in search of itself, is still however a paradox within the broader cultural and

political realm of which it is a part. The volume is divided into three rather conventional parts; the pre-colonial cultural and geographic matrix; the years of colonial

experience; and, the more recent Republican period since independence. There are some 26 photographs of a rather roto-gravure nature, 3 maps which are appended to the text, seemingly as an after-thought, and a striking- ly pedestrian two page bibliography. The three initial

chapters dealing with the geographic and pre-colonial cultural framework are indeed brief and serve at best as a rather weak vehicle for the following section outlining the colonial experience. Part Two, Western Dominance, contains ten chapters spanning the period from the initial Spanish contact in the 16th century to the emer-

gence of the Republic in 1946. Among the topics con- sidered here are the effects of Spanish catholicism, the Colonial Order, nationalism and the Katipunan, and American intervention leading to independence. The final section details the political, economic, and social currents buffeting the young Republic from independence through the first few months following the declaration of martial law in September, 1972.

This broad panoramic view of Philippine history and

protracted interaction with the West, including more recent efforts to structure their own destiny and regional image, will be of interest to those unfamiliar with the

Philippines. The book is not, however, a scholarly treatise and in all fairness to its author should not be treated as such. It is difficult nevertheless, to remain

entirely comfortable with the general lack of documenta- tion throughout the text and the very superficial bib-

liography. At times conclusions seem blatantly im-

pressionistic in marked contrast to the author's warnings to be sure of one's material if you wish to indulge in

logical conclusions. As a survey of past and contemporary

The Philippines. By KEITH LIGHTFOOT. Pp. 251 + 26

photographs. New York and Washington: PRAEGER PUBLISHERS. 1973. $10.00.

The combining of historical event and process often occurs with such rapidity that it exceeds our ability at

any point in time to place these events in proper per- spective. The rapidly changing political mosaic of con-

temporary South East Asia provides a clear and emphatic case in point. This volume on the Philippines in the "Nations of the Modern World Series" attempts to

provide a kaleidoscopic view of the pattern of historical events and processes from pre-colonial to contemporary times. The Philippines, a nation in search of itself, is still however a paradox within the broader cultural and

political realm of which it is a part. The volume is divided into three rather conventional parts; the pre-colonial cultural and geographic matrix; the years of colonial

experience; and, the more recent Republican period since independence. There are some 26 photographs of a rather roto-gravure nature, 3 maps which are appended to the text, seemingly as an after-thought, and a striking- ly pedestrian two page bibliography. The three initial

chapters dealing with the geographic and pre-colonial cultural framework are indeed brief and serve at best as a rather weak vehicle for the following section outlining the colonial experience. Part Two, Western Dominance, contains ten chapters spanning the period from the initial Spanish contact in the 16th century to the emer-

gence of the Republic in 1946. Among the topics con- sidered here are the effects of Spanish catholicism, the Colonial Order, nationalism and the Katipunan, and American intervention leading to independence. The final section details the political, economic, and social currents buffeting the young Republic from independence through the first few months following the declaration of martial law in September, 1972.

This broad panoramic view of Philippine history and

protracted interaction with the West, including more recent efforts to structure their own destiny and regional image, will be of interest to those unfamiliar with the

Philippines. The book is not, however, a scholarly treatise and in all fairness to its author should not be treated as such. It is difficult nevertheless, to remain

entirely comfortable with the general lack of documenta- tion throughout the text and the very superficial bib-

liography. At times conclusions seem blatantly im-

pressionistic in marked contrast to the author's warnings to be sure of one's material if you wish to indulge in

logical conclusions. As a survey of past and contemporary

currents in the making of the Philippines it is, however, an adequate and occasionally refreshing introduction.

JAMES HAFNER UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS

Modern Japanese Haiku: An Anthology. Translated by MAKOTO UEDA. Pp. viii + 265. Toronto and Buf- falo: UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS. 1976. $12.50 cloth; $4.50 paper.

Lovers of poetry, teachers and students of Japanese literature will welcome this volume, an anthology of twenty haiku each by twenty poets, from Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902) and his immediate disciples to Kaneko Tota (b. 1919). Both as compiler and as translator Professor Ueda has performed a very great service. Each rendering is accompanied by the original text, in both characters and romanization, and by a second, word-by-word translation. The renderings themselves are fluent and clean, devoid of any mannerism, and-a very great virtue-they follow the order of events and images of the original as closely as possible without straining English syntax. On occasion they seem to nudge the reader gently in the direction of a desired interpretation. "The spring tide: / piercing my entire body, / the whistle from a boat" (p. 159; Shunch6 ya waga soshin ni fune no fue, Yamaguchi Seishi): here one is tempted to wonder whether some of the elegance of the original may not lie in its eschewing the banal shimite to which "piercing" ordinarily corresponds (In general, it might be remarked, normal English bears ellipsis somewhat better than the translator trusts it to; the danger is that too much of it can sound self-conscious). Throughout, the book is distinguished by a commentarial restraint which one can only wish other translators of haiku, a chatty lot as a rule, would emulate. Nothing is allowed to interfere with the reader's direct experience of the poem. The individuality of the poets can be felt and understood even by readers who have no acquaintance at all with Japanese. General readers familiar with Soseki and Akutagawa through their fiction should find their verses of especial interest: if Akutagawa's bad-boy decadence was a pose, it was a thoroughgoing one. Readers who turn to haiku for unlikely and intense images-perhaps not the most authentic way to enjoy haiku but surely a valid one-will find the work of Ishida Haky6 and Kaneko T6ta particularly striking. But almost every poem in the book bears rereading, as does the succinct introduction which summarizes the poets' attitudes toward their craft.

MARIAN URY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. DAVIS

currents in the making of the Philippines it is, however, an adequate and occasionally refreshing introduction.

JAMES HAFNER UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS

Modern Japanese Haiku: An Anthology. Translated by MAKOTO UEDA. Pp. viii + 265. Toronto and Buf- falo: UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS. 1976. $12.50 cloth; $4.50 paper.

Lovers of poetry, teachers and students of Japanese literature will welcome this volume, an anthology of twenty haiku each by twenty poets, from Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902) and his immediate disciples to Kaneko Tota (b. 1919). Both as compiler and as translator Professor Ueda has performed a very great service. Each rendering is accompanied by the original text, in both characters and romanization, and by a second, word-by-word translation. The renderings themselves are fluent and clean, devoid of any mannerism, and-a very great virtue-they follow the order of events and images of the original as closely as possible without straining English syntax. On occasion they seem to nudge the reader gently in the direction of a desired interpretation. "The spring tide: / piercing my entire body, / the whistle from a boat" (p. 159; Shunch6 ya waga soshin ni fune no fue, Yamaguchi Seishi): here one is tempted to wonder whether some of the elegance of the original may not lie in its eschewing the banal shimite to which "piercing" ordinarily corresponds (In general, it might be remarked, normal English bears ellipsis somewhat better than the translator trusts it to; the danger is that too much of it can sound self-conscious). Throughout, the book is distinguished by a commentarial restraint which one can only wish other translators of haiku, a chatty lot as a rule, would emulate. Nothing is allowed to interfere with the reader's direct experience of the poem. The individuality of the poets can be felt and understood even by readers who have no acquaintance at all with Japanese. General readers familiar with Soseki and Akutagawa through their fiction should find their verses of especial interest: if Akutagawa's bad-boy decadence was a pose, it was a thoroughgoing one. Readers who turn to haiku for unlikely and intense images-perhaps not the most authentic way to enjoy haiku but surely a valid one-will find the work of Ishida Haky6 and Kaneko T6ta particularly striking. But almost every poem in the book bears rereading, as does the succinct introduction which summarizes the poets' attitudes toward their craft.

MARIAN URY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. DAVIS

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