| Revision as of 12:24, 27 February 2013 editAddbot (talk | contribs)Bots2,838,809 editsm Bot: Migrating 8 interwiki links, now provided by Wikidata on d:q1350535 (Report Errors)← Previous edit | Revision as of 06:01, 5 June 2014 edit undo216.197.139.41 (talk)No edit summaryNext edit → | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| {{Nihongo|'''''Tsurezuregusa'''''|徒然草||''Essays in Idleness'', |
{{Nihongo|'''''Tsurezuregusa'''''|徒然草||''Essays in Idleness'', also known as ''The Harvest of Leisure''}} is a collection of essays written by the Japanese monk ] between 1330 and 1332. The work is widely considered a gem of ] and one of the three representative works of the ] {{ref|1}} ], along with '']'' and the '']''. | ||
| ==Structure and Content== | ==Structure and Content== | ||
| ''Tsurezuregusa'' comprises a preface and 243 passages (段, ''dan''), varying in length from a single line to a few pages. Kenkō, being a ] monk, writes about Buddhist truths, and themes such as ] and ] prevail in the work, although it also contains passages devoted to the beauty of nature as well as some |
''Tsurezuregusa'' comprises a preface and 243 passages (段, ''dan''), varying in length from a single line to a few pages. Kenkō, being a ] monk, writes about Buddhist truths, and themes such as ] and ] prevail in the work, although it also contains passages devoted to the beauty of nature as well as some accounts of humorous incidents. The original work was not divided or numbered; the division can be traced to the 17th century. | ||
| The work takes its |
The work takes its title from its prefatory passage:<blockquote>つれづれなるまゝに、日暮らし、硯にむかひて、心にうつりゆくよしなし事を、そこはかとなく書きつくれば、あやしうこそものぐるほしけれ。<br /> | ||
| ''Tsurezurenaru mama ni, hikurashi, suzuri ni mukaite, kokoro ni utsuriyuku yoshinashigoto wo, sokowakatonaku kakitsukureba, ayashū koso monoguruoshikere.''<!-- Some things in the above transliteration might seem wrong, so here are some things to keep in mind before one "corrects" it: 1. 日暮らし was indeed read as "hikurashi" at that time, even though the modern reading is "higurashi"; 2. "ha", "hi" and "ho" are indeed read as "wa", "i" and "o" unless they begin a word; 3. The "shi" + "u" combination is indeed read as shū, according to how it is usually read when one studies classical Japanese. --></blockquote> | ''Tsurezurenaru mama ni, hikurashi, suzuri ni mukaite, kokoro ni utsuriyuku yoshinashigoto wo, sokowakatonaku kakitsukureba, ayashū koso monoguruoshikere.''<!-- Some things in the above transliteration might seem wrong, so here are some things to keep in mind before one "corrects" it: 1. 日暮らし was indeed read as "hikurashi" at that time, even though the modern reading is "higurashi"; 2. "ha", "hi" and "ho" are indeed read as "wa", "i" and "o" unless they begin a word; 3. The "shi" + "u" combination is indeed read as shū, according to how it is usually read when one studies classical Japanese. --></blockquote> | ||
| In ] translation:<blockquote>What a strange, demented feeling it gives me when I realise I have spent whole days before this inkstone, with nothing better to do, jotting down at random whatever nonsensical thoughts that have entered my head.</blockquote> | In ] translation:<blockquote>What a strange, demented feeling it gives me when I realise I have spent whole days before this inkstone, with nothing better to do, jotting down at random whatever nonsensical thoughts that have entered my head.</blockquote> | ||
| Here つれづれ (''tsurezure'') means “having nothing to do.” | |||
| For comparison, ]'s translation:<blockquote>To while away the idle hours, seated the livelong day before the inkslab, by jotting down without order or purpose whatever trifling thoughts pass through my mind, truly this is a queer and crazy thing to do!</blockquote> | For comparison, ]'s translation:<blockquote>To while away the idle hours, seated the livelong day before the inkslab, by jotting down without order or purpose whatever trifling thoughts pass through my mind, truly this is a queer and crazy thing to do!</blockquote> | ||
| ==Translations== | ==Translations== | ||
| The definitive English translation is by ] (1967). In his preface Keene states that of the six or so earlier translations into English and German, that by ] is most distinguished. It was published by the Asiatic Society of Japan in 1911 as ''The Tsuredzure Gusa of Yoshida No Kaneyoshi |
The definitive English translation is by ] (1967). In his preface Keene states that, of the six or so earlier translations into English and German, that by ] is the most distinguished. It was published by the Asiatic Society of Japan in 1911 as ''The Tsuredzure Gusa of Yoshida No Kaneyoshi: Being the Meditations of a Recluse in the 14th Century''. | ||
| ==Sources== | ==Sources== | ||
| *Chance, Linda H (1997). ''Formless in Form: Kenkō,'' Tsurezuregusa, ''and the Rhetoric of Japanese Fragmentary Prose.'' Stanford: Stanford |
*Chance, Linda H (1997). ''Formless in Form: Kenkō,'' Tsurezuregusa, '' and the Rhetoric of Japanese Fragmentary Prose.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0804730013. | ||
| *Keene, Donald (1998). ''Essays in Idleness: The'' Tsurezuregusa ''of Kenkō.'' New York: Columbia |
*Keene, Donald, tr. (1998). ''Essays in Idleness: The'' Tsurezuregusa ''of Kenkō.'' New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0231112550. | ||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
Revision as of 06:01, 5 June 2014
Tsurezuregusa (徒然草, Essays in Idleness, also known as The Harvest of Leisure) is a collection of essays written by the Japanese monk Yoshida Kenkō between 1330 and 1332. The work is widely considered a gem of medieval Japanese literature and one of the three representative works of the zuihitsu genre, along with Makura no Sōshi and the Hōjōki.
Structure and Content
Tsurezuregusa comprises a preface and 243 passages (段, dan), varying in length from a single line to a few pages. Kenkō, being a Buddhist monk, writes about Buddhist truths, and themes such as death and impermanence prevail in the work, although it also contains passages devoted to the beauty of nature as well as some accounts of humorous incidents. The original work was not divided or numbered; the division can be traced to the 17th century.
The work takes its title from its prefatory passage:
つれづれなるまゝに、日暮らし、硯にむかひて、心にうつりゆくよしなし事を、そこはかとなく書きつくれば、あやしうこそものぐるほしけれ。
Tsurezurenaru mama ni, hikurashi, suzuri ni mukaite, kokoro ni utsuriyuku yoshinashigoto wo, sokowakatonaku kakitsukureba, ayashū koso monoguruoshikere.
In Keene's translation:
What a strange, demented feeling it gives me when I realise I have spent whole days before this inkstone, with nothing better to do, jotting down at random whatever nonsensical thoughts that have entered my head.
Here つれづれ (tsurezure) means “having nothing to do.”
For comparison, Sansom's translation:
To while away the idle hours, seated the livelong day before the inkslab, by jotting down without order or purpose whatever trifling thoughts pass through my mind, truly this is a queer and crazy thing to do!
Translations
The definitive English translation is by Donald Keene (1967). In his preface Keene states that, of the six or so earlier translations into English and German, that by G. B. Sansom is the most distinguished. It was published by the Asiatic Society of Japan in 1911 as The Tsuredzure Gusa of Yoshida No Kaneyoshi: Being the Meditations of a Recluse in the 14th Century.
Sources
- Chance, Linda H (1997). Formless in Form: Kenkō, Tsurezuregusa, and the Rhetoric of Japanese Fragmentary Prose. Stanford: Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0804730013.
- Keene, Donald, tr. (1998). Essays in Idleness: The Tsurezuregusa of Kenkō. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0231112550.
External links
- The full Japanese text of Tsurezuregusa, with translation into modern Japanese
- English excerpts of Tsurezuregusa. Sansom's translation
- Scanned whole book of English translation by William N. Porter (1914)
- Reading of "Tsurezuregusa"
Footnote
- literally, “as the brush moves,” i.e., jotting down whatever comes to one's mind, usually translated “essay.”
 | This Japanese literature–related article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
 | This article about an essay or essay collection is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |