Japanese pentaverse is tanka and tercet is haiku. Japanese tanks of World War II: review, photos

Japanese poetry does not have rhyme, but it does have a special rhythm that rhymes the syllables. Here a lot of attention is paid to the organization of the poem in terms of sound and rhythm.

Haiku

The first stanza (Hoku) was most often outstanding and the best of the entire rank. Over time, entire collections of such works began to appear. But the tercet was firmly established, somewhere in the second half of the 17th century. Haiku has a stable meter. But this does not mean at all that the poet could not take liberties. For example, the author Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) sometimes left this rule aside in an attempt to achieve the greatest poetic grandeur and perfection.

Tanka

Tanka is a five-line poem, which, with the passage of time, began to be divided into three lines and an additional two lines. It happened that one poet composed the first 3 lines, and the other, the rest of the work. But four centuries later, a new direction of poetry appeared, which took the name “Renga”. It arose from the tank, only in it, the stanzas continue to repeat. Renga does not have a unified theme, but most often it talks about nature, indicating the seasons.

Japanese poet Matsuo Basho

He was trained by the best masters that time. Later, when fame came to him, he himself became a teacher for many aspiring poets.

Japanese poetry

In the treasury of world literature, Japanese poetry stands apart, a unique and very interesting phenomenon. The genre of Japanese poetry is haiku (haiku), an unrhymed tercet of seventeen syllables. This has already been discussed in previous articles.
To the distinctive features haiku include: free presentation, simplicity and grace of poetic language.
Haiku originates from tanka, translated from Japanese as a short song.
Tanka is an unrhymed five-line poem that consists of 31 syllables. The first and third lines have five syllables each, the second, fourth and fifth lines have seven syllables each. In some cases, there is also a sixth line, which is a strengthened version of the fifth. The whole poem or the component verses of tanka cannot be divided into equal halves. Thangka is an ancient poetic form, the structure of which allows for the possibility of improvisation and improvement of skill. As a poetic form, tanka is conservative, but this does not at all interfere with poetic and artistic development.

Japanese poetry is figurative and symbolic, full of hints and halftones. Symbols have special meaning for the Japanese.

Japanese poems make you rise above the bustle of everyday life and think about the beauty of the world around you. Every moment of life is unique and inimitable, but in order to enjoy it, you need to be able to see the diversity and splendor that surrounds a person.

Japanese poetry developed over several centuries. In ancient Japanese chronicles, songs were found that were created in the 6th century or even earlier, during the period of the conquest of Japan by the distant ancestors of modern Japanese. In the 7th century, the birth and formation of the Japanese monarchy took place.

Poetic works dating back to the 4th-7th centuries are not characterized by contemplation, admiration for the beauty of nature, flowers, and birds. In those days, Japanese songs were distinguished by the glorification of belligerence, courage, and bravery. The ancient Japanese were fierce, tireless warriors who valued strength and courage. But in their life there were not only battles, but also festivities, at which cheerful and solemn songs were sung.

The founder of the monarchy in Japan was Emperor Jimmu-tenno (5th century BC). It is believed that it was he who created a lot of literary poetic works.

Printing in Japan dates back to the 8th century, by which time Japanese poetry had already fully developed as a genre, acquiring its own unique features that make it recognizable and memorable. Until the 19th century, Japanese poetry developed in its own way, only then did European influence begin to be felt.

Japanese literature is divided into periods depending on the location of the imperial residence. This was due to the fact that in ancient times the location of the emperor's residence changed when a new monarch took the throne.

The contender for the throne always lived far from the reigning monarch. And, accordingly, when after the death of the emperor power passed to the heir, the location of the ruler’s residence changed.

Only in 710 was the capital established in Nara, after which the residences of the monarchs remained in the same place. However, after some time it became clear that the location of the capital was not very convenient from a political point of view, and the imperial residence was moved to Nagaoka, where it remained until 794, then to Kyoto.

The name of the Nara period of Japanese literature is associated with the name of the first capital. This is the 8th century, characterized by the intensive development of art and literature. Main literary monument this time is considered historical record Kojiki, which contains information about events of the distant past, myths about the beginning of Japanese history, and the origin of emperors.

Compared to ancient Japanese songs, in the poetry of the Nara period there is no longer such a simple-minded expression of feelings, cheerfulness, naivety and lightness. This poetry has an elegiac mood. The suffering of unrequited love and the quiet joys of human life are sung. The works are permeated with homesickness and sadness. The beauty of nature, which is conveyed with particular subtlety and sophistication, is of great importance. Contemplation becomes obvious. The authors of the poems seem to observe life around them, the world around them, without being participants in the events taking place around them. The motive of contemplation and detachment is characteristic of Buddhism. Therefore, throughout history, such motifs have been of paramount importance in Japanese poetry. The form of literary works of the Nara period is very unusual. There were only short poems, but no long poems or prose works. The brevity and laconism of the poetic form, of course, limits the poet and does not give him the opportunity to fully express his imagination. But at the same time, precisely in this short form the author gets the opportunity to express his feelings and moods as concisely and succinctly as possible, to show the beauty of the world around him.

At the beginning of the 9th century, a large anthology, Manyoshu, or Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves, was compiled. It contains examples of poetry from the Nara period. The anthology includes about 5,000 poetic works that were created over a period of 130 years, from the end of the 7th century to the 9th century.
This is how the poet Funya no Arisue, whose poems are included in the later collection “Kokin Wakwsyu”, figuratively put it,
on the creation of Manyoshu:

997 Compiled and presented to the Sovereign during the reign of Jogan in response to his question “When was the anthology “Collection of Myriad Leaves” compiled?
Those leaves, Lord,
from the ever-memorable oaks of Nara
flew around a long time ago
under the cold autumn rain,
turning into the words of the songs...
Funya no Arisue

In 794, the imperial residence was moved from Nara to Kyoto. In those days the city was called Heianju, therefore the second period of Japanese literature is called Heian, after the name of the capital of the empire.

Heian the period lasted from 800 to 1186. This is the flowering of Japanese poetry. At this time, female creativity predominated. The main works were created by representatives of the fair sex.
Samples of poetry from the Heian period are included in the collection Kokin Wakashu (Kokinshu), or Collection of Old and New Songs of Yamato. The collection was compiled by order of Emperor Daigo in 905 and published in 922. The collection includes about 1,100 poems on various topics. The Izbornik contains samples of Japanese poetry from the 9th - early 10th centuries. The works were written on various topics: nature and seasons, songs of wanderings and separation, love lyrics, etc. The famous Japanese philologist Kamo Mabuchi (1697-1769) wrote: “By the way the songs of Yamato are, one can judge how the times from ancient times to the present day."
The themes of poems at this time were regulated. Again I give an example from Kokin Wakashu:

1002 List of poetic themes in the form " long song", presented to the Emperor along with a collection of ancient songs

Since the Age of Terrible Gods

a series of generations stretched on

like kneelings in a bamboo grove,

and at all times

composed sad songs,

becoming like the soul

in a confused, torn haze,

what floats in the spring

over the wooded steep Otowa,

where is the cuckoo at night

tirelessly calls sadly,

calling in the mountains

distant ringing echo,

and through the sowing rain

her mournful song sounds.

And at all times

called Chinese brocade

that crimson pattern

that Tatsuta painted the slopes

on the days of the tenth moon,

in rainy, gloomy times.

Winter garden in the snow

people still admire

and with a heavy soul

remember that old age is approaching.

They regret

that time is running fast,

and rush to wish

countless years to the Emperor,

so that his mercy

truly lasted forever.

Flame of passionate love

eats hearts insatiably -

like dry grass

fire devours on the field

near Mount Fuji,

that rises in the lands of Suruga.

Flowing like a stormy river

separation, joyless tears,

but the hearts are united

shoots of flowering wisteria.

Myriads of words

like countless herbs,

I've been collecting for a long time

wrote scroll after scroll -

like a diligent fisherman,

what's in the sea off the coast of Ise

extracts from the bottom

more and more pearls,

but also now

my poor mind can't accommodate

all meaning and meaning

priceless treasures obtained.

I'll celebrate the New Year

under the shadow of the palace palaces,

where did you spend so many moons?

in his selfless service.

Heeding the dictates of the soul,

Obedient to the sovereign's will,

I don't look anymore

on the walls of your home,

where from the cracks long ago

the grass of Waiting has broken through,

where from the spring rains

the mats have long been damp...

(Ki no Tsurayuki)
"Japanese Poems about Mount Fuji":

The poetic works included in the anthology "Man'yoshu" and "Kokin Wakashu" are noticeably different. The poems included in the collection "Man'yoshu" are simpler, more sincere, and the strength and intensity of feelings are felt in them. And the poetry of “Kokin Wakashu” is distinguished by subtle shades of feelings and moods, riddles of halftones and hints. There is an invisibly present mood of some universal sadness, melancholy and sadness. The line between the obvious and the illusory is erased, dream and reality merge into one. During the Heian period, not only poetic but also prosaic works were created.

After the heyday came the decline of Japanese literature. This was due to the fact that the political system had changed. The imperial government contributed in every possible way to the development of art and literature. But when the military class - the shoguns - came to power, the role of the imperial residence was no longer so significant.

Big Buddha in Kamakura. 1252
Kamakura was founded in 1192 and served as a stronghold of samurai power, while also being a temple city.

At the end of the 12th century, the shogunate was established in Kamakura by shogun Ioritomo. This marked the beginning of a new period of Japanese literature - the Kamakura period, which lasted from 1186 to 1332.

The country was first ruled by the Ioritomo family, then by the Hojo family
Download Hyakuin isshu translation by Sanovich.

Hyakunin Isshu Sanovich.docx
One Hundred Poems of One Hundred Poets (Collection of classical Japanese tanka, compiled in 1235 by Fujiwara no Teika)
During the era of the shogunate, the position of Buddhism was strengthened in the country, and many new Buddhist monasteries appeared. Science was concentrated among the monks. Literature becomes more rude and militant. Now there are practically no women among poets and writers. Poetic and prose works became out of favor. The main literary works in the Kamakur period were memoirs and historical works. However, the poems did not disappear, but became somewhat different. During this period, in 1205, the anthology “Shinkokinshu”, “A New Collection of Old and New Songs of Yamato”, was compiled. The compiler of the collection was a descendant of a noble family Fujiwara no Teika (Sadaie, 1162-1241), talented poet and writer.

Anthologies create an atmosphere of longing and sadness for the irretrievably gone. The mystery and enigma of existence acquire a special meaning and becomes the main motive of the introductions. After 30 years, Fujiwara no Teika collected an anthology "One Hundred Poems of One Hundred Poets". This collection is unique. There is no strict division of works into canonical themes. Teika arranged the names so that the history of the tank could be observed from them.

Next comes the Namboku-tsio period, which lasted from 1332 to 1392. This is the period of the “southern and northern courts.” This name arose because power belonged to two emperors. One was in Kyoto as a protege of the shoguns, the residence of the other emperor was in the province of Yamato.
At this time, Nijo Yoshimoto (1320-1388), real name Fujiwara Yoshimoto, lived and worked. Nijo Yoshimoto's literary activity covered various aspects: he performed at poetry tournaments, created works in the genres of kyoku and waka, and opened his own tanka school - Nijoha.
However, most of all his name is associated with renga. Together with his teacher Gusai, he compiled the anthology “Tsukubashu”, which included 2170 works in the renga genre.
The next period was Muromatsi, which lasted from 1392 to 1603. The name is associated with a city in the province of Kyoto, where a new dynasty of shoguns developed. During these two periods, the development of Japanese literature practically stopped. Other values ​​dominated in society; culture and art were not of particular importance.

After the Muromatsi period, the Edo era began, lasting from 1603 to 1867. At this time of solid formation feudal system, literature is no longer the privilege of high society, it is also aimed at the common people. That is why literary works lose special sophistication and sophistication. The grace of words and expressions fades into the background. Low literary genres appear.
In 1869, the power of the shoguns fell, the imperial residence was moved from Kyoto to Tokyo.
An absolute monarchy was established in the country. The newest period of Japanese literature began, which was called Tokyo. Since that time, European ideas have had a significant influence on the development of Japanese literature. Poetry has undergone changes: there are tendencies to deviate from the tank form, new types of poetry are emerging, in which European trends are felt.

Let's talk about some Japanese poets.

Kakinomoto no Hitomaro considered the first great Japanese poet.

Mibu no Tadamine writes about Hitomaro:
Oh, how happy is our rock,

that once upon a time, in ancient years,

nice Hitomaro

stayed within Yamato.

Although he was unknown,

but the art of Japanese song

he lifted up to heaven

and left a memory for descendants. (Kokinivakashu)

His role in the development of national Japanese poetry was very great. Very little is known about the poet’s life. He served in the courts of Emperors Jito and Mommu, but did not hold important or significant positions. But the poet traveled a lot around home country. Hitomaro's poetic works became the basis further development Japanese poetry. His works were included in the Manyoshu anthology. The anthology also includes several hundred works of folk and literary poetry, collected and recorded by him.

Kahinomoto no Hitomaro.

‎Like a pheasant's tail,
the night time is long.
‎Alas, how long
languish while falling asleep
on a lonely bed!

Another famous poet, Yamabe no Akahito, lived in the first half of the 8th century. He served at the emperor's court, but did not hold important positions. There is no more detailed information about him. But Akahito's lyrical creations have survived centuries. Yamabe no Akahito strives to merge with nature. His works are extremely harmonious, sophisticated and beautiful. Yamabe No Akahito, like Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, is considered one of the most famous Japanese poets.

From “Songs of a Hundred Poets” (Hyakunin isshu

Yamabe no Akahito

I'm going home
leaving the shore of Tago,
and what do I see?
Already the top of Fuji
shrouded in shining snow!
lane "Etc. B." - Nikolai Nikolaevich Bakhtin (Novich)

I wanted white flowers in the garden for you
show.
But it started snowing. Can't tell where
snow and where are the flowers!
From the collection "Man'yoshu"
Translation by A. Brandt,

When to the islands

I had a chance to land

How I envied the ships from Kumanu,

Sailing to Yamato!

The winds just blew

Afraid that the waves will rise,

Under protection

Narrow little bay of Tsuta

We decided to take refuge...

These are worthy knights

They went on a bright hunt,

And the ladies of the court

The hems of purple clothes are dragging...

Oh crystal shallows

I went to the spring field to pick flowers,

I wanted to collect fragrant violets there,

Seemed so dear to my heart,

That I spent the whole night there among the flowers until dawn!

Whenever, decorating more than one spring,
the cherries stood in summer, all in bloom -
If only we would value their beauty less
From the collection "Man'yoshu"
lane A. Brandt

Abe no Nakamaro(698-770), a talented writer and poet, was of noble birth. At the age of 19 he was sent to China to study, and for some time he served in China at the court of Emperor Xuanzong. He did not return to his homeland. According to Chinese legend, he died at sea, as indicated by the following passage in one poem by the Chinese poet Litype: “The brilliant moon (i.e. Nakamaro) did not return home, but plunged into the green sea.” Abe no Nakamaro wrote poetry in Chinese and Japanese. Some of his poetic works were included in the Kokin Wakashu anthology.

The separation will soon end...
‎The soul already sees brilliant
the roofs of Kasuga, and the house on the native side,
and every leaf on the trees and in the meadow
flowers, and distant forest contours in silver
in the new light of the moon.
lane A. Brandt

“Hyakunin isshu” 7.
‎Under the distant sky
I think it's sad
looking at the month:
is this month burning?
and over Mount Mikasa?
Per. Nikolai Nikolaevich Bakhtin (Novich)
‎According to the Japanese, this poem is one of the most beautiful poems in the entire collection

Tsurayuki (c. 868-945 or 946) - a talented writer, poet and prose writer, a descendant of an old family. He had a significant influence on the development of Japanese literature. In 905, by order of the ruler Daigo, Tsurayuki headed a committee of the most famous poets that time. Their works were included in the Kokinshu anthology. In the preface to the anthology, Tsurayuki spoke about the origin and essence of Japanese poetry, as well as its role in the life of the Japanese: “Without any effort, it moves the hearts of the deities of earth and heaven, it evokes compassion even among the spirits of dead creatures invisible to the naked eye...”. Tsurayuki was the founder of the literary diary genre. He is also considered a great master of impromptu. His poems are expressive and laconic.

Otomo no Yakamochi(c. 716-785) - great Japanese poet, descendant of an ancient and powerful military family. He is a classic of Japanese poetry, one of the five canonical poets of the eighth century. Yakamochi, the son of Otomo Tachibo, was a samurai from a famous family and held high positions at the imperial court.
Yakomoti was an amazingly harmonious person, and this universal harmony is clearly felt when reading his poems. The poet's life was full of hardships and suffering. He happened to hold high positions, but he did not escape disgrace and exile. Otomo Yakamochi was undividedly devoted to his ruler, but the poet was slandered, suspecting him of participating in a conspiracy. Only many years later the suspicion against him was lifted.

Like wild geese, in a free sequence
They rush screaming above the clouds,
You were far away...
To meet you
How long I wandered before I arrived!

From songs to my beloved,
sent with orange flowers

The oranges that bloom before me
Near the house, among many branches,
As I would like
At night with a clear moon
Show it to your beloved!

Is it possible that when you come to your favorite threshold,
Without seeing you
Leave your home again
Having gone through with pain and difficulty
Such a long journey!

When, raising your gaze to the high heavens,
I see this month is young, -
A curved eyebrow rises in front of me
The one with whom only once
I had to meet!

Always before dawn - you just need to listen -
Sometimes in autumn
As soon as the day dawns,
Here, shaking the outstretched mountains,
A deer weeps bitterly alone.

As soon as evening comes,
I open the door to my house
And I'm waiting for my beloved,
What she told me in my dreams:
“I’ll come to you on a date!”

Folded at sight
Carnation flowers at the doorstep of the house

Here is a carnation blooming in my garden,
What did my darling plant?
Telling me:
"When autumn comes,
While admiring her, remember me!”

One hundred ranks of courtiers,
There are many court servants,
But among them one is my beloved,
She who rules my heart undividedly,
The one that is constantly on my mind!

My merciless darling
I completely forgot about pity for me!
When I think -
After all, to what limits
You have dried up a man's heart!

In the shower
I always keep my love for you.
But it’s not our destiny to meet you,
I am full of grief and melancholy!
I just admire you from afar...

Neither day nor night
I don't discriminate
I miss you
My soul is full,
Perhaps you saw me in a dream?

That person
Which, apparently, knows no mercy,
I love with unrequited love...
And from this love
So sad in my heart...

Into thousands of small pieces
My heart broke,
So much
I love you.
Don't you really know about this?

Why should I live like this?
How I live
Why languish in sadness without you,
I would like to turn into a tree, into a rock,
So as not to yearn for anything!

Countries where there are no people at all,
Is there really no such country in the world?
To go there
With my beloved
And alone with her, forget these sufferings!

Oh these meetings
Only in dreams with you, -
How hard this is for my heart...
You wake up - you look, you think - you are here.
And you see - you are not with me...

In this mortal world, where I lived for a long time,
I have never seen such beauty...
I can't find the words -
So interesting
A small bag embroidered by you.

When I was leaving home
Early in the morning,
My lovely
I was full of sadness
And the sad image still stands before me...

And even in lies
There is always some truth!
And, that’s right, you, my beloved,
Not really loving me
Perhaps you still love a little?

Only because there are many human eyes,
We are not dating you.
But even in my heart, I won’t hide
I have no thoughts
Forget you!

I untied my cord in hope
Anything in a dream
See you soon
But, apparently, you don’t dream of meeting,
That's why I don't even see you in my dreams.

And the year before last,
And the past year
And I still love this year!
But my dear maiden
Still hard for me to meet!

Like the white dew that sparkled and lay down
On the grass near my house,
That's how life is
Short-lived like dew
But I don’t feel sorry for her, since there is no happiness with you!

piled up in grief a month later,
when the autumn wind began to blow

Although I know that this world is not eternal,
Where do mortals live?
And yet because
That the autumn wind now breathes cold,
I remembered her with longing!

Cry for a beloved

If I knew where that path lies,
By which you will leave me,
I'm in advance
I would erect outposts,
Just to keep you!

translation by A. Gluskina
From Manyoshu
Poetry anthologies
VOLUME 2

BOOK EIGHT
DIFFERENT SONGS OF SPRING
translation by A. Gluskina
1477
Otomo Yakamochi's song about the cuckoo
The unohana flower has not yet bloomed,
But the cuckoo has arrived
On the mountain slopes of Sakha I sang sonorous songs.
1478
Otomo Yakamochi's song about oranges
Flowers of beautiful oranges
At my house...
When finally
Those delicate flowers will turn into fruits here,
So that I can string them with pearls on a thread?
1479
Otomo Yakamochi's song about evening cicadas
I was locked up all the time
And the poor heart became sad.
Trying to console myself, I left the house,
I listened, and behold, ringing cicadas!
1480–1481
1483
Hanezu Flower Song composed by Otomo Yakamochi
Flowers, lovely hanezu, whose seeds I sowed in the summer, Will it be possible that when a torrent of rain pours from the sky, they will lose their shine and instantly wither?
1486–1487
Two songs in which Otomo Yakamochi reproaches the cuckoo for being late in singing
1486
On the orange trees near my house
The flowers will bloom, but the song will not be heard.
Cuckoo! Really without songs, in silence,
Will flowers fall to the ground here?
1487
Cuckoo, you don’t care much about me,
-Oh, still, when in the shadow of the branches
It’s already quite dark because of the fresh leaves
, Tell me, why don’t you come to sing?
1488
A song in which Otomo Yakamochi enjoys the sound of a cuckoo
Perhaps I sang somewhere before
The cuckoo has just arrived.
But here, in my village, near the house,
-Oh, here she sings for the first time today!
1489
A song in which Otomo Yakamochi regrets the orange blossoms
Oh, blossoming orange flowers
At my house they have completely fallen...
They have now become fruits,
-You can string them on a thread like pearls!

1490
Song of the Cuckoo composed by Otomo Yakamochi
I wait in vain for the cuckoo
She doesn't fly, she doesn't sing.
Is it because the day is still far away?
When I'm a beautiful iris pearl
Can I string it on a thread?

Yamanoe Okura(665-733 or 660-733) - Japanese poet - wrote poetry in Japanese and Chinese. He held minor positions at court. In 726, Yamanoe Okura became governor of Chikuzen Province.

OCR Bychkov M.N.

YAMANOE OKURA

A song composed in thoughts of children

Shall I taste melon?
Will you remember me
Shall I taste chestnuts?
I strive for you doubly.
Where did you come from?
So annoying?
Everything is spinning before your eyes,
You are standing in front of me!
Just worries
You fill my chest,
Because of you I have a restful sleep
I can not sleep!

Kaeshi-uta

Why do we need silver?
Gold, these stones?
Everything is insignificant.
All treasures
Children are dearer to the heart!

A poem of regret about the transience of life

How fragile this world is,
There is no hope for people in it!
Just like they float
Years, months and days
Following each other
Everything is changing around
Taking on different looks.
Lots of things
Fill this life
And they crowd together as they run,
To rush forward again.

We'll start with women.
What is a woman accustomed to? —
Pearls are expensive
To wear from foreign lands,
Admire him
White woven sleeve
Wave back to a friend
Or a scarlet train -
Dresses with red hem,
—
walking, dragging
And with my friend,
Holding hands
Play -
Here it is a joyful dawn
Life strength!
But that heyday
You can't hold it. —
All will pass:
On a strand of hair,
Black shells,
Soon the frost will fall,
And for freshness
Scarlet cheeks
will fall quickly
A network of wrinkles.

Now let's take the men.
What are knights used to?
Glorious Sword of War
Tie tightly to the hip,
Take it firmly in your hands
Arrows of happiness
Saddle
Your horse
And, showing off like that in the saddle,
Driving around having fun.

The world we live in
Is it durable?
Where maidens sleep sweetly,
The knights, dismounting from their horses,
The doors will open
And they will come closer
And jasper hands
They touch just a little - and immediately,
Hugging young maidens
Hands will intertwine in an instant
And in my arms
Until dawn
They will sleep together.
But look!
No these nights:
Now with a staff in his hands,
Hunched over
They wander
And now they
Despised by people
And now they
Hated by people.
This is how the world ends here
Sparkling jasper
Young life
I'm sorry for you -
But you are powerless.

Kaeshi-uta

Ah, impregnable, eternal,
like a rock
I wish I could be in this life!
But everything is in vain:
This is how life is
That we are unable to stop her from running!

Poor People's Dialogue

When at night
It's raining
And the wind howls
When at night
Rain
And wet snow -
How hopeless
To the poor people in the world,
I'm so cold
In your own shack!
To keep warm
Cloudy sake
I'm pulling myself in
I'm chewing
Lumps of salt
I'm snoring
I cough until it hurts
I blow my nose and wheeze...
How cold I am!
But how proud I am
In these moments,
I stroke my beard:
“Eh!
No, there won't be any
No one in the world
Equal to me -
I’m different from everyone else!”
I'm proud but I'm cold
canvas blanket
I'm trying
Cover your head.
All linen
I put on rags
I'm piling up rags
A mountain upon yourself, -
But how much
I can’t keep myself warm,
Like these nights

I'm chilling!
But I think:
“And who is poorer than me,
Togo's father and mother
They don't sleep in sadness and hunger
And they freeze that night
Even stronger...
Now he hears crying
Wives, children:
They pray for food -
And in these moments
It must be harder for him than for me.
Tell me, how do you still live in the world?”
Earth and sky
Wide open spaces
And for me
They are always tight
Everyone's sun and moon
They shine indiscriminately
And only for me
Their light cannot be seen.
Tell me,
Is everyone in the world so unhappy?
Or am I alone
Am I suffering needlessly?
I compare myself with people -
Same as everyone else:
I love my simple work,
Digging in the field
But the dresses are warm
I don’t have it for winter,
Clothes are torn
Similar to sea grass
in rags
She hangs from her shoulders
Only in shreds
I cover my body
In a crooked shack
There's nowhere to even lie down
On the bare floor
I lay down one straw.
At my headboard
Father and mother,
Wife and kids
Huddle near your feet,
And everyone is in tears
From grief and need.
Can't see anymore
Smoke in the hearth,
In the cauldron for a long time
A cobweb hung
We forgot to think about food
And every day -
The same hunger...
It's hard for us
And we moan forever,
Like the Nuedori birds,
Loud moan...
No wonder they say:
Where it’s thin it breaks,
Where in short -
They'll also cut the edge!
And now I hear
Voice behind the wall -
That's the headman
Came to collect rent...
I hear him screaming
Calls me…
We suffer so much
Despised by people.
Isn't it hopeless?
Tell me yourself
The road of life
In this bitter world?

Kaeshi-uta

My path on earth is sad,
In tears and grief I wander around the world,
What to do?
I can't fly away
I am not a bird, alas, and I have no wings.

A song composed about how in old age
overcome by illness, and years pass in suffering
and thoughts about children

This life short term,
That only flashes like jasper,
How I would like to live
Quiet and calm to me
How I would like to live
I have no grief or trouble.
But in the fragile world here
Everything is bitter and sad
And it’s especially hard
Our share, if suddenly,
How in people say, —
Into a wound that already hurts,
Add hot salt;
Or on a heavy pack
Poor horse again
And they will add the load again.
So in my weakening body
Still in old age
Suddenly an illness appeared.
I spend my days in misery
And I sigh at night.
Long years in a row
Only spending time in illness,
I cry ceaselessly
Cursing your lot.
I only think about one thing:
How to die quickly
But I don't know how I can
I will leave this world.
Am I going to abandon my children?
What noise is there around me?
Like flies on a May day?
It's worth looking at them -
And the soul burns with fire.
In bitter thoughts and longing
I'm just crying out loud!

Kaeshi-uta

Now my heart
There is nothing to console yourself with!
Like a bird that screams
Hiding in the clouds
I'm just crying out loud!

Without hope day after day
I live only in agony
And I want to leave the world.
But those thoughts are in vain:
Children block the way.

The rich man's child has many dresses,
He will never wear them out,
In the chests of the rich
Good rots
Precious silk is disappearing!

But the poor man doesn’t have a simple dress,
Sometimes he doesn’t even have anything to wear.
This is how we live
And you only grieve
Can't change anything!

Like foam on the water
Life is instant and fragile,
And I live only by praying:
Oh, if only she were
Long, strong, like a rope!

Pearls or simple fabric -
My mortal body
Nothing is worth it here...
But how I dream
I wish I could live a thousand years!

Yamanoe Okura's song about love for Furuhi's son

There are seven kinds of treasures
Precious on earth (46),
But why do I need wealth?
Once we had a son -
Furuhi like himself
Precious pearls!
In the morning, at dawn,
At an hour when you can still see
predawn star,
Covered in soft fabric
On your bed
He sat, then stood up,
And it happened, together with him
I always had fun.
And only evening came
And far away, in heaven,
The stars appeared again
He took me by the hands,
He said: “Let’s go to bed,
Dad, mom shouldn't
Leave your son!
I’ll lie down in the middle with you!” —
He caressed, saying,
And it seemed to blossom
Herbs of happiness (47) for me!
I thought then, admiring:
“Time is running out, you’ll grow up,
Will there be joy or will there be trouble?
We’ll meet them with you!”
How big ship,
We trusted him
But then it blew unexpectedly
The wind is evil from the side,
Our little one is sick,
We didn’t know what to do.
White cloth sling
We put on ourselves
And, crystal clear
Mirror in hand holding,
We prayed to the gods of heaven,
Turning my eyes to the sky,
We prayed to the gods of the earth,
Heads bowed low.
“Whether he will be alive or not,”
Everything depends on the gods,”
I thought with all my soul
I was ready to pray to them.
And in despair and grief
I conjured the gods, prayed,
But it was in vain - soon
We lost you...
Gradually became
Your face is becoming more and more transparent,
Every morning, every morning
The tongue became weaker and weaker.
And sparkled like jasper,
Life was interrupted forever...
And I jumped up like crazy
I screamed in grief!
Then I rolled on the ground,
I was looking at the heavens,
Then in despair and grief
I hit myself in the chest.
After all, the child that I cherished
It flew away and cannot be returned!
Here it is, this mortal life
Bitter and difficult path!

Kaeshi-uta

Because he is still very young (48),
He won't know where to go,
I will bring you rich gifts,
From underground kingdoms stern messenger, -
Take him on your back and carry him!

Offering gifts
I will pray to you
Don't deceive me my child,
Lead the little one on the straight path,
Show me where the way to heaven is! (49)

Spring will come
And they are the first to bloom at my house
Fragrant plum flowers...
Is it really all alone, admiring them,
Will I spend my spring days?

Yamanoe Okura's songs composed at the farewell
feast in honor of Tabito (50)

If only I could soar in the clouds,
Like birds flying in this sky,
Oh, if only wings for me,
To see off a friend
To the distant shores of my capital!..

Here people close to you say goodbye,
Full of sadness and despondency,
But as soon as the horse gets there
To Tatsuta Mountain,
You'll probably forget about them!

Yamanoe Okura's song sent by him to Otomo
Tabito

If mercy and glory are now to you (51),
You will warm me up somehow.
When spring comes,
To our capital Nara
Don't forget to call me to your place.

Yamanoe Okura's song, folded in anguish
around the homeland while in China

So, friends, hurry to the country of Yamato,
To where the pine trees wait on the shore!
In Mitsu Bay,
Where I once lived
They probably cherish our memory!

Song composed by Yamanoe Okura when he was
seriously ill

I was born a brave husband.
Is it the end of the short journey?
Without glory
What could I say from mouth to mouth?
Go from year to year, from century to century?

Princess Nukada (8th century) - famous Japanese poetess, beloved of Prince Oama, who later became Emperor Tenmu (reign 67 3-687), and wife of the prince's elder brother, Emperor Tenchi. She wrote poems about human feelings, suffering, love and jealousy.

From: “Collection. Japanese poetry" North-West, St. Petersburg, 2000
OCR Bychkov M.N.

I keep thinking about temporary shelter (27)
In the capital Uji (28),
About the nights of yore
Under a roof covered with wonderful grass,
What was cut on the golden fields...

To Nigitatsu at the hour when we set off (29)
The ships were about to sail
And we waited for the moon
The tide has come...
Now I want us to set sail!

Empress [Saimei]'s travels to the hottest
sources in Key Province

To the night moon
I raised my gaze and asked:
"My dear
Hit the road
Oh, when will we meet again? (thirty)

The song with which Princess Nukada answered when the Emperor commanded the minister
court Fujiwara [Kamatari] to arrange a debate about which is better - charm
many flowers in the spring mountains or the colors of a thousand leaves among the autumn
mountains

Everything falls asleep in winter (31).
And when spring is coming,
The birds that were previously silent
They start singing their songs.
Flowers that were invisible
They're starting to bloom everywhere
But it is impossible to rip them off:
This is how shrubs grew in the mountains.
If you tear it off, you can’t admire it:
Such tall grasses.
But in the fall - everything is different:
Look at the clumps of trees,
You will see scarlet maples
You pick off the leaves, admiring them.
And in spring there are green leaves,
Having regrets, you will leave it on the branch.
Here it is - the beauty of autumn!
I love autumn mountains!

Song composed by Princess Nukada during
her departure to Omi province (32)

Holy sweet wine
What do people offer to the gods...
Mountains Miwa!
Keeping your eyes on the top.
I will walk, admiring
As long as the roads
Piling up piles of convolutions,
They will still allow me to see you,
Until they hide
From the eyes of you, Mount Nara
In the marvelous greenery of the trees.
Oh, how often
Oh how often
I'll look back
To admire you!
And is it really in these moments,
Having no heart at all,
Clouds can hide you
From my eyes forever?

Kaeshi-uta

Mountains Miwa!
Are you really going to hide forever?
Oh, whenever in this sky
The clouds had a heart
Would they hide you from view?

The song composed by Princess Nukada when
Emperor [Tenji] hunted in the fields of Kamo

I walk through fields of tender murasaki,
Hiding the purple in the roots
I walk through forbidden fields,
And maybe the guards noticed
How do you wave your sleeve to me (33)?

Song of Prince Yuge (34) sent to the princess
Nukada when he arrived at Dogmeat's palace

Isn't that the bird that yearns for the past?
Yuzuruha (35) just glances at the eternal greenery
And over the well
Where flowers bloom
Flying by with a sad cry!

Song of Princess Nukada, folded in response (36)

That bird that yearns for the past -
It's a poor cuckoo!
I'm afraid she was the one crying
Just like me
Why I miss the past...

Princess Nukada's song composed in response
to Prince [Yuge], when he sent her from Dogmeat
a branch of an old pine tree he plucked

O branch plucked from the pearl pine (37)
In the beautiful Dogmeat,
How dear you are to me!
You always bring with you
Greetings from my dear friend!

by Emperor Tenji

When I was waiting for my friend (38),
Full of love
In these moments
At the entrance to my house I trembled slightly
bamboo curtain -
The wind blows…

Song of Princess Nukada, folded in anguish
by Ishikawa

You, beloved, who always appeared
To the Kasuga Valley,
Walking the mountain road without fear, -
I don’t see now -
All these days I live without you..

From: “Collection. Japanese poetry" North-West, St. Petersburg, 2000
OCR Bychkov M.N.

Tanka, is essentially a short song, a trendsetter in the Japanese poetic genre. According to tradition, tanka comes from folk ritual and calendar poetry. The Tanka shifted the long verses called nagauta. The most common theme of medieval Japanese poetry was the seasons. The tanka also reflected all 4 seasons. Often, people’s economic affairs were closely connected with the seasons. Hence another theme - everyday life and the simple life of people. The peculiarity of the tank was the fleeting nature of the mood; they are full of understatements and verbal play. You need to read the tanka with a melody in your voice, slowly and with feeling.

Tank structure

The structure of the tank is simple. It is divided into two stanzas: a tercist and a couplet. The tank has no rhyme, but this does not prevent it from being melodious and lyrical. It is very interesting that the tanka has its own constant scheme: the first tercet represents some image, most often natural, and the couplet reveals it, a person’s perception of this image, attitude towards it, thoughts, feelings in relation to this image. It often happened that one poet wrote the beginning of the tank, and the continuation was already written by another person. Gradually, poems emerged that became known as renga, which denoted the stringing of stanzas and the formation of chains of verses.

For example, Tanka Fujiwara no Sadaie

The sky was snowing

Exhausted on the road

Wild geese.

And then they fly away... On their wings

Spring rain is falling.

Sarumaru-give

Deep in the mountains

Tramples red maple leaf

Moaning Deer

I hear him crying...in me

All the autumn sadness.

Ishikawa Takuboku

On the north shore

Where is the wind, breathing the surf,

Flies over a range of mountains,

Are you blooming as before?

Rosehip, this year?

About haiku

Haiku, or haiku, probably the most popular genre Japanese poetry all over the world. This genre originated in the 14th century. But haiku became an independent genre only in the 16th century. In general, haiku originally meant the first stanza of renga, or the first stanza of tanka. The term haiku is the author's, it was proposed by Japanese master, poet and critic Masaoka Shiki only in the 19th century. The role of haiku is difficult to overestimate, because haiku was aimed at democratizing Japanese poetry. Haiku at that time was a new trend in poetry, but even then it freed everything from canons and rules. It was a real revolution in the field of posing. The haiku school attracted educated people from among the intelligentsia into its ranks, and there was, as it were, a “descent” of poetry to the masses.

By the way

Haiku grew from simple peasant entertainment into court poetry. At the court of every Chinese and Japanese emperor there was a poet who composed haiku. Often such poets came from ordinary families, but their skill in writing haiku was excellent and the emperor granted them wealth and titles.

The main themes of haiku were court intrigue, nature, love and passion.

Haiku structure

If we compare haiku with tanka, then tanka reveals more of the essence, but in haiku there is more emotionality: all the shades and colors of feelings, emotions, thoughts and experiences. Haiku grew out of a tank. Haiku is a lyric poem. The main themes of haiku, like tanka, are the themes of nature, the harmony of man with nature, and the depiction of human life against the backdrop of the cycle of the seasons.

Haiku has a stable meter and a peculiar lyricism. The poet's skill is expressed in the ability to say a lot in three lines.

Haiku consists of 17 syllables arranged in a specific order. Regular pattern: 5-7-5. Haiku is a tercet, so it is written, according to the rules, in three lines. These limitations make writing haiku difficult.

The task of every haiku master is to infect the reader with the same mood, reflection, or feeling from the experience. If he succeeds, then this is the highest reward for a poet.

In order to convey an accurate picture, it is not necessary to paint it on several pages; just a few words, or rather 17 syllables, are enough. In haiku, as in tanka, every word is very significant; you need to be careful about the choice of words, even prepositions and conjunctions. Tradition, careful attitude to the past has made haiku a genuine work of art in Japan, as, for example, the art of calligraphy.

haiku masters

Famous compilers of haiku were Japanese poets. The most famous poet was, and still is, Matsuo Basho.

Matsuo Basho

Old pond!

The frog jumped.

Splash of water.

This poem is not only impeccable in terms of form, but also has deep meaning: here is the quintessence of the beauty of nature, peace and harmony of the poet’s soul and the surrounding world.

Also among famous poets are Kobayashi Issa, Yosa Buson, Takahama Kyoshi and others.

Kobayashi Issa

This is how the pheasant screams

It's like he opened it

The first star.

Today is like yesterday...

Over a wretched hut

Fog is spreading.

I lay down in the shade

My rice is pounding for me

Mountain stream.

Modern haiku and tanka

The art of haiku and tanka continues to live on today. There are websites and forums modern authors, where everyone can try their hand at the art of composing these forms of poetry.

Nina Gorlanova (Perm)

With a red fan

A girl is dancing -

My geranium has bloomed.

Vladimir Gertsik (Moscow)

White flash-

The last butterfly

In the flying leaves.

Ivan Krotov ( Krasnodar region)

The cat died

And the cats continue

Walk to our door.

Haiku and tanka have similarities and differences, but the most important thing is that both of these genres are national cultural treasures of Japan.

From the heart of a peony

A bee slowly crawls out...

Oh, with what reluctance!

The Japanese lyrical poem haiku (haiku) is distinguished by its extreme brevity and unique poetics.
People love and willingly create short songs - compressed poetic formulas, where there is not a single extra words. From folk poetry, these songs move into literary poetry, continue to develop in it and give rise to new poetic forms.

This is how national poetic forms were born in Japan: the five-line tanka and the three-line haiku.

Tanka (literally "short song") was originally folk song and already in the seventh and eighth centuries, at the dawn of Japanese history, it became the legislator of literary poetry, pushing into the background, and then completely displacing the so-called long poems... Haiku separated from tanki many centuries later, during the heyday of the urban culture of the “third estate." Historically, it is the first stanza of the thangka and received from it a rich legacy of poetic images.

Ancient tanka and younger haiku have a centuries-old history, in which periods of prosperity alternated with periods of decline. More than once these forms were on the verge of extinction, but stood the test of time and continue to live and develop even today. This example of longevity is not the only one of its kind. The Greek epigram did not disappear even after the death of Hellenic culture, but was adopted by Roman poets and is still preserved in world poetry. The Tajik-Persian poet Omar Khayyam created wonderful quatrains (rubai) back in the eleventh - twelfth centuries, but also in our era folk singers in Tajikistan they compose rubai, putting new ideas and images into them.

Obviously, short poetic forms are an urgent need for poetry. Such poems can be composed quickly, under the influence of immediate feelings. You can aphoristically, concisely express your thought in them so that it is remembered and passed from mouth to mouth. They are easy to use for praise or, conversely, sarcastic ridicule.

It is interesting to note in passing that the desire for laconicism and love for small forms are generally inherent in Japanese national art, although it is excellent at creating monumental images.

Only haiku, an even shorter and more laconic poem that originated among ordinary townspeople who were alien to the traditions of old poetry, could supplant the tank and temporarily wrest its primacy from it. It was hockey that became the bearer of a new ideological content and was best able to respond to the demands of the growing “third estate”.

Haiku is a lyric poem. It depicts the life of nature and the life of man in their fused, indissoluble unity against the backdrop of the cycle of the seasons.

Japanese poetry is syllabic, its rhythm is based on the alternation of a certain number of syllables. There is no rhyme, but the sound and rhythmic organization of the tercet is a subject of great concern to Japanese poets.

Haiku has a stable meter. Each verse has a certain number of syllables: five in the first, seven in the second and five in the third - a total of seventeen syllables. This does not exclude poetic license, especially among such bold and innovative poets as Matsuo Basho 1 (1644-1694). He sometimes did not take into account the meter, striving to achieve the greatest poetic expressiveness.

Leaving homeland

cloud bank

She lay down between friends... They said goodbye

Migrating geese forever.

Grove on the mountainside.

It's like the mountain has been intercepted

Sword belt.

It's time for the May rains.

It's like the sea is glowing with lights

Night watchmen's lanterns.

Frost covered him,

The wind makes his bed.

An abandoned child.

Today "the grass of oblivion"

I want to season my rice

Saying goodbye to the old year.

There's such a moon in the sky,

Like a tree cut down to the roots:

The fresh cut turns white.

A yellow leaf floats.

Which shore, cicada,

What if you wake up?

Everything was whitened by the morning snow.

One sign to look at -

Bow arrows in the garden.

How the river overflowed!

A heron wanders on short legs

Knee-deep in water.

Quiet moonlit night...

You can hear it like in the depths of a chestnut tree

The nucleolus is eaten by a worm.

On a bare branch

Raven sits alone.

Autumn evening.

In the darkness of a moonless night

The fox crawls along the ground,

Sneaking towards a ripe melon.

Swarming in the sea grass

Transparent fry... You'll catch them -

They will melt without a trace.

Tea leaves are harvested in spring

All the leaves were picked by the pickers...

How do they know what is for the tea bushes?

They are like the wind of autumn!

In a thatched hut

How a banana moans in the wind,

How the drops fall into the tub,

I hear it all night long.

On a high tide day

The sleeves are soiled with earth.

"Snail catchers" all day through the fields

They wander and wander without rest.

Answer to student

And I am a simple person!

Only the bindweed blooms,

I eat my morning rice.

Willow is bent over and sleeping.

And it seems to me that there is a nightingale on a branch

This is her soul.

Top-top is my horse.

I see myself in the picture -

In the expanse of summer meadows.

The distant call of the cuckoo

It sounded wrong. After all, these days

The poets have disappeared.

Poems in memory of the poet Sempu

Brought to your grave

Not the proud leaves of the lotus -

A bunch of field grass.

In the Kavanaugh house, Shoha stood in a cracked vase
stalks of blooming melon, a zither lay nearby without
strings, drops of water oozed and, falling on the zither,
made it sound

Blooming melon stems.

Drops are falling and falling with a ringing sound...

Or are these “flowers of oblivion”?

In my cramped shack

Illuminated all four corners

Moon looking out the window.

A short rest in a hospitable home

Here I will finally throw myself into the sea

A storm-worn hat,

My torn sandals.

Suddenly you will hear “shorkh-shorkh”.

Longing stirs in my soul...

Bamboo on a frosty night.

In a foreign land

A thin tongue of fire, -

The oil in the lamp has frozen.

You wake up... What sadness!

Wandering Raven, look!

Where is your old nest?

Plum trees are in bloom everywhere.

Counter mountain dweller

He didn’t open his mouth. Chin length

He gets the grass.

We looked at the moon.

Finally we can breathe! -

A fleeting cloud.

How the autumn wind whistles!

Then only you will understand my poems,

When you spend the night in the field.

And I want to live in autumn

To this butterfly: drinks hastily

There is dew from the chrysanthemum.

The flowers have faded.

The seeds are scattering and falling,

It's like tears...

Gusty leaf

Hid in a bamboo grove

And little by little it calmed down.

For the New Year

How much snow have you already seen?

But they did not change their hearts -

The pine branches are green!

Take a close look!

Shepherd's purse flowers

You will see under the fence.

Oh, wake up, wake up!

Become my comrade.

Sleeping moth!

In memory of a friend

They fly to the ground

Returning to old roots...

Separation of flowers!

Old pond.

A frog jumped into the water.

A splash in silence.

To a friend who left for the western provinces

West East -

Everywhere the same trouble

The wind is still cold.

I walk around the pond

Autumn Moon Festival.

Around the pond, and around again,

All night long all around!

Grain storage jug

That's all I'm rich with!

Easy as if my life

Gourd pumpkin.

This overgrown grass

Only you remained faithful to the hut,

Winter colza peddler.

First snow in the morning.

He barely bent down

Narcissus leaves.

The water is so cold!

The seagull can't sleep

Rocking on the wave.

The jug burst with a crash:

At night the water in it froze.

I woke up suddenly.

Quiet steps
Impatience inflames the soul
Funny tricks
Should I not know
How passion flares up
Ruboko Sho

Who among us has not seen mysterious short poems that look like a hieroglyph picture? A few strokes of the brush - and in front of you is a complete thought, image, philosophy.
Haiku, tanka, haiku. What is it, how and when did such poems appear and how do they differ?

They appeared in the Middle Ages. Nobody knows when it all started, but what is known for sure is that all these forms of Japanese versification were born from folk songs and... and the syllabary alphabet. Those who attended my lectures on IDC know that the alphabet does not necessarily consist of letters. It may consist of hieroglyphs or syllables. (Strictly speaking, the name “alphabet” is not entirely suitable for them, but, nevertheless, this is what stuck). And here the syllabary alphabet is hiragana and/or katakana. Why do I put and/or? Because in Japanese there are TWO forms of the same syllabary - kana. Each form is used when addressing different classes. Moreover, there used to be even more of them, in particular there were hentaigan and man'yogana, but they remained in the historical past. Children in Japan learn hiragana first and then katakana. Today in Japan there is a fairly strong mixture of both alphabets, but still addresses to foreigners or official letters are usually written in katakana, and everything else in hiragana. Katakana came into use because of the need to translate Chinese texts, which were considered to be read only by high-ranking persons. Accordingly, the Middle Ages were characterized by addressing superiors only in katakana. But even today in Japan this is partially preserved.
By the way, have you probably noticed that the Japanese translation of the names of cities, countries or Western names gives a strong distortion of sounds? The point again is in the syllabary alphabet. You cannot convey one sound with one letter. And when one sound is conveyed by a syllable, anything is possible. For example, the name of my city Novosibirsk will sound like Noboshibirusuku, Moscow will sound like Moseke or Mosukuba, and St. Petersburg will become much easier to pronounce: Sankutsu-Peterburugu. By the way, if you are curious, you can enter any name in Latin and see how it sounds in Japanese. True, sometimes this will be far from the truth due to different local traditions.
But let's get back to the poems.
The folk song of Japan was called "uta" and was divided according to the type of activity of the singers (sendouta, for example, meant "song of the rowers") and by length. There was Nagauta - a long song and Mijikauta - a short song. This short song, having reached the nobility and educated people Japan, gradually replaced all other variants of different uta. Only now it began to be called tanka or tanka.
The tanka first flourished in the 8th century, the Nara era. We received an anthology of poems from those times, "Man'yeshu." Here are two examples from this book:

At my gates
There are ripe fruits on the elm trees,
Hundreds of birds pinch them when they fly in,
Thousands of different birds gathered -
And you, my love, are not there...

Unknown Author
translation by A. Gluskina.

According to the classical canon, the tanka should consist of two stanzas. The first stanza contains three lines of 5-7-5 syllables, respectively, and the second - two lines of 7-7 syllables. The total result is a five-line poem. This is what form is all about. I draw your attention to the fact that a line and a stanza are different things.
The content should be like this. The first stanza presents a natural image, the second - the feeling or sensation that this image evokes. Or vice versa.

Oh, can't sleep
Alone on a cold bed.
And then this rain -
It knocks so much that even for a moment
It's impossible to close your eyes.
Akazome-emon
translator: T. Sokolova-Delyusina

At the Oyamada hut
I'm freed from my dreams
An alarm call.
Oh, it's nearby in the mountains
The deer is calling!
Saigyo
translator: A. Belykh

The next heyday of tanka came in the Heian era (IX-XII centuries). Tanka of this period - elegant works of noble nobles, love letters and dialogues perfect in form, vivid sketches and ridicule encrypted by play on words. Two main anthologies of these poems have reached us (by the way, the publication of tanku or haiku by one author has never been popular; usually anthologies of all poets were collected - from little-known to the emperor) “Kokinshu” and “Shinkokinshu”. At this time, Buddhism came to Japan from China, and with it Chinese culture and philosophy. The concept of “mono no aware” was born - “the charm of things,” usually sad. This era gave the world another great writer of Japan SAIGYO (Sato Norikiyo, 1118-1190) and the court lady Sei-Senagon, who wrote “Notes at the Bedside”, which gave us as much knowledge about the life of the Japanese court as no chronicle had ever given. this era.

my soul is yearning -
lily that almost came off
from the roots, and will easily float away -
If only there was a flow,
to captivate the flower!
Ono no Komatsu

bright night -
in the bright moonlight
plum blossoms,
and the flowers fall
along with the snow
Fujiwara no Kinto

met while walking...
but for now I was wondering
he or not he? -
disappeared into the clouds
midnight moon
Murasaki-shikibu

if you're going to die -
then in the month of “new clothes”,
under the cherry blossom,
when it shines
full moon!
Saige

By the way, the fusion of pagan Shinto and Buddhism gave birth to a new aesthetics. Shinto, like any pagan religion, contained many “dark” and mysterious elements, spirits, etc., accordingly, the “yugen” principle appears in the culture, which sets the main mood in tanka.

A certain mysticism and even darkness appears in them.
Autumn wind
drives the clouds overhead.
Through the flying shreds
So bright, so pure it will spill

A dazzling moonbeam.
Sake no Taifu Akisuke

(translated by V. Sanovich)

Following this, the “dark ages” of internecine wars began in Japan, and until the 19th century, tanka degenerated into gloomy Buddhist-samurai songs about imminent death. But even after the onset of some stability, this gloom remains in poetry:
sad to watch
how the boy smiles
saying goodbye to my father,
who goes there
from where they don't return

Fusia Takanao

Or something like this:
Deeper and deeper into the mountains
I'll be leaving
But is there a place in the world

Where won’t I hear bitter news?
"Light - calm
I would like to die!"
Flashed through my thoughts
And immediately my heart

It echoed: “Yes!”

Saigyo
Gradually, the art of a short song reaches such popularity that even unique games are spreading among the nobility: one of the players pronounces the beginning of the tanka, the second must either continue or come up with his own answer. Diplomats deliver entire dialogues in tanks, declare war or make peace, find out the intentions of their opponents and look for friends.
Tanka lovers are no worse, if not better than diplomatic ones, in building their simple but deep scheme, which allows them to express their feelings and find out the responses better than any other methods.

Gradually the game became more difficult. For example, they played like this. The last stanza of the old tanka served as the beginning of a new one, and at each “step” you need to turn events a little so that gradually, having made a full turn, you would return to the original description. This is somewhat similar to the game "burime", but it is called "haikai no renga" (something like a "chain game"). By the way, some games lasted for years...
It's like a miracle here
For a silver coin -
A remote tavern in the mountains.

Basho
This is completely out of place -
The guy has a long dagger!

Keray
Suddenly jumps out in the dark
Scared frog
From a thicket of tangled grass.

Bonte
Woman collecting herbs
The lantern drops from his hands.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Basho

(translated by V. Markova) Renga became a separate species
Gradually they began to compete in writing exactly these three lines of the first stanza. Even entire competitions were held... Particularly distinguished in them was Matsuo Basho (Matsuo Munefusa, 1644-1694), who became the founder of haiku - a new direction in classical Japanese poetry - these very three lines of haiku.
But it is wrong to consider haiku and haiku to be the same thing. After all, haiku usually contains something like an introduction or greeting, and this is understandable: competitions for drawing up renga chains took place in the houses of the nobility or in sacred places, and the first lines were supposed to be dedicated to the owners of the house or the gathering place. In haiku, nothing like that was required anymore.

I'll finish here about the tanka and return to the haiku.

In the 20th century, tanka found a second wind, in particular thanks to Masaoka Shiki, who took “Man’eshu” as a basis and began to write “in the old style”

finally happy
I climbed Mount Fuji
and when my knees began to tremble
at the very top
awoke

Shiki

Another famous one modern poet Ishikawa Takuboku, who, on the contrary, began to innovate and change the classic themes and forms of tanku.

On the sandy white beach
Islet
In the eastern ocean
I, without wiping my wet eyes,
I play with a little crab.

Takuboku
(translated by V. Markova)

Some modernism and postmodernism and a slight mockery of their own solemn ceremonies are not alien to the completely modern trends in Japanese versification...

"Gluttony!"
you exclaimed, and from now on
The sixth of July is the salad's birthday.

In a green sweater - as if in your arms
I'm drowning:
winter is just around the corner.

Tawara Mati
(translated by D. Kovalenin)

The tank is characterized by another curious feature that cannot be ignored. They were written by a huge number of women. Two masterpieces “of all times and peoples” in tanka, “The Tale of Genji” and “Notes at the Bedside,” were written by women. This is partly explained by the fact that men were supposed to write Chinese poetry. The Japanese syllabary was written mainly by women. This is especially true after the Heian era.

Flapping wings
It's like farewell letters
On white clouds.
About a friend left in a field
The lonely goose is sad...
Saigyo