Kokin Wakashū

Kokin - Wakashū ( Japanese:古今 和 歌集also:古今 集Kokin shū, German Collection of Ancient and Modern Poems ) is a waka anthology from the early Heian period of Japan. It was built by Emperor Uda (r. 887-897 ) commissioned and by his son, Emperor Daigo (r. 897-930 ) reorganized in the year 905. Your final form dates from ca.920, although after several historical sources, the last poem was already added 914. The compilers of the anthology were four court poets, led by Ki no Tsurayuki. There were also Ki no Tomonori ( who died before completion ), Ōshikōchi Mitsune and Mibu no Tadamine.

Survey

The Kokinshu is the earliest of the nijūichidaishū (二十 一 大 集), the 21 compiled on imperial order collections of Japanese poetry. It was the most influential implementation of ideas about poetry this time, dictating the form of Japanese poetry until the late 19th century.

Launched in Kokinshu primacy of poems about the seasons continues even today in the haiku tradition. The Japanese preface by Ki no Tsurayuki (the second preface by Ki no Tomonori is written in Chinese) can be used as the beginning of Japanese literary criticism are seen in the deposition of the at this time in literary circles far more common Chinese poetry.

Incorporate the idea of ​​both old and new poems was another important innovation that has taken over many times in later anthologies of prose and poetry.

The poems of Kokinshu were arranged in a temporal order. The love poems such as - Though written by many different poets in different eras - arranged so that the reader may understand it so that they describe the progress and the ups and downs of a courtly love affair. This association of a poem to the next characterizes the anthology as a forefather of the renga and haikai traditions.

The exact number of poems in the collection is controversial. The online edition contains 1111 poems. The collection is divided into 20 parts, referring to older models such as the Man'yōshū and various Chinese anthologies. The organization of topics is different from all previous models and has been retained in all later official collections, although some, such as kin'yōshū and shikashū the structure to 10 parts limited. The parts of the Kokinshu are ordered as follows: 1 -2. about spring (春 哥haru no uta ) 3 over the summer (夏哥natsu no uta ) 4th - 5th Autumn (秋 哥aki no uta ) 6 Winter (冬 哥fuyu no uta ) 7 congratulations (贺 哥no uta ga ) 8 Farewell (离 列 哥wakare no uta ) 9 Travel (羁旅 哥tabi no uta ) 10 names (物 名mono no na), 11th - 15th Love (恋 哥koi no uta ) 16 lawsuits (哀伤 哥Aisho no uta ) 17th - 18th Miscellaneous (雑 哥kusagusa no uta ) 19 Miscellaneous (雑 体 哥zattai no uta ) and 20 mainly traditional and ritual poems by the Office of poetry (大哥 所 御 哥ōutadokoro no on'uta ).

The compilers provide the name of the poet, each poem and the topic (题dai ) or, if known, the inspiration for the poem. Important poets of Kokinshu are Ariwara no Narihira, Ono no Komachi, Henjo and Fujiwara no Okikaze, as well as the editors themselves

The inclusion in an imperial collection, but especially in the Kokinshu was a great honor.

Example

The following example is taken from Ono no Komachi ( Kokinshu No. 113, Section Spring poems). The poem was included in the Hyakunin Isshu.

花の色は 移り に けり な いたづら に わが身 世 に ふる ながめ せ しま に

Hana no iro wa utsuri ni Kerina itazura ni waga ni furu miyo nagame Seshi ma ni

The flower colors have long since faded, while I lost in thought overlooking the endless rain recklessly went through life.