Page:Anthology of Japanese Literature.pdf/318
Three Poets at Minase
[Minase Sangin]
In the first moon of 1488 three of the greatest masters of linked-verse, Sōgi (1421–1502), Shōhaku (1443–1527), and Sōchō (1448–1532) met at Minase, a village between Kyoto and Osaha. As part of an observance at the shrine, which stood on the site of the Minase Palace of the Emperor Gotoba, they composed one hundred verses, of which fifty are here translated.
The art of linked-verse was an extremely demanding one. Generally three or more poets took part, composing alternate verses of 7, 5, 7 syllables and 7, 7 syllables. Many rules had to be observed exactly: for example, if spring or autumn were mentioned in one verse, the following two to four verses also had to mention it. However, it was not necessary that the actual words “spring” or “autumn” be used; many natural phenomena, such as mist, blossoms, or singing birds, stood for spring, while others, such as fog, the moon, or chirping crickets, stood for autumn.
Beyond the technical difficulties imposed by the rules of linked-verse were the major consideration of keeping the level so high that it would not run the risk of resembling a mere game, and the problem of making each “link” fit smoothly into the chain. Any three links taken from a sequence should produce two complete poems. Thus:
Except for you |
Except for you |