Mirror for the Moon

by Saigyō, William R. LaFleur (Translator/Introduction), Gary Snyder (Foreword)

A selection of poems in English and Japanese by Saigyō (1118-1190); translated with an introduction by William R. LaFleur; foreword by Gary Snyder

Genres: Poetry, Japan

100 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Saigyō Houshi (西行 法師, 1119 – March 23, 1190) was a famous Japanese poet of the late Heian and early Kamakura period.

Born Satou Norikiyo (佐藤 義清) in Kyoto to a noble family, he lived during the traumatic transition of power between the old court nobles and the new samurai warriors. After the start of the Age of Mappō (1052), Buddhism was considered to be in decline and no longer as effective a means of salvation. These cultural shifts during his lifetime led to a sense of melancholy in his poetry. As a youth, he worked as a guard to retired Emperor Toba, but in 1140 at age 22, for reasons now unknown, he quit worldly life to become a monk, taking the religious name En'i (円位). He later took the pen name, "Saigyo" meaning Western Journey, a reference to Amida Buddha and the Western paradise. He lived alone for long periods in his life in Saga, Mt Koya, Mt Yoshino, Ise, and many other places, but he is more known for the many long, poetic journeys he took to Northern Honshuu that would later inspire Basho in his Narrow Road to the Interior. He was a good friend of Fujiwara no Teika. Some main collections of Saigyo's work are in the Sankashuu, Shin Kokin Wakashuu, and Shika Wakashū. He died in Hirokawa Temple in Kawachi Province (present-day Osaka Prefecture) at age 72.

Reviews

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I withdrew from the world only to find the world followed me anyway, in the Moon and flowers next to the weeds. I pluck at withdrawal without purity, open as a lunar face of dispersed beams. All the homies are still up, shaking off the dust of this world.

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are beautiful poems, and very human ones--Saigyo's way requires great effort and he continues to suffer, in himself and in empathy with others. So when he suddenly sees the moon, or loses himself in blossoms, you understand his peace in those moments and know that at some place in him, they are constant.

Here I huddle, alone,
In the mountain's shadow, needing
Some companion somehow:
The cold, biting rains pass off
And give me the winter moon.

[Andrew Fahey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of the venerable late Heian/early Kamakura era poet Saigyō brings together a selection of his works translated and introduced by Professor William LaFleur. LaFleur’s introduction is one of the best I have read for a Classical Japanese poet and he clearly has deep insight into the themes and movement of the poetic tradition in Japan as it developed and matured through the Heian era. This insight does not always translate (no pun intended) into the poetic sensibility required to successfully render Saigyō’s insights into English.

LaFleur seems to try and retain a faithful adherence to the syllable/line form of Waka poetry (5/7/5/7/7), but as other translators of Japanese poetry have noted (for example Meredith McKinney), this can end up distorting the flow of meaning and the spirit of the poem. Even the great Edo period poet Bashō commented that slavish adherence to the rules of form can stifle the poetic spirit. Some of the poems also suffer from word choices, which while literally correct, lack a poetic sensibility in English; and at times the word order LaFleur chooses is clunky and counter-intuitive.

Overall Saigyō’s tender reflections on the world shine through, and as the blurb notes, this book was a groundbreaking achievement for its time. It’s not the best collection of Japanese poetry in translation I’ve read, but for fans of Saigyō and classical poetry generally it is still worth a read.

[Mark Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mirror for the Moon, by Saigyo. Translated by William LaFleur, 1978. This is a wonderful book of poetry, a great read to take some time with. Written in the traditional form of waka with thirty-one syllables, these poems by the 12th century Japanese poet and monk consistently open up insights into this passing life -- it’s beauty and it’s transience. Bill LaFleur taught me in a Buddhism class at Princeton, for which we read this book. I enjoyed it then, and just as much if not more now.

[Skyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's something truly beautiful about Saigyō's desire for a companion in his loneliness. I probably like this more than Poems of a Mountain Home , but there's only so much poetry about blossoms I can read before it starts to serve no purpose. Give me emo Saigyō any day though.

[Jbl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given to me by my dear friend Isa. Saigyo's poems are sublime.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bilingual edition; includes haiku and tanka.