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Miyazawa Kenji

Onigiri Chan

Onigiri Chan

Sempai
1 Dec 2003
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I didn't happen to come across any threads mentioning this genius author. Although I did just skim, pardon me if there's already something on him.
I recommend you pick up anything by this man, from poems to children's storybooks to novels, he's written them all. And I only just stumbled across him, he's really an amazing writer. :)
 
:)
宮沢賢治 Kenji Miyazawa is one of the most highly regarded novelists.
It's no exaggeration to say that all Japanese know his poem "雨ニモマケズ 風ニモマケズ (Amenimomakezu kazenimomakezu)".

(English translation:


雨ニモマケズ
風ニモマケズ
雪ニモ夏ノ暑サニモマケヌ
丈夫ナカラダヲモチ
欲ハナク
決シテ瞋ラズ
イツモシズカニワラッテヰル
一日ニ玄米四合ト
味噌ト少シノ野菜ヲ食ベ
アラユルコトヲ
ジブンヲカンジョウニ入レズニ
ヨクミキキシワカリ
ソシテワスレズ
野原ノ松ノ林ノ蔭ノ
小サナ萱ブキノ小屋ニヰテ
東ニ病気ノコドモアレバ
行ッテ看病シテヤリ
西ニツカレタ母アレバ
行ッテソノ稲ノ束ヲ負ヒ
南ニ死ニサウナ人アレバ
行ッテコワガラナクテモイイトイヒ
北ニケンクヮヤソショウガアレバ
ツマラナイカラヤメロトイヒ
ヒデリノトキハナミダヲナガシ
サムサノナツハオロオロアルキ
ミンナニデクノボートヨバレ
ホメラレモセズ
クニモサレズ
サウイフモノニ
ワタシハ
ナリタイ

more info:

jref.com

Kenji Miyazawa

Poet and Buddhist agro-revolutionary A devout Buddhist, Miyazawa Kenji (宮沢賢治, 1896-1933) spent much of his life labouring to improve the material and spiritual lives of peasants in the impoverished farming communities of Iwate Prefecture in...
jref.com jref.com

Many of his works can be read for free on the Net. but Japanese only.

I recommend "銀河鉄道の夜(ginga tetsudou no yoru)" in relatively easy Japanese.
 
Well i'm certainly very glad that so many people share my love for Miyazawasan's amazing talent!
😊
 
I like miyazawa's poem 『春と修羅』 the best~ i think it probably has a deeper meaning than i could understand...
 
I think that all of Miyazawa-san's work has a much deeper meaning then most other poems. You really have to read between the lines with some of his work.
 
I liked his poem Be not defeated by the Rain. I'll check more of him out when my language proficiency gets better. Thanks.

billiken said:
Read his short fable
Click to expand...

Gosh, now that recommendation was unexpected and completely unpredictable.

Interestingly, he died in '33 so the implied allegory is questionable. But of course, people are free to draw what they will. They always do anyway, whether right or wrong.

edit:

Kenji lived during a period in Japan's history when the country began to manifest an attitude that was increasingly self-centred and condescending toward the peoples of the neighbouring Asian countries, and ultimately resulted in wars of invasion. An important theme in Kenji's stories is the communication that unfolds between certain villagers and inhabitants of the natural environment surrounding them. His main characters engage in open, unprejudiced dialogue with characters "different" from themselves-----mountain man, wind spirits, wildcats, deer, bears, foxes and many other. This theme has been interpreted by many as a search by the author for possible alternatives to the closed and exclusionary nature of Japanese society in his day. In our day it poses a fresh question for modern societies on the threshold of a new century.
Click to expand...


Hm, I think I'm liking him more and more. Thanks again for the link and recommendation! I'm also saving to my favs.
 
Thank you, Billiken. That was a great link to the English translation site. I have saved it to my favs...: 👍
 
Wow...looks like I'll need to find a book or two by Miyazawa Kenji. Thanks :)
 
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