Kenji Miyazawa (1896–1933)

Even with the commentary on each poem by the (clearly talented & devoted) translator, I don't think I really understood an average of more than 20% of the riches herein. But some poems are more accessible, and gorgeous, even on the surface, and some lines just blew me away.

From Preface to "Spring and Ashura:" "The blue sky was awash with colourless peacocks."

From "Scenery and a Music Box:" "The water is a gently flowing body of glue/ I am prepared to meet my death/ In this excessively lucid show more landscape."

From "Shouldering the Flowers of the Narcissus:" "Children on their way to school/ Screaming like shrikes/ Burst from the morning sun."

I think I especially admire him because he's not only a poet, not only a man who wants to be the kind of person who is strong in the rain, but he's also a scientist, and there are relevant references to modern physics and to electricity in some of his poems.

I'd love to read more if only I could find his works in my library. show less

show more 独特な世界観で人気の、ミキハウスの宮沢賢治作品です。
子どもには新鮮な感動を、大人には一味違う読み応えのある物語絵本です。

2人の紳士が山の中でたどり着いたのは一軒の西洋料理店、「山猫軒」。
お腹をすかせていた男たちはどんな料理が出てくるのか楽しみにしながら、扉に書かれた注文を受けていきます。
一体、扉の向こうには何があるのか!?
ページをめくる度に現れる注文の数々に興味をひかれずにはいられません! 教科書などに掲載されるなど、おなじみのこの名作にスズキコージによる不思議な雰囲気の絵が新しい風を吹き込みます。
改めて読み返してみると、驚くほどえほんの中へ引き込まれていきます。 show less

...And here we have something which is probably very beautiful and lyrical in its original language, only to suffer from (what I assume to be) a basic and literal translation. These simply don't read easily, and while I can appreciate the imagery Miyazawa has provided, a somewhat more sympathetic translation is probably necessary to convey the full symbolism and artistry that Japanese readers have enjoyed for a century. Most of my previous knowledge of Miyazawa comes from the disconcerting show more anime adaptation of the title story, Night on the Galactic Railroad, and the adoption of the "Afterlife Express" trope throughout Japanese - and later Western - culture surely points to his influence. Were I ignorant of these facts, however, the writing in this slim volume could only come over as stilted and awkward. I suspect there are better translations available. show less

Este libro me ha dejado un extraño sabor de boca.
Decidí leerlo porque me presentaron el relato principal, que da título al libro, como el equivalente japonés de [b:El Principito|866618|El Principito|Antoine de Saint-Exupéry|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328876389s/866618.jpg|2180358]. Y si bien existen ciertas coincidencias (el viaje onírico por el "espacio", el compañero iniciático, etc.), la comparación me ha parecido algo exagerada. Tal vez no haya captado algún show more simbolismo fundamental, pero no me ha llegado. Además, no podría decir que es una novela corta que recomendaría a niños y adultos por igual, más bien solo a los segundos. Y de entre ellos, a los completistas de la literatura japonesa.

De todos modos, el estilo de Miyazawa es muy bueno, se lee rápido. De hecho, la he pasado en grande con los dos cuentos que cierran la obra, en especial el último, Gauche, el violonchelista, que paradójicamente, es el menos japonés de las tres piezas incluídas. show less