天才による凡人のための短歌教室
「最高の一首をつくるのは僕ではない。
さいこう いっしゅ
zuì gāo
최고
choego
tối cao
この本を開いたあなただ。
あなたという短歌の天才が目の前に立ちはだかる日を、僕に参りましたと言わせてくれる日を、僕は待っている。」木下龍也が創作のすべてを伝える短歌教室。開催すれば毎回満席となるこの講義が大幅な加筆と書き下ろしを加え一冊になりました。短歌をつくる技術はもちろん、アイデアの発想法、歌人としての生き方、短歌とお金などなど、、、短歌って何ですか？ という方から楽しめる新たな「文章読本」の登場です。【著者の紹介】木下龍也(きのした・たつや)1988年山口県生まれ。歌人。歌集に『つむじ風、ここにあります』、『きみを嫌いな奴はクズだよ』（共に書肆侃々房）。小社刊行書籍に、岡野大嗣との共著『玄関の覗き穴から差してくる光のように生まれたはずだ』、谷川俊太郎と岡野大嗣との共著『今日は誰にも愛されたかった』がある。
I wanted to translate and learn new words here. After reading this ‘Order a tanka poem’ service results in book article to see if the book by Tatsuya Kinoshita would show poetry writing exercise.
After reading an article, I tried looking up tanka poetry exercises on Google Books to see if that book would come up, but instead I ended up reading about pivot words and pillow words.
記事を読んだ後、短歌の練習問題を見つけようと Google Books に探していたら、代わりに掛詞や枕詞について読んでしまった。
Kiji o yonda ato, tanka no renshū mondai o mitsukeyou to Google Books ni sagashite itara, kawari ni kakekotoba ya makurakotoba ni tsuite yonde shimatta.
| Pivot words | 掛詞（かけことば） | Wordplay using one word with two meanings |
| Pillow words | 枕詞（まくらことば） | Traditional poetic epithets placed before specific words |
Yesterday I learned the two words ‘sagashite’ and ‘mitsukete
昨日、「探して」と「見つけて」という二つの言葉を学んだ。
Kinō, “sagashite” to “mitsukete” to iu futatsu no kotoba o mananda.
I like writing. I have to write. If I were to impose on myself to write in Japanese. Brilliant
Wow, 4 hours just went by and I have not opened th Murakami walls book.
Unpacking Puns: Translating Kakekotoba in the Hyakunin Isshu
A hundred verses from old Japan - being a translation of the Hyaku-nin-isshiu
yesterday's experience as poem
I tried to write an experience I saw as a poem. In the end I figured out that poem 22 of the hyakunin expresses what I was saying. I went from must in the English to thudi (in the end Telugu), saath (with, go with Hindi)
poem 22 hurricane - hurries catches what I was trying to say, that the wind rushes the process of the dried leaves fall(could be called pivot word due to the season)ing down.
From Chatgpt -
Great! Here’s a simple weekly study plan that you can follow using City and Its Uncertain Walls (in both English and Japanese). This plan assumes you have around 30–60 minutes per day to dedicate to this study. You can adjust based on your availability!
Focus: Overview of the book and setting up your learning tools.
Task:
Read the first chapter of the English version to get a feel for the plot, characters, and writing style.
Set up your learning tools: Make sure you have access to a good dictionary (like Jisho) and note-taking apps.
Goal: Don’t worry too much about understanding everything perfectly; focus on getting comfortable with the book.
Focus: Translating the first paragraph of a scene or chapter from English to Japanese.
Task:
Read the first paragraph in English.
Translate it into Japanese by yourself. Focus on expressing the meaning naturally, rather than word-for-word translation.
Goal: Identify tricky phrases and look them up in the dictionary. Try to use the vocabulary you learned to create a natural flow.
Focus: Comparing your translation to Murakami’s Japanese text.
Task:
Find the same paragraph in the Japanese version.
Compare your translation with Murakami’s Japanese.
What are the main differences?
Did Murakami use a different tone, word choice, or structure?
Goal: This is where you start learning nuances. Write down words/phrases that were different or surprising.
Focus: Improve your fluency and pronunciation by reading aloud.
Task:
Read the Japanese passage aloud from the book.
Try to match the natural flow and rhythm of Murakami’s sentences.
Record yourself if possible, and listen to your pronunciation.
Goal: Focus on how the sentences sound. Does your reading sound natural? If you struggle, note down which parts need work.
Focus: Grammar and vocabulary review.
Task:
Pick out 5–10 new words or phrases from the passage you’ve read.
Look them up and review their meanings and usage.
Write example sentences for each new word.
Review the grammar points you’ve encountered (sentence structure, particles, etc.).
Goal: Focus on expanding your vocabulary and understanding grammar patterns. Create flashcards or make a vocabulary list.
Focus: Use your Japanese in writing.
Task:
Write 3–4 sentences based on the English passage you read. Try to incorporate the new vocabulary and grammar you learned.
You could write a short diary entry about the story’s events or your thoughts on the characters.
Goal: Use what you’ve learned to practice producing your own Japanese sentences. Try to express your thoughts in Japanese.
Focus: Review and relax.
Task:
Revisit everything from the week: review your translations, vocabulary, and grammar points.
Watch an interview with Murakami or listen to a podcast where they discuss his books in Japanese.
Optional: Try a fun activity like watching a Japanese movie or drama related to themes in Murakami’s work (if you enjoy that).
Goal: Relax, absorb the language passively, and reflect on your progress.
Every new week, move onto the next chapter or section of the book, applying the same methods — translating, comparing, and reflecting.
Track Progress: Consider keeping a language journal where you track what you learn each week. You can write down what went well and what you want to improve.
Stay Consistent: Even if you only have 30 minutes, consistency is key. Even if one day feels slower, you're making progress.
Death Alone
"There are lone cemeteries,
tombs full of soundless bones, the heart threading a tunnel, a dark, dark tunnel : like a wreck we die to the very core, as if drowning at the heart or collapsing inwards from skin to soul."That’s such an excellent, perceptive question — you’re reading like a poet, not just a reader. 🌿
You’ve noticed something that sits at the very heart of translation philosophy:
how language, culture, and rhythm of thought shape what’s considered “poetic.”
Let’s unpack why Neruda’s “oscuro, oscuro, oscuro” becomes “dark, dark, dark” — not “obscure, obscure, obscure” — and why como… disappears from the English version.
In Spanish, oscuro literally means dark — both physically (no light) and metaphorically (mysterious, hidden, deathlike).
In English, obscure sounds abstract, intellectual, even clinical.
So while oscuro is an image — something you see — obscure is an idea — something you think about.
Neruda’s Spanish rhythm is visceral, not analytic.
So “dark, dark, dark” keeps the physical, sensory pulse of the Spanish line.
Say them aloud:
Oscuro, oscuro, oscuro — the “o” vowels and rolling rs echo a cave, a tunnel, breath, repetition, dread.
Obscure, obscure, obscure — stops the mouth with hard consonants; it feels cerebral, not elemental.
“Dark, dark, dark” is simpler and heavier, truer to Neruda’s rhythm of elemental being — less thought, more heartbeat.
Spanish poetic culture (especially Latin American modernism) embraces repetition and incantation.
It’s closer to prayer, chant, or sea-surge.
English poetic culture, especially mid-20th-century translation norms, often sought tightness and restraint — fewer “rambling” or overtly musical repetitions.
So the translator likely thought:
“In English, ‘dark, dark, dark’ sounds haunting and primal — ‘obscure, obscure, obscure’ sounds odd and Latinate.”
He was balancing fidelity to Neruda’s mood over literal word-for-word equivalence.
In the next three lines, Neruda writes something like:
como túnel, como pozo, como abismo…
(like a tunnel, like a well, like an abyss...)
In Spanish, that repetition of “como” (like/as) creates rhythm — a building up of darkness through parallel syntax.
It’s musical and cumulative — almost Biblical in cadence.
In English, repeating “like, like, like” can feel clunky or childish, unless done deliberately for effect (as Whitman or Ginsberg might do).
So translators often compress the similes, making them part of a smoother English phrase:
“a tunnel, a well, an abyss…”
It’s not about laziness; it’s about how English cadence tolerates repetition differently.
Spanish repetition feels lyrical; English repetition can feel insistent or heavy-handed unless artfully balanced.
Spanish poetic voice tends toward incantation and accumulation — rhythm builds emotion.
It values the music of recurrence and the sensuality of words.
Neruda’s Spanish breathes — it’s oceanic, circular.
English poetic voice, especially in translation norms of the 20th century, tends toward clarity and distillation.
It values image and precision more than rhythmical accumulation.
So when a translator moves Neruda into English, they have to navigate two competing aesthetics:
Spanish: emotional resonance through repetition.
English: emotional resonance through compression.
Translation isn’t just language transfer — it’s cultural modulation of rhythm, feeling, and expectation.
The translator’s task is to ask:
“What will make an English reader feel what a Spanish reader feels — not necessarily read what they read?”
That’s why oscuro, oscuro, oscuro becomes dark, dark, dark — the emotional equivalence, not lexical equivalence.
And como, como, como becomes the imagery itself — because in English the repetition of “like” distracts from the image rather than building it.
After mother tongue, learnign any other tongue, I guess all language learning is translation.
I have Hatuki Murakami's The CIty and its Uncertain Walls in English and will have the Japanese version tomorrow. I asked chatgpt for the best way to learn Japanese fast.
Purpose: Understand the meaning, tone, and emotional flow of each scene.
How: Read one paragraph or scene at a time, making sure you fully understand what’s happening.
Tip: Note any phrases or emotions that stand out — Murakami often has subtle shifts in tone or mood that are great to track.
Purpose: Practice expressing the same meaning in Japanese.
How:
Write your own Japanese version of a short section (even 1–2 sentences).
Don’t worry about being perfect — focus on natural expression and meaning.
Tools: Use a Japanese dictionary (like Jisho.org) instead of a translator at first; it helps you learn word nuances.
Goal: Think, “How would a Japanese person say this naturally?” rather than literal translation.
Find the same passage in the Japanese book.
Compare:
Vocabulary choices
Sentence structure
The rhythm and feeling of his phrasing
Notice where your translation differs — that’s where you learn the most.
🧭 Ask yourself:
Why did Murakami choose this word or this phrasing?
Does his Japanese sound more poetic, abstract, or direct than mine?
Murakami’s writing has a distinctive rhythm in Japanese. Reading aloud helps you:
Improve pronunciation
Feel sentence flow
Absorb natural phrasing and intonation
You can even record yourself and compare to audiobook versions if available.
After each session, write:
A few lines in English (what you learned or felt)
The same in Japanese, using words or grammar from the passage
This helps move what you read into active usage — your own Japanese.
This is my second year learnign Japanese weekly. We have mostly learned what phrases we would need to use while renting a car, ordering at a restuarant and so on. I had joked in a class that we are now certified to become flight attnedants in a Japanese airline. I recalled learning kashikomarimashita (かしこまりました - I got it) in a restaurant scene in Netflix tarareba girls.
Then I thought why not watch videos of those scenes. I see great value in hearing the words and seeing the context.
In-flight Japanese conversation | Must-Read Before Travel | Must-Know
Usually I dont have many questions in the class, but we are learning about nakucha. I am also reviewing lessons from last year to build the base. I saw beki with both meaning must and how are they different. By the way I didnt attend that first class so I had to self study.
I am using the learnw ith Manga book and going back to volume I as it brings references back to it. Through all this review, I find some of th things I learn in the class, for example の (of) used at the end of the sentence. Finally came to a page where all the manga is in Japanese.
I amw atching Memoirs of Geisha with Japanese subtitles on. I also introduced myself in Japanese. Celebrating all the milestones.
In tadoku reading club, learned about koibito, red theread tied to pinky fingers of a couple.
Somewhere in the 50-100 verb range
