Yamabe no Akahito

Well, here we go again. Another year of work on the Hyaku-nin Isshu Hanga Series begins this month with Yamabe no Akahito, one of the most famous of the early poets. He was a contemporary of Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, and 'worked' in the early 700's. He is here posed looking towards Mt. Fuji, and his feelings on encountering the snow-capped peak for the first time are expressed in his poem.

It is of course difficult for an English speaker like myself to get a real feeling of what such a poem 'means'. We read reams about the deep profound feelings supposedly expressed in some Japanese poetry, or the wonderful play on words that occurs here and there, but when I read a poem like this one I have to admit that it doesn't really seem so 'special', and I find myself wondering just what the Japanese reader sees ... The translator's choice of words has perhaps rendered the poem somewhat duller than the original; 'shirotae', which he has given as 'white robe', literally means 'white mysteries' - an expression referring to a lady's undergarment. Ah! Now it starts to come to life ....

As was the case last year, it was difficult for me to get going on my printmaking work this month. After finishing the previous set in late December, and spending January away from my workbenches in exhibition and publicity activities, it is not easy to get back into the rhythm of the work. I suppose that the craftsmen of old never had a five week layoff in their lives, and perhaps that is one reason they were so good! Taking the time off is important for me though. If I was 'only' a carver, or 'only' a printer, and had no chance to communicate with people, I think that I might lose interest, but having to explain things to viewers gives me also new insights on the work. My shoulders and back might be aching these February days from the unaccustomed hours at the bench, but I'm grateful for the change I had in the past month.

In any case, I'm rolling now, and I'm looking forward to a good year of carving and printing. Last year's prints were markedly better than those of the year before, and I intend to make that a tradition! Please enjoy this print. Coming next month, the lady Ise.

February, 1992

Translation - Tom Galt 1982 Princeton University Press