Since serenity and simplicity are characteristic to his later works, especially in his most popular traveling journal, Oku no Hosomichi, and are often associated with Basho’s prominent style, many people might be surprised to find how dramatically his style evolved before his embark on his journey into the North.
松尾芭蕉の作風は、後期の「おくのほそ道」に代表されるような静粛や簡素が特徴であると考えられていますが、それ以前には作風の変遷があります。
Stylistic Evolution
作風の変遷
His early works went through some literary experiment. He started with applying traditional motives to haiku, which was a popular style called the Dan-rin school. Sometimes lines from 11th-century songs and other times phrases from old Chinese texts were taken. It was so unconventional and interesting a mix that people soon considered it to be a next generation of thing, and Basho well established his position as a leading poet.
芭蕉の初期作品では実験的試みがうかがえます。古典的モチーフを俳句に持ち込んだ「談林派」のスタイルです。古今和歌集の時代の和歌や、中国の古典に素材を求めたのです。この斬新な取り組みは新世代の俳句ともてはやされ、芭蕉自身も俳人としての地位を築いたのです。
As he got intrigued more with Taoism, whose core ethical concepts include harmony with the natural universe, spontaneity and effortless action, Basho started to stay away from fame, gossips and exuberance, and accordingly his stylistic change became obvious. He tried making more reference to old Chinese texts, then he got more involved in its principles.
芭蕉は、中国の古典、中でも道家思想に惹かれていきます。その根本思想である自然万物との調和、人知の限界を認識した行動、これの影響を受け、華々しい著名俳人としての立場から距離を置くようようになります。それが、作風の変化にもなりました。中国古典への参照が増え、その行動原理を自身にも当てはめてゆくのです。
Artistic Ambition
芸術家としての道
What he started to explore was more intimate description of human feelings and symbolic use of what’s around one’s day-to-day life. As he looked at existential reality he needed to incorporate the depiction of human existence into a really short form of poem. Then, inevitably he found it necessary to be truly honest about artistic ambition and live a life that is compatible with an art form he tried to pursue. This attitude was appallingly different from that of the mainstream poets. This is why his style was referred to as Foo-kyo, or a creative fit, a creative flu.
素材として取り上げるようになったのは、より生の人間の感情や、それを取り巻く事物です。生きることの現実に目を向けたことで、俳句という究極の定型短詩に生の有り様を詠みこむ必要が生じたのです。この芸術的野心を突き詰めると、「芸に生きる」ことが避けられなくなります。こうした芸術家的態度は、当時の主流派とは恐ろしく異なるものでした。こうしたことによって、芭蕉は「風狂」という言葉で特徴づけられるようにもなったのです。
Artists pursue what they believe are great while doing away with what is believed to be popular. They always struggle to find a place in the world where they can feel right. Their own unique style shines bright in itself but when it comes to commercial success they face an issue of general acceptance. Basho himself got down from a highway of life and started to cruise at his own speed in a truly artistic lane.
芸術家は、世の中でもてはやされるものではなく、良いと己が認める道を進むものですが、そんな世界に自分の居場所を見つけることは容易ではありません。それぞれの芸術は、それ自体では輝いているのですが、広く世の中から認められるという現世的成功となると、困難に直面します。芭蕉自身も、高速道路的人生を降りて、真に芸術家たる道を、自ら切り拓いてゆくことにしたのです。
櫓の声波を打て腸凍る夜や涙
Oars creaking
Water splashing
Chilled to the bone
At night
In tears櫓を漕ぐ軋むような音 波立つ水の音を聞くにつけ 身体の芯まで凍えるようなこんな夜は 涙がこぼれるよ
