THE IMAGERY OF SUMMER IN THE JAPANESE POETRY OF MATSUO BASHO: A TRANSLATION APPROACH
Mihaela IOVU, Universitatea de Stat din Moldova, Fundația pentru Relații Moldo-Japoneze
Abstract
The imagery of nature plays a fundamental role in lyrical poetry, encompassing a multitude of emotions, visual
and auditory images that are evoked through it. In Japanese literature, summer holds a particularly important place,
not only as a time when numerous natural processes occur but also as a concept that stimulates readers’ memories
and emotions. This study focuses on exploring haiku that evoke characteristic elements of summer and on how these
are translated into languages such as Romanian, French, and English. The main objective of the paper is to identify
the translation techniques used to convey summer’s imagery, alongside the challenges encountered and the solutions
applied, using comparative analysis methods. The selected haiku, created by the great poet Matsuo Basho, were chosen specifically for their ability to capture the essence of summer, and were then compared in terms of structure and
meaning across different translated versions.
This endeavour aims to highlight that translating poetry, especially that which reflects strong seasonal imagery
like summer, can be successfully accomplished through various strategies. Whether the emphasis is on preserving
the original sensations and images or on adapting the form to make the poetry accessible to audiences from other
cultures, the translator can choose innovative solutions as long as they manage to convey the essence of summer as
perceived in Japanese culture. The analysis focuses on the specific difficulties of translating haiku, such as maintaining the conciseness, ambiguity, and symbolism typical of Japanese poetry. Through this study, we seek to confirm
that although translating poetry is challenging and filled with obstacles, it offers multiple solutions, either by retaining
the original emotions and imagery or by adapting the form and accessibility for the target audience.
Keywords: imaginary, haiku, poetic work, poetic translation, kigo, translation strategies, Japanese language.
