Robert Aitken: A Zen Wave

Published by John Weatherhill, Inc. 1978

Robert Aitken’s, A Zen Wave: Basho’s Haiku & Zen is an exceptionally fine book on two counts: it is a penetrating commentary on Zen as lived by the poet Basho, and it is an exemplary translation of Basho’s poetry.

What makes A Zen Wave stand out? Translators of haiku, of which there have been many, have employed a variety of strategies in attempting to render the compact haiku form into English. In translating Basho, Aitken has adopted the only sensible strategies: he dispenses with the 5-7-5 syllable structure, for the simple reason that it doesn’t work in English, and he resists any temptation to impose western poetic conventions. Instead, he focuses on capturing the Zen spirit of Basho. It is here, in conveying the spirit of Basho’s haiku, that Aitken proves himself exceptionally adept.

For each poem, Aitken first gives his English translation, followed by a romanized version (romaji), and a literal, word-for-word transliteration of the Japanese. This allows the reader to appreciate both what the original poem looked like, and the liberties taken by the translator in ‘creating’ an English version. This format discloses the translation process with uncommon honesty. It allows and compels Aitken to explain and justify his translations. Here is an example: The Old Pond

(First Aitken’s translation)

The old pond;
A frog jumps in-
The sound of water.

(Then the romaji)

Furu ike ya
kawazu tobikomu
mizu no oto

(Then the literal transliteration)

Old pond!
frog jumps in
water of sound

Then, in a section called “The Form,” Aitken provides a detailed explanation of the pertinent grammatical features, such as the cutting word, “ya,” and how the poem’s structure creates its poetic effects. This section is then followed by the author’s commentary: historical, poetical, and Zen-influenced. In his commentary, he provides critical evaluations of other translations, assessing their fidelity to the original, and provides a rationale for his own version. I personally found this commentary very helpful in appreciating Basho’s haiku.

If you are interested in Basho, in haiku in general, in poetry, or in Zen, I think you’ll find A Zen Wave an exceptional book.

(Robert Aitken has an BA in English Literature and an MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Hawaii. In 1941, he was captured by the Japanese and spent the remainder of the war in a POW camp in Japan. While interned, he met the British scholar, Reginald Blyth, who introduced Aitken to Zen. After four decades of Zen study, he received “transmission” from Yamada Koun Roshi.)

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