Arthur Waley was fluent in both Chinese and Japanese, and translated verse and drama in both languages into English. Despite never visiting either country his literal and sensitive translations of very early tanka poems faithfully reflect the themes of their Japanese writers; many are personal, romantic, gentle, and concerned with the natural world. He did not, as far as we know, write original poetry in any language.
James Kirkup also read Japanese and lived and worked in the country for 30 years. He translated free verse into English with great sensitivity and translated tanka from pre-medieval to modern periods. He was in touch with contemporary Japanese poets and thus aware of contemporary developments in subject matter. He also wrote prolifically in English, in free verse and prose as well as tanka.
Alan Hill has mastered the rhythm and balance of poetic lines containing odd numbers of syllables and has made the tanka his own. His poems, written over a period of half a century, are personal but outward-looking; his comments on contemporary UK society are made from an individual viewpoint. They are wry, witty, truthful and often surprising - he makes few, if any, references to traditional Japanese content but places the tanka firmly in the English poetic tradition.
The work of these three people reflects an evolution of the English tanka. Where does it go from here? The format dictates brevity, concision and modesty of poetic ambition. For centuries the themes were based predominantly on personal relations and natural beauty but recently (in both Japanese and English) the poems have become more demanding, developing a sharper focus on social, political and environmental themes. Perhaps this will continue – there’s a great deal in our world that might benefit from short, acerbic comment.
Climate breakdown is
plain as the nose on your face.
The mystery is that
we hear but still don't listen
we know but still don't believe.
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