| | It was rather unusually warm and calm late fall day that was felt so nice, and it was the day we had Tanka workshop. Today’s subject was “?:Sky/Air”- not just simply about “Sky” but also use the image from the phrase: When a single letter of “?” was combined with other letters it becomes individually established Kanji vocabulary, such as “??: Atmosphere”, “???: (a Sky which makes you feel) Emotion”, “??: Aerial”, “??: Imagination” or “??: Air”.
The word “Sky” has been frequently appeared in poem since “Man-yo (literature collection issued in late 8 century)” period since the letter was easily adapted with others to create other character which could be used to express freely in many ways of impression since these vocabularies are part of our living and life. The one’s feeling was expressed in these different phrases. By writing about “Sky” you’d be describing your heart feeling. It was indeed very touching to find some of today’s participants had expressed their emotions in the letter “Sky”. It is no doubt that by restudying the very familiar sky, some may have felt deep closeness to the nostalgia in the character. You may be using letters without thinking, but you would realize some have a long history. You may also learn Tanka poem contains some vocabularies in deep emotions or time, and by composing Tanka with such significant vocabularies it’d give a life to it.
At the end of today’s workshop, all participants were suggested to obtain Shikishi paper and Tanzaku (the long narrow strip of fancy paper for poem) for each to display final works at the upcoming Year-end luncheon. It was recommended to use black ink except pencil or ballpoint pens (calligraphy brush, brush-pen or magic marker would be more appropriate) for the finish. We all look forward to seeing everyone’s work.
We had our regular tea time with snacks each brought in while exchanging information in pleasant conversation. It’ll be the 9th year of our Tanka workshop next year which is the year of Dog. I sincerely hope that we could keep each one’s enthusiasm and loyalty to each other.
Chikako Mori
Tanka Instructor
(Translated by ms) | | ２０１７年最後の短歌ワークショップが１１月４日、例年に無く暖かで穏やかな晩秋を愛でつつ森宅で開催されました。今回の歌題は「空」とし、空中／空哀し／空間／空想／空気などの熟語も使用しての短歌制作でした。「空」は万葉の頃以来、頻繁に詠われてきましたが「空」という語が生活や人生に密着しつつどんな言葉とも容易に結合させて変幻自在な情緒を表現出来るためです。その変化に人間心理のあらゆる要素を融合させて来ました。「空」を詠う事は人間の心をそのままに詠う事にもなります。メンバーの方達も心情を「空」に託して詠われた短歌が多く、共鳴させられました。改めて身近な「空」を見つめ直す事によって、その語が持つ情緒にも深く接しられたと思います。なにげなく使用している語にも長い時間が流れているのです。短歌制作は時間を深く内蔵している語や、その重みに沈んでいる語などに生命を与え、美しく蘇えさせる効果もある事も重ねて学ばれたと思います。最後はMHJCA忘年会に展示するべく短歌色紙／短冊を個々人に購買して頂きました。書する自作短歌は鉛筆／ボールペン以外の黒色用具（習字筆、筆ペン、マーカー等）で解読出来る書体でとなっていますので、皆さんの作品を楽しみにしています。ワークショップの後はティー・タイムでそれぞれが持参して下さったスナックを囲み情報交換が笑みと共に交わされました。来年は戌年、短歌ワークショップも９年目となりますがますます情熱とロイアリティあるメンバーの方達と楽しく持続出来たらと期待しております。
森 千佳子記 | |
