[Chibi Creative Award] Choka: The Knot of the Wind [Wind]
I wrote a Choka
The wind descends from the mountains as a breath
In the green hills, the trees come to life
Looking at Yamato from Mount Kagu
Fields of gold, waves of rice ears (Kogane-bara)
Looking at Yamato from Mount Fuji
In the seas on all sides, the morning sun shines (Yomo)
The wind crosses the sea and ascends
To the sky, blowing in a single breath
Returning to the mountains
Hanka (Envoi)
The wind blows down from the mountains again, sweeping across the vast sea in a single breath, binding the land together
Modern Translation
[Choka]
The wind gently blows down from the mountains. In the green, hedge-like mountains surrounding Yamato, the trees are all breathing together.
When I climb Mount Kagu and look out over this land of Yamato (Nara), the golden fields are swaying like waves with ripened ears of rice.
When I look out over the land of Yamato (the Japanese archipelago) from Mount Fuji, the newly risen, beautiful morning sun is sparkling on the seas in all directions.
The wind that blew from the mountains will now cross the sea,
and ascend into the sky. Then, it will blow through with a powerful breath, and return to the mountains once more.
[Hanka]
The wind that blew down from the mountains sweeps across the vast sea in a single breath, binding all of this beautiful land together.
What is a Choka?
We are familiar with the 'Tanka' (short poem) of '5-7-5-7-7' (31 syllables). In contrast, a form that transcends these character limits to express thoughts freely and at length is called a 'Choka' (long poem).
It is a form of poetry rich in narrative that was popular during the Manyoshu era of the Nara period.
Simple Rules of Choka
The rules are surprisingly simple.
Repeat '5-7' alternately many times (at least 3 times or more)
End with '5-7-7'
Because you can extend the length as much as you like to match the message you want to convey, there were some magnificent works that exceeded 100 lines.
The 'Hanka' (Envoi) to remember as a set
After a Choka, one or more short poems (Tanka of 5-7-5-7-7) are sometimes added as a set. This is called a 'Hanka'.
The role of the hanka is
Summarizing thoughts: To condense and convey the grand story told in the choka at the very end.
Leaving an aftertaste (lingering emotion): To gently resonate the unspoken sadness or lingering emotions in the reader's heart.
Changing the perspective: To softly add another emotion that came to mind from a slightly different angle than the choka.
If the choka is the 'main story,' the hanka is like a 'special scene after the end credits.' By combining these two, the worldview of the poem expands even more deeply and three-dimensionally.