A Tale of Two Genjis | A Quick Translation Comparison
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- Опубліковано 21 тра 2024
- I've just started reading A Tale of Genji, by Murasaki Shikibu as part of the big summer read over at Benjamin McEvoy's book club, the Hardcore Literature Book Club. I have two translations and the first chapter of the Manga edition and did a quick translation comparison of a favourite passage from chapter 1.
Hardcore Literature Book Club - / hardcoreliterature
►Tyler Translation◄
At dusk one blustery and suddenly chilly autumn day, His Majesty, assailed more than ever by memories, dispatched the gentlewoman dubbed Yugei no Myōbu to his love's home, then, after she had left under a beautiful evening moon, he lapsed again into reverie. He felt her there beside him, just as she had always been on evenings like this when he had called for music, and when her touch on her instrument, or her least word to him, had been so much her own; except that he would have preferred even to this vivid dream her simple reality in the dark.
►Washburn Translation◄
The winds of autumn were stirring, the dusk air suddenly began to chill the skin, and the Emperor, lost in his memories, grew increasingly melancholy. One evening he sent a lady-in-waiting, Yugei no Myōbu, the daughter of an archer in the Palace Guard, to the house where the young Prince was staying. The moon that night was exquisite, and, having sent the woman on her way, His Majesty was soon lost in a reverie. He had always arranged for some form of entertainment with music and poetry on just such spectacular evenings as this. He conjured phantom images of playing the koto together with his lost love and recalled the special feeling and artistry of her performance. He remembered her way of speaking, so seemingly natural and unforced, and her looks and bearing, so superior to the others. These images clung to him, bringing to mind the old verse that claimed reality in the darkness was no better than dreams.4 How wrong that poet was, he thought. There is no substitute for her real presence here in the dark.
BUY THE BOOK
Tale of Genji, Tyler Translation (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) - geni.us/EdOw
Tale of Genji, Dennis Washburn Translation - geni.us/5511k
Tale of Genji, Manga, Volume 1. - geni.us/BSvy
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I also found the Washburn more intelligible and detailed, Cams. Thanks for the comparison.
Same. I’m taking it with me today as I travel and sit in coffee shops while waiting for car repairs. Glad the comparison was helpful.
@@CamsCampbellReads This time I’m reading the book in my mother tongue (Spanish) because I already had it, but I will buy the Washburn soon to complement it. Greetings from another HLBC member!
I bpught the beautiful penguin classic too. Thanks for your reflections. Love Benjamin's Hardcore Literature Bookclub too. Just finishing my deep read (audio & penguin classic) Pride & Prejudice this weekend, absolutely loved it
I almost joined the Pride and Prejudice one but I just had too much reading going on. And honestly, I'm not sure about Genji. I keep not picking it up, which isn't a good sign.
Oh, my. That's a book I'd love to have as a collection. Beautiful, beautiful. As a Japanese, I really should read the whole A Tale of Genji, but gosh, that's one of the most difficult book even for a Japanese to go through. Though, the story is well known and popular. I've seen a few adapted plays of the book, which is quite helpful to understand the whole story, but I've never tried to read the whole thing. As you may know, we usually read the modern translations and there are so so many options and each one is quite different. There's even a Japanese translation of an English translation (by Arthur Waley) that is quite popular, too. I've been reading it on and off, modern translation by Akiko Yosano, but with the help of a "beginner book" that gives me a short summary and explanations of cultural aspects, along with an analysis of the original writing. But, I don't think I ever finish reading it anytime soon😂 As for that particular part of the translation, Tyler seems closer to the original whereas Washburn filled a lot of more of the blank to make it more understandable.
It is a beautiful book for sure, but one that I'm struggling with. I hope to get through more of it this week, once my two Crime and Punishment posts are out the way. I'm nearly done drafting the first one.
I’ve got two copies of The Tale of Genji also, Washburn and Seidensticker. Your reading of it is beautiful. It makes me really want to read it. (Edited for spelling.)
Do it! 😂
Seems eminently readable. Ancient literature so often surprises me in this way, you'd think I'd have learned by now.
I'm struggling with it. Two chapters in and getting way behind on the read-along. To finish in time I'd need to be reading 30 pages a day and I can't see that happening to be honest. I'm not DNFing, just accepting reality.
The Washburn seems to be impossible to buy. Even amazon UK only have the kindle version.
Yeah, I found the same.