LL-L "Literature" 2004.05.11 (05) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 11.MAY.2004 (05) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Literature

Dear Lowlanders,

This weekend I stumbled across a Japanese haiku poem with a Lowlands
reference  It is the work of the famous haiku poet Shiki (Masaoka Shiki
子規正岡, 1867–1902):

     帆の多き
     和蘭陀船や
          雲の峰

     Ho no ouki
     orandasen ya
          kumo no mine

Below are my draft translations (in haiku meter: 5 - 7- 5 syllable) into
English, German and Lowlands Saxon (Low German), with a bonus stab at a
Dutch translation:

     Wow! How many sails
     it is flying, the Dutch ship!
          The billowing clouds ...

     So viele Segel
     führt das holländische Schiff!
          Das Wolkenbauschen ...

     Kiek! De Hollanner!
     He hett 'n groot Deel Seils sett.
          De Wulkenbulens ...

     Een Nederlands schip!
     En met zo vele zeilen!
          De opswellende wolken ...

Help with the translations would be appreciated.  Here is a literal
translation of the Japanese original:

     sail {possessive} numerous
     Dutch ship {exclamatory}
          cloud {possessive} peak

So, roughly:

     (a/the) Dutch ship
     with numerous sails!
          Cloud's peaks!

Theoretically, one could translate the last part as "the peaks of the
clouds."  However, this often-used phrase does not need to be taken
literally.  It generally denotes the billowing up of cumulus clouds, and I
assume this goes with the image of the full sails.

I am wondering about the "Dutch ship."  Does Shiki really mean a ship from
the Netherlands, or does he use "Dutch" as meaning generally
"Western(-style)"?  The Netherlands had had regular representation in Japan
since about 1600, as the only foreign nation besides China to be permitted
to have a trade settlement (in Nagasaki).  Things Western came to be
referred to as "Dutch" (e.g., _rangaku_ 蘭学 'Western studies',* much like
_belanda_ "Dutch" came to be used for "European" among ordinary
Indonesians).  In Shiki's lifetime, the Netherlands were no longer the only
nation with a stronghold in Japan.  In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry's
gunboat diplomacy had "opened" Japan for the United States and the world,
and this was followed by a Westernization craze among certain Japanese.  So,
the ship he describes could be American or British as well as Dutch.   Does
anyone know if _orandasen 和蘭陀船_ should be taken literally as "Dutch ship" or
just as "Western ship"?

* The choice of Chinese characters for "Netherlands/Dutch" is interesting.
These days the name tends to be written with _Katakana_ (オランダ oranda), the
syllable symbols used to render foreign words.  I wonder if 和蘭陀 is a Chinese
loan (Mandarin _hélántuó_, Cantonese _wo4laan4to4_).  (Nowadays it is
Chinese 荷蘭, Mandarin _hélán_, Cantonese _ho4laan4_.)

Thanks in advance for any input.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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