In Celebration of Publication Launch
Written by: Hara Shintarō
Translated by: Paul Denhoed
Published in: Essays Volume 1
Written by: Hara Shintarō
Translated by: Paul Denhoed
Published in: Essays Volume 1
The emotions that human beings experience in their hearts and express as words; that which is created by beating the wings of the imagination in order to vividly express the various phenomena in the universe; this is what we call poems, songs, novels, and other literary works. And all of this we generalize under the name of literature.
There are various ways of looking at it, but I believe that literature is where we find some of people’s most valuable experiences within the realm of sentiment. In fact, I understand it to be life itself, and the source of all purity and originality. Literature requires constant effort and a serious attitude; it shouldn’t fall into the incoherent ramblings of bored people or some mere game of the pen.
It is my hope that this publication will serve to some degree to nurture these sensibilities, which have been under constant threat and nearly snuffed out by this environment so utterly different from what we are used to.
What is the Heart Mountain Bungei? Learn about the story behind the poetry and prose of the collection, and the process of translating and interpreting the Bungei.