Of course, it could just be that I'm not enlightened
Matt Kozusko (mkozusko@parallel.park.uga.edu)
Thu, 14 Oct 1999 15:48:10 -0500
Sundeep Dougal wrote:
> And, yes, Matt, what a shame about poetry translators.
When it comes to Rilke, yes. But actually, I was talking about the
poetry itself. As most of you know, my primary purpose on this list
is to say provoking, vaguely snotty things about the conversation
whenever it becomes too celebratory. To heave big rocks into all
placid lakes in the haikus that comprise the bfish community. So, as
painful as it is:
In the west, the haiku ends up a matter of empty simplicity and
understatement and a bunch of people with knowing, enlightened grins.
It's righteous posturing.
JDS for example. His most intolerable posturing (or, if you like,
most of his intolerable posturing) involves eastern poetry and
enlightenment. I don't see where being curmudgeonly and conceited is
commensurate with being elightened or even being on your way to
enlightenment. It don't even see where being mysterious is part of
being enlightened. That's part of the *image* of being enlightened.
Probably the same sort of thing that Sato objected to in the
misleading translation.
--
Matt Kozusko mkozusko@parallel.park.uga.edu