Yamaoka Tesshu, 6-Panel Screen (Request for help with translation)

[Iaido dude]

This is a gorgeous work in outstanding condition by Yamaoka currently being offered in auction that I cannot find a reference for in published books, prior online auctions or well-known online collections. Many of his work of this kind consists of of a set of 6-panel screens. This is one screen, which may suggest that it has been separated from the original set. Or it may have been intended as a single screen. I suspect that the translation may help solve this mystery. As usual, Yamaoka's cursive script, while consistent, is highly idiosyncratic. I find it very hard to decipher, although I am trying to learn his style from a famous poem that he brushed to provide instruction on calligraphy for his wife. Some of the challenge is also how he connects kanji or hiragana characters. This work is clearly pure kanji, which suggests that it is a poem or Ch'an teaching. He was classically trained in Chinese literature, poetry, and Ch'an writings.

 

 

[Iaido dude]

Sorry, here's the last panel.

 

[Graybadger]

Hi Steve,  I have appreciated the beauty of Yamaoka Tesshu's calligraphy and I have read and appreciated his translated book "The Sword of No Sword."  But calligraphy without translation is mere decoration, devoid of meaning.  Can you tell us where to find the "famous poem that he brushed to provide instruction on calligraphy for his wife" that you mentioned?  Or any other translations that identify the characters that he is depicting?  Thanks, -Greg

 

[Iaido dude]

Hi Greg. Here is a write up that I took from my website:

 

"The vast majority of his works were calligraphy from the Jubokudo lineage of Shodo established by Wang Hsi-chi (Wang Xizhi), a Chinese calligrapher of the 4th century. Yamaoka created a calligraphy manual based on the 154 Chinese characters of a poem – “The Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup” – by the Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu (712 – 770 A.D.) that is still practiced by the Chosei Zen Rhode Island Zen Dojo in the US."

 

Part of the difficulty with translating Yamaoka's brushwork is that it is highly idiosyncratic, although extraordinarily consistent. He also mixed kanji with katakana in many of his works. Although his "calligraphy manual" is useful, it is only 154 characters long. It is often said that to read a Chinese newspaper requires fluency in at least 2,000 characters. And if we suspect that the work on the panels that I posted is taken from ancient Chinese poetry, we are now talking about this language in the hands of (e.g.) Tang dynasty poets! The only person I know of who was truly an expert translator of Yamaoka is John Stevens. I still mourn his recent passing. No longer can I  reach out to him for help with translation. However, I continue to work on these panels whenever I see something familiar such as the kanji for "wind" as the second character in the last column. It gives me a cross reference.

 

Interestingly, the Chosei Zen shodo practice uses the Yamaoka manual as a template for learning calligraphy as part of and to enhance zen practice. Breathing and form are very important in shodo, as they are in zazen and budo. I originally came into contact with Chosei Zen while seeking assistance with a Yamaoka work. No one there can read a complex Yamaoka work. In fact, I'm more familiar with Yamaoka's usage and range. As it turns out, they practice shodo without needing to know the meaning of the calligraphy--even purposely ignoring the meaning of the kanji in the process of focusing on the act of creating a beautiful brushwork that reflects the state of their minds in samadhi.

 

So, I disagree with your statement that "calligraphy without translation is mere decoration, devoid of meaning." One of the remarkable qualities of a work by Yamaoka (or Otagaki Rengetsu for that matter) is that it is readily apparent that they were the work of a martial artist. His execution of characters on this particular panel is a perfect example. The columns and character spacing are perfectly aligned, one character flowing into the next without a break. The hand is sure, fast, and perfectly controlled as if he were engaged in a sword duel. His calligraphy has been analyzed under microscopic examination to reveal the absolute confidence in which the ink has been laid down on paper. Like a fortress, there is no way to attack or penetrate these lines from the outside. The panels are over 6 feet tall and stretch out to nearly 12 feet. When you stand in front of them, it is simply overwhelming. It feels like it a face-to-face encounter with Yamaoka's life force.

 

Of course I would love to know the meaning of the poems on these panels. They will lead to other levels of meaning. Merely decoration? I don't experience them that way. One last thought. Here are two examples of the same Hanshan poem, brushed by Rinzai Zen master Gako (Tengen Chiben) and the Obaku Zen master Baisao. Their calligraphy reflects totally different pictorial styles separated by about a century and with different intentions--both admirable. Same poem/meaning.

 

吾心似秋月 (Wú xīn sì qiū yuè) - My mind is like the autumn moon,
碧潭清皎潔 (Bì tán qīng jiǎo jié) - clear and bright in a pool of jade,
無物堪比倫 (Wú wù kān bǐ lún) - nothing can compare,
教我如何説 (Jiào wǒ rú hé shuō) - what more can I say

 

 

 

Edited January 13 by Iaido dude

[Graybadger]

Thank you Steve, for sharing these resources and your thoughts.

Best regards, -Greg

[Iaido dude]

It's my pleasure and privilege, Greg.

Cheers.