TWO HUNDRED SELECTED HAIKU -
Matsuo Basho Translated by Dr Tim Chilcott 97,98,99
Dear friends,
I apologise for not posting yesterday. I had planned to watch Gladiator II, and since I love the first film, I was eager to share my thoughts with you. However, I must admit I came home rather disappointed, so I won’t dwell on it too much. It was lovely to see some familiar faces from the original cast, and I felt a wave of nostalgia when Russell Crowe appeared in flashbacks, but…
I didn’t connect with Maximus’s son as much as I had hoped. While the performances were commendable, I would have appreciated seeing more of his experience being separated from his mother, beyond just her sending him away. It left little room for the audience to truly care. I was quite gutted, especially since Ridley Scott and his family have directed several films that are among my all-time favourites. It was disappointing that some basic storytelling elements seemed to be lacking for me.
Has anyone else seen it? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
And now Basho… we are almost half way.
97 [Autumn 1689] yu no nagori / iku tabi miru ya / kiri no moto [hot-spring's departure / how-many times see! / mist's under] leaving the hot springs: looking back how many times, searching through the mist 98 [Autumn 1689] Visiting the Kannon temple at Nata ishiyama no / ishi yori shiroshi / aki no kaze [Stone-Mountain's / stones more-than is-white / autumn's wind] whiter far than all the stones Stone Mountain has - the autumnal wind 99 [Autumn 1689] Tamae tsukimi seyo / tamae no ashi o / karanu saki [moonview / Jewel-Bay's reeds (acc.) / not-cut before] the moon's beams falling on the reeds of Jewel Bay before they are cut
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Until next time,
Bee well,
Xanda