Winds of Gold—A Hundred Views of Saihoji Vol. 20

In this series of essays on Saihoji the renowned translator of Japanese poetry and poet Peter MacMillan records his impressions of and reflections on his visits to the garden throughout the four seasons. We hope that through these essays you the readers and fans of Saihoji can feel as if you are also present in the magical garden even when you cannot visit us.

Getting Lost on the Way…

This time I would like to write about a visit I made to Saihoji in spring. It was early morning. I had not been for two months, and I felt excited but also nervous about whether I could write a good article today. And as soon as I walked into the garden and saw how splendid it was, the thought came into my mind that it was completely futile to try to capture in writing the splendor of the garden, because we humans can never match the beauty of nature. Everywhere I looked, the garden was full of the manifold changes of spring. Buds were coming out and all kinds of birds were welcoming the morning. There was something so fresh and beautiful, so dynamic and rich, and I felt it was impossible to transcend the magnificence of nature, that not only fills this garden but also the whole world around us.

But as I was walking around the garden, I realized that I could not just stop my column because I had already promised to complete a certain number of articles. And I wondered how one should continue a journey which has been started when one gets lost on the way. I am sure this must be something that the readers will also have experience, and indeed one young reader of my column recently sent me this message: “Even if one decides to take a new journey by coming to Saihoji, I think there are some who don't know what to do to actually reach their goal, or who don't know what path to take, and so they feel lost.”

While walking onwards I recalled the saying of Rumi the famous poet, “As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.” It is a great saying about how to begin a journey, and I think it could also be re-written, “When you get lost on your journey, just continue and the way will appear.”

We should not expect to know in advance what the journey will look like, and if we do, it may not be such a worthwhile journey. Rather than expecting to predict results, we can find great value in the journey itself. And getting lost on the way is an important part and essential part of every important journey. So when you get lost, treasure that moment and learn from it. Then just take the next step anyway and an answer will surely appear in front of you. Let every day be the first step on the next stage of the journey of your life.

For me as a writer on the garden, I can simply accept that nature will always be more magnificent than my words, but it does not mean the words will have no value. Humans are highly social animals that need constant communication with others and guidance in their lives. Rather than my trying to write a perfect description of the garden, it may be more helpful for readers for me to describe my own personal journey through life and sharing insights honestly about my many failings and the things I learnt from them. And the garden is the perfect place to think over and write about such things.

The garden is a benchmark and a great teacher, but it is what happens after we return to life that is what is important. So never stop walking even when you are lost. Life will always lead you on the journey that is yours and only yours.

Peter MacMillan

Peter MacMillan is a prize-winning translator, scholar, poet, and President of The Moon is a Boat Co., Ltd.

His translation, One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each (Hyakunin Isshu), was published in 2008, winning prizes in both Japan and the United States. After that, he completed an English translation of The Tales of Ise (Ise Monogatari), which was published by Penguin in 2016. He has also published a collection of poetry entitled Admiring Fields.

Awards:
Recipient of the Donald Keene Center Special Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature
Recipient of the 44th Special Cultural Translation Prize from the Japan Society of Translators Nominated for the PEN Award for Poetry Translation for the English translation of The Tale of Ise (Ise no Monogatari)