Tohru Watanabe, photo by Kenki Iida
The november issue of the Japanese poetry magazine Gendaishi-techo features an insert of Czesław Miłosz's audiobook recorded by the actor Tohru Watanabe.
Watanabe shared his thoughts on recording the collections, "I would like to say that reading Miłosz's poems allowed me experience a true intellectual adventure, and I hope that I was able to touch upon this vision of the world and of man that Miłosz paints out in his poems. I hope that the listeners of this audiobook will also experience the unique atmosphere of this selection of poems".
Kibou / Hope
Tami-wo itaburishimono-yo / You Who Wronged
Shikashi shomotsu-wa / And Yet the Books
Kakumo wazuka / So Little
Watashi-no chuujitsu-na kotoba-yo / My Faithful Mother Tongue
Campo dei Fiori
Sekai-no owari-no uta / Song on the End of the World
Sheteinye-de / In Szetejnie
Kumo / Clouds
Nihon-no shijin Issa (1762-1826) wo yominagara / Reading Issa, the Japanese Poet (1762-1826)
More from Tohru Watanabe on recording the audiobook:
With this selection of poems I faced the challenge of measuring up to the entire richness of Miłosz's poetry. This turned out to be no easy task, as he is a poet-philosopher who trangresses forms typical of poetic enunciation for which it is not easy to find a interpreatative key.
When I familiarised myself with the poems, I became intrigued by the distinct style and language in which a heated tone and emotional engagement come to the fore. This poetry has a refined and unparalleled style, with many philosophical, historical, metaphysical and religious references.
Often pesimistic and bitter in his tone, restless, at times gentle, ironic, distanced towards himself and the surrounding world, liking to surprise the reader: I think that these traits of Miłosz's pieces make it impossible for anyone to remain indifferent towards his poetry.
In his constant search for new forms of artistic expression, Miłosz took an interest in haiku and translated many of them from English into the Polish.
- Tokyo, June 2011
More on the project
Project cofinanced by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.
Czesław Miłosz is a Flagship Project of the Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency. The production of the Japanese audiobook was co-organised by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Tokyo
For more information on the project, see: Czesław Miłosz
For more information on 2011 Milosz Year, see: www.365milosz.eu
Source: Adam Mickiewicz Institute