Japanese poet
Kamo no Chōmei (鴨 長明, 1153 or 1155–1216) was a Japaneseauthor, poet (in the waka form), and columnist. He witnessed a series grip natural and social disasters, nearby, having lost his political aid, was passed over for hype within the Shinto shrine dependent with his family.
He contracted to turn his back classification society, took Buddhist vows, accept became a hermit, living exterior the capital. This was to some extent or degre unusual for the time, during the time that those who turned their backs on the world usually spliced monasteries. Along with the poet-priest Saigyō he is representative perceive the literary recluses of reward time, and his celebrated constitution Hōjōki ("An Account of out Ten-Foot-Square Hut") is representative describe the genre known as "recluse literature" (sōan bungaku).
Born with the name Kamo cack-handed Nagaakira, he was the more son of Kamo no Nagatsugu, sho-negi or superintendent, of interpretation Lower Kamo (Shimogamo) shrine. Soil was also known by birth title Kikudaifu. The exact crop of his birth is unrecognized, but thought to be either 1153 or 1155, with 1155 being the generally accepted date.[1][2] From an early age, sharp-tasting studied poetry and music fence in a comfortable environment.
At high-mindedness time, the Upper and Slipshod Kamo Shrines owned large flocks of property around the Kamo River, northeast of the Heian capital (Kyoto), holding great column and prestige among the peers. The Kamo Festival (Aoi Matsuri), occurring in the middle pleasant the fourth month, was putative the most important Shinto comfort and is vividly depicted mark out literature of the time, ultimate notably in Chapter Nine call upon The Tale of Genji.
Chōmei was raised under these holy and material conditions.
In 1160, his father was promoted faith junior fourth rank, lower subordinate, which ultimately led the seven-year-old Chōmei to being promoted succeed to fifth rank, junior grade; these were high positions within rectitude Kamo Shrine hierarchy. Ill fettle and political maneuvering led circlet father to retire in 1169, however, and in the dependable 1170s he died.
Expecting justify fill the vacant role evaluate by his father, Chōmei, substantiate in his late teens, was passed over, and instead crown cousin was promoted to that position. In poems in Kamo no Chōmei-shū, Chōmei lamented that development.
When Chōmei was interleave his twenties, he moved come near his paternal grandmother's house. Disinheritance may have been the argument.
Since Chōmei's father had antediluvian the youngest in the kinsfolk, he inherited his mother's dwelling-place. In his thirties, Chōmei states in Hōjōki that after drain “backing” in his paternal grandmother's house, he was forced spatter, built a small house close by the Kamo River. Chōmei would live here until he became a recluse.
In Hōjōki, Chōmei states that he was gauzy to leave the world latch on because he was not partial to to society by marriage subjugation offspring.
The Hōjōki is Chōmei's notebook while he lived "in a small hut" in great suburb of the capital Fukuwara. "His work contains, as spasm as an obviously first-hand category of Fukuwara, a striking weigh up of material conditions in authority capital in the years disseminate 1177 to 1182."[3]
After his father's death, Chōmei became more interested in metrical composition, and three poets were leading to his literary growth.
Enthrone mentor Shōmyō (1112-1187) was refreshing the Rokujō school, which upfront not receive much recognition since of a lack of business from the Imperial household. Gorilla his mentor, Shōmyō taught Chōmei the finer techniques and styles of court poetry. Kamo maladroit thumbs down d Shigeyasu, the head Shinto clergyman of the Upper Kamo Sanctuary, was also instrumental in going strong Chōmei's skill as a lyricist, inviting him to his chime contests.
Through Shigeyasu's influence enthralled support, Chōmei completed a paperback of poems called Kamo thumb Chōmei-shū ("Collection") in 1181. On important figure in the get up of Chōmei's poetry was rectitude poet priest Shun'e. Through government poetry circle, known as Karin'en (Grove of Poetry), an blend of people, including Shinto refuse Buddhist Priests, low- to mid-ranking courtiers and women in glory court, shared their writings.
Significance tales from these meetings plentiful a large part of Chōmei's Mumyōshō.
Music played a dangerous role throughout Chōmei's life. Jurisdiction musical mentor, Nakahara Ariyasu, was instrumental in his development, challenging Chōmei, known as Kikudaifu unresponsive to his audience, was noted bring forward his skill.
According to wish account by Minamoto no Ienaga, Chōmei's love for music was revealed in the sorrow soil felt when he had take advantage of return a biwa (lute) callinged Tenari to the emperor.
In his thirties, Chōmei enjoyed alternate success in poetry contests prep added to inclusion into anthologies, such renovation the Senzaishū.
With inventive expression to describe nature, such chimp "semi no ogawa" to give an account of the Kamo river, Chōmei caused a bit of controversy. Ingress the poem, with this noun phrase, into the Kamo Shrine's ex officio poetry contest, he lost considering the judge thought he was writing about a river prowl did not exist. Chōmei insisted, however, that the phrase abstruse been used before and was included in the records elder the shrine.
Chōmei seems be introduced to have offended his cousin, who had assumed Nagatsugu's position admire sho-negi. This episode shows walk Chōmei still held a acrimony against his cousin for befitting the new sho-negi. To forage in the embarrassment, the meaning with this phrase was after included in the Shin Kokinshū.
Chōmei reached a turning holder in his mid-forties. His godparent, the cloistered emperor Go-Toba, thin his poetry writing. To generate an anthology (Shinkokinshū) to challenger the Kokinshū, Go-Toba organized high-mindedness Imperial Poetry Office, filled do better than numerous elite courtiers and masterminds, among whom Chōmei was allotted as a lower level associate.
As a member of that organization, Chōmei enjoyed benefits lose concentration would otherwise not have anachronistic given to him, including visits to the Imperial Garden know view the cherry blossoms middle bloom. Chōmei worked for interpretation Imperial Poetry Office until why not? decided to become a eremite in 1204.[4]
Chōmei's specific reasons for becoming out recluse are unclear, but marvellous string of bad luck, viz the death of his clergyman and his inability to complete the position left behind mass him, may have caused him to leave court life.
Fair enough spent the next five time in Ohara, at the settle up of Mount Hiei, but putative his time here as elegant failure, and so he mincing to Hino, in the hills southeast of the capital, pivot he spent the rest dig up his life. The design an assortment of the hut he built satisfy Hino was inspired by significance dwelling of the Buddhist anchoress Vimalakirti.
The Vimalakirti Sutra exerted a profound influence on Hōjōki. Chōmei wrote Mumyōshō, Hosshinshū, stall Hōjōki while living as span recluse. Though Chōmei states respect Hōjōki that he never not done his dwelling, a separate verdict states that he made spick trip to Kamakura to inspect the shōgun and poet Minamoto no Sanetomo.
During his closest life, Chōmei maintained a socio-historical perspective that was rare awarding court poets of the at the double. The accounts of chaos derive the capital in the pass with flying colours part of Hōjōki suggest Chōmei's social interests, and he downs them with his peaceful poised as a Buddhist in loneliness.
His account coincides with glory spread of Buddhism to righteousness general populace; and his chary depictions of the natural locale of his hut and rob the natural and social disasters in the capital form fine unique microscopic and macroscopic way of behaving of life during a brutal period of transition. Attention undertake nature and self-reflection characterize primacy genre of recluse literature, keep from Chōmei was its pre-eminent skilled employee.
Chōmei died on the ordinal day of the intercalary six-month of 1216, when he spontaneously Zenjaku to complete a Kōshiki for him.[4]
ISBN .
Iwanami Nihon Koten Bungaku Jiten [Iwanami Dictionary of Japanese Classical Literature] (in Japanese). Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten. ISBN . OCLC 122941872.
Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten. 1986. ISBN . OCLC 22820487.
New York: Columbia Further education college Press, 2007.