Blief explanation on Tanka poetry for foreign visitors.
Thank you for your visit and welcome to Daddy Bear's "Tanka 短歌 poem" weblog site "Uta No Okeiko (The Study of Tanka)".
Tanka is modern, contemporary and ethnic poetry of Japan.
It is generally composed of 31(5,7,5,7,7) syllables (みそひともじ misohitomoji) in Japanese languege.
This poetical form is based on "Waka 和歌 (or Uta 歌, Yamato-uta 大和歌)" traditional poetry of Japan that really goes back more than 1300 years at least.
This traditional literature always grew under the aegis of Emperor of Japan Court (or "Emperor System").
We Japanese feel beauty, elegance and a kind of (supreme) spirituality of it.
I think Waka tradition and Tanka modernity originated by great Tanka and Haiku poet Masaoka Shiki 正岡子規 (1867-1902) is continuous, but some poets don't think so.
It is probably a matter of view and subtle difference, well,well.
Then, enjoy it.
田児の浦ゆうち出でてみれば真白にぞ不尽(ふじ)の高嶺に雪は降りける
山部赤人 (万葉集318、西暦700年頃)
Tago no ura yu uchiidetemireba masiro nizo Fuji no takane ni yuki wa furikeru
Yamabe no Akahito (Akahito of Yamabe, Manyosyu No.318, about AD700)
Coming out from Tago's nestle cobe, I gaze : white, pure white the snow has fallen on Fuji's lofty peak