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Image / Letter with poem for Kitō

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Item information.

Title
Letter with poem for Kitō
Creator
Yosa, Buson, 1716-1784
Date Created and/or Issued
1774
Publication Information
Japan
Contributing Institution
UC Merced, Library and Special Collections
Collection
Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture collection
Rights Information
Public Domain
Material in public domain. No restrictions on use.
Description
Funding: Digitization funded by an Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Leadership Grant (LG 30-02-0260-02) awarded to the University of California, Merced Library.
Type
image
Format
1 hanging scroll, 16 x 68 cm. Signed "夜半" (Yahan) at lower left edge. No seals. Inscribed, "I have read the 'sho kaishi' [kaishi of the New Year]; it is really interesting. I have nothing more to say but to offer you my congratulations. However, the poem about the wild mouse has a loss of meaning in the first part due to the emphasis upon 'scratching its face.' It is not like a pheasant scratching its face, and so it is disappointing. This poem could have been a good one, but you have tried for too much and therefore the feeling was lost. / This winter I have been suffering from illness due to my old age. It is difficult to think of ideas for poems and so I have not been writing poetry at all. However, I am not so ill as to have thoughts of death. Now I am sick in bed as I receive your letter. While rubbing my eyes which have become dim with age, I am answering hurriedly since you have requested an immediate response. I'll talk more with you when I see you, —the 17th day, Yahan / p.s. My foolish poem on the printed sheet of Kitano looks quite appropriate; the block copy has come out in an interesting way, in fact it is unprecedented." (trans. Stephen Addiss) ink on paper
Form/Genre
hanging scrolls
letters (correspondence)
Middle Edo
Nanga
Identifier
ark:/13030/hb9x0nc05h
ucm_li_AS050
Language
Japanese
jpn
Subject
New Year
Poetry

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