The imagery of summer in the Jjapanese poetry of Matsuo Basho: a translation approach

The imagery of nature plays a fundamental role in lyrical poetry, encompassing a multitude of emotions, visual and auditory images that are evoked through it. In Japanese literature, summer holds a particularly important place, not only as a time when numerous natural processes occur but also as a concept that stimulates readers’ memories and emotions. This study focuses on exploring haiku that evoke characteristic elements of summer and on how these are translated into languages such as Romanian, French, and English. The main objective of the paper is to identify the translation techniques used to convey summer’s imagery, alongside the challenges encountered and the solutions applied, using comparative analysis methods. The selected haiku, created by the great poet Matsuo Basho, were chosen specifically for their ability to capture the essence of summer, and were then compared in terms of structure and meaning across different translated versions. This endeavour aims to highlight that translating poetry, especially that which reflects strong seasonal imagery like summer, can be successfully accomplished through various strategies. Whether the emphasis is on preserving the original sensations and images or on adapting the form to make the poetry accessible to audiences from other cultures, the translator can choose innovative solutions as long as they manage to convey the essence of summer as perceived in Japanese culture. The analysis focuses on the specific difficulties of translating haiku, such as maintaining the conciseness, ambiguity, and symbolism typical of Japanese poetry. Through this study, we seek to confirm that although translating poetry is challenging and filled with obstacles, it offers multiple solutions, either by retaining the original emotions and imagery or by adapting the form and accessibility for the target audience.