What Could We Understand by Translation?

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine various theories and purposes of translation. For instance, some translations are simply created having in mind the communication of research in a certain field, such as philosophy, to other cultures. Another purpose could be allowing readers to have access to poetry and novels from different cultures. Yet another purpose could be a more creative one, meaning rewriting certain stories from the point of view of various minorities, which can be visible in novels such as Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, which is a rewriting of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, with Bertha and Mr. Rochester as protagonists, and in mythological stories from ancient Greek and Roman cultures, which can be rewritten from the female characters’ perspective. Some translations are supposed to be faithful, while others are supposed to be more creative, the latter being visible in poetry translations. The case study will be that of translating haiku poems into Romanian within an online community.

1. Introduction

Translation does not simply mean turning a text from one language into another, based on sticking the same meaning or at least to finding a cultural equivalent, or even to use translation as a creative pretext, especially when it comes to poetry. It can refer to changing a story from one medium to another [1], for instance, to turn a novel into a film. It can also refer to changing the focus of the story from the once dominant perspective to a perspective based on minorities’ stories, which are supported by the ideology at work during a certain time. Clearly, ideology moves us to another context or medium function of the time period. One such example is the prequel Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, which presents to readers of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte with what happened in the relationship between Mr. Rochester and the character known as Bertha by Bronte’s readers. Famous ancient epics such as the lliad and the Odyssey have been recently retold from women characters’ perspectives, such as Penelope, Ariadne, and Medusa. Here, we also deal with a change, from one perspective, that of the male heroes, to that of the women. While exploring the story from a different perspective can shed light on details left out, it is also a change that can be called translation. The translation is from old ages, from old mentalities, to contemporary ones. The film made after Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet by Zeffirelli [2] and the film made by Luhrmann [3] have done a radical translation, from the old times in Shakespeare’s play to the contemporary age. Of course, teenagers’ behaviors are different, and creativity plays a large part in this type of translation.

The first role of translation was that of transmitting the message from one language into another. Various books and scientific works were spread in this way and made known worldwide. It is still the case with works of fiction, psychology, and from other domains.

One striking example when we need to understand what a certain piece belonging to a certain literary genre is, so that the translations create, in their turn, meaningful and completely valid poems in themselves, can be found in the case of the haiku poem.

Haiku poems were originally written in Japan starting with the seventeenth century [4], usually known for its traditional 5-7-5 syllable pattern, which are structured in three lines [5]. What is more, it was, even at the time, a reaction against the “elaborate poetic traditions” [4]. We could start speculating that the Western culture members started to enjoy the haiku poem since they noticed it was short and dealt with elements related to nature. The advent of Modernism and Postmodernism set the experimentalist, creative mood for Western culture, and the haiku poem could very well fit in within this mood of these ages. Poetry had been the subject of numerous definitions and experiments throughout the ages, and it was hardly surprising for each and every poet to surprise and challenge the readers’ expectations related to this genre. Here was an opportunity for the haiku poem to be adopted by Western readers and authors. Curiosity regarding the Asian world was also a prompting force that set Western culture members up for willingness to be open to other mindsets and to try them. As a cultural product of Japan, the haiku poem can become an element of Japan’s soft power, of intangible, cultural legacy [6]. Like the anime, the haiku poem can be adopted by other cultures and be considered worthy of interest. In this way, Japan is popularizing its culture and gains power not from a military point of view, but from a cultural point of view. It becomes appealing for other countries, and this ensures its tourist industry, as well as international collaborations.

The present paper will refer to the reception of the haiku poem in Romania. The haiku poem originates in Japanese culture, yet it has become widespread all over the world. Presently, authors from the Western world are active haiku writers, both in online contests, publications, and groups and in the publishing their own volumes, or collective anthologies domain.

We can witness, in the case of the haiku poem in Romania, where the author of the present chapter lives, several aspects related to translation: first and foremost, we encounter the issue of accurate Romanian language translation, since the translators use figurative language and sometimes may even use rhyme, which are inconceivable in a haiku poem; second, we witness the way the haiku poem is arranged, sometimes with capital letter in the beginning or with various punctuation marks, when certain rules claim the haiku poem should be written in small case letters and no other punctuation marks other than the kireji, or the line separating the two parts; third, the two parts should be separated and the haiku poem should not be translated as a continuation of an idea; fourth, the translator should be familiar with the haiku spirit, which, in the case of Romanian translations, they are clearly not.

We can talk about translation from the point of view of a transfer that Romanian haiku readers and authors undergo with respect to mentality and understanding of poetry. They resort to writing a type of poem that is specific to another culture and very different from the Western poetry they have been used to, since their school years. As a few main differences, the abstract images are generally put aside in a haiku poem, in favor of concrete images. The philosophical ideas are not expressed directly into words, but suggested through the combination of the two parts of the haiku poem. Lyrical language is banned in haiku poems, and the everyday, colloquial language is preferred. The figurative language we are used to in Western poetry is also banned in haiku poetry. At the same time, it is expected from the two parts of the haiku poem, usually under the form of visual, concrete images, to form an allusive meaning, which then marks the passage to the figurative meaning, which is being deducted by the readers. The figurative meaning and the figures of speech are there, but they are not expressed directly; instead, they are supposed to be inferred from putting together the two parts of the haiku poem by the readers. Apparently, the elements and setting are only natural ones, not changed by lyricism, not altered by the human thinking by personifying them. For example, a flower cannot be sad, while a tree cannot be poor, since they are not human. The least we can do in a haiku poem in this respect is to create a juxtaposition [7] and claim that a comparison is drawn from the two parts of the haiku poem.

The Romanian authors writing haiku poems are urged, within online social media workshop groups, to change the way they view life and nature and the way they are thinking. Every scene in nature that they present should be realistic and believable; as an example, we should not write about the way a river mirrors the sky. We should think minimally and only choose those words that are meaningful and powerful enough. In haiku poems, it is as if we choose keywords. We cannot use two kigo, meaning two or even more elements related to the season, and give clues regarding which season is present in the poem; for example, an apple and a rose may signify autumn or summer, and thus, they would be considered too much for the concise mood of the haiku poem. What is more, the scene should occur here and now, as Zen Buddhism teaches us. It should also give readers “flashes of insight” [8]. The haiku poem was influenced by the Japanese Zen Buddhist mindset, where all that matters and all that we have is the present moment, expressed in haiku poems using the present tense [9], and we should live it and not bother with the past and future, as there is nothing we can do to change or to bring back the past. Additionally, if we worry about the future, we solve nothing. Additionally, the haiku poem, as a reflection of the Zen Buddhist mindset, can deal with the fact that everything in this world is ephemeral, that we can lose dear persons and also objects can decay, by accepting this state of affairs of the surrounding world. Moreover, when writing haiku poems, the haiku poem can be understood as a “poetic expression of Zen Buddhism” [10]. From this point of view, the haiku poem can be seen as translating a certain philosophy and meditation technique to the realm of poetry and literature.

Western authors should try not to only describe a beautiful or troubling scene in nature. The elements should be able to bring about allusions. Another noteworthy feature Western authors should deal with is that the haiku poem is objective, not subjective [11].

Another element related to translation can be seen in the way the change from old historical ages to our contemporary times has occurred. Our contemporary lifestyle, with all our present-day surrounding technology, can also be included as elements in haiku poems. However, if a haiku poem focuses only on the human world, then it becomes a senryu.

The fact that Romanian readers and authors have their access to the haiku poems made available by intermediary translations, and not directly through the Japanese language (most of the authors do not know Japanese), makes the access to quality haiku poems problematic. Some Romanian translators may even have translated from English the haiku poems that were written in Japanese and that belong to the Japanese masters, such as Basho and Shiki. After studying what haiku poetry is within the group led by Atanasiu [12], we can notice how some Romanian translations do not sound like haiku at all. The spirit is clearly not there. This makes the writing process of haiku poems by Romanian authors difficult, since they may believe they are writing the haiku poem as practiced by the masters. Thus, in the case of the translation of the haiku poems, the situation is more complex than just a matter of creative versus faithful translation. It is not possible to rewrite a haiku poem to adapt it to Western poetry style, as that would no longer make it a haiku poem. The faithful translation does not have to do, in this case, with translating the idea or finding a cultural equivalent. Western authors should respect the Japanese way of thinking in haiku poems. Finding a cultural equivalent would mean to make the poem lyrical, and then, it would just be called a micropoem. Knowledge about the mindset related to haiku poems and their spirit is required.

The translation of the haiku poem is worth bringing to attention due to its various issues. Issues can appear as Western authors and translators translate their own cultural mindset, unwillingly, when writing it. They need to pay lots of attention and to control their usual way of thinking.

2. Haiku poems’ translations in the Romanian language

The practical part of this paper will be made up by the specific cases that the administrator of the Romanian Facebook Group Haiku Authors from Romania [12], Corneliu Traian Atanasiu, who is also a haiku teacher of these authors whom he helps on their way to write haiku poems, through offering them materials and personal comments, proposes, in 2023, a form of exercise. The members of his group will try to give better translation variants, based on their background knowledge of what the haiku poem is. The version of the Romanian haiku found by the members of this group through doing the exercise of improving the printed translation into Romanian is based on the teachings of sensei (in Japanese, this word is translated as teacher) Atanasiu and on the understanding of the authors who are part of his group of students. Naturally, most members, if not all of them, participating in the exercise do not know the Japanese language. The Japanese translation has been made available by Atanasiu in Romaji version, meaning that the words are written with our own letters, and not in the Japanese alphabets. At the same time, Atanasiu offers members online sources and dictionaries for them to use to find out the meaning of each and every word and phrase in Japanese. Members can also search online for the culturally specific meanings of various elements, for instance, of the full moon, which can be connected to a festival of admiring it in Japan.

The methodology of the present chapter will rely on netnographic research [13], in the case of the online community on Facebook Haiku Authors from Romania. Netnographic research means observing an online community and noticing its rituals and traditions, ways of communication, as well as values, in a similar way to any community in real life. The author of the present chapter is also a member and author in this group and can claim to be able to do participative observation [14, 15], meaning that while observing the habits of the community, the author of the present paper can also take part in these translation-related activities herself, propose variants of translation, and also receive feedback and opinions from other members, as well as from teacher Corneliu Traian Atanasiu.

If we check the literature, we cannot find research related to translating haiku poems into the Romanian language with reference to this specific online community or to others. This can be seen as a sign of the marginal preoccupation that this type of poem holds for Romanian culture, or as a sign that we do not have many experts in the field and that the haiku poem remains a topic that has not received enough attention at academic level, at least having in mind the brief phrases surrounding haiku poems in history of literatures for Japanese culture in Romania. This may be changing, however, since this year, the University of Bucharest has hosted a lecture within the International Conference A Talk on Japan’s Greatest Haiku Poet, Matsuo Basho, held by Professor Peter MacMillan, Visiting Professor at Kyorin University, on May 11, 2023 [16]. The existence of various haiku poets associations in Romania is acknowledged, together with the prizes received by authors from Romania at national and international level, in the conference announcement [16]. Perhaps this can offer the beginning of further academic research on haiku poetry authors and communities in Romania.

Corneliu Traian Atanasiu is not an academic, yet he does seem to be extremely knowledgeable about haiku poems. He is a former Sports teacher and has also studied Philosophy as his second BA level. His research has, mostly, been intuitive, regarding his understanding of the mechanism and structure of various haiku poems, like no academic researcher have set themselves to study. He has written his own comments on the Facebook group, and he has also published comment books. These include his own comments by choosing haiku poems of merit and setting them as examples for his online community. Atanasiu has written a haiku manual for haiku writers, called Mulcom picurand [17], as well as a book of comments regarding the haiku poems by master Serban Codrin Denk, called Un cerc de linguri [18], the latter which helps anyone interested in reading haiku poems to understand what they actually are, through Atanasiu’s comments. The comments are more intuitive than scholarly, as Atanasiu tries to bring about his own approach to understanding the mechanisms of haiku poems. He brings about each and every element composing the features of such poems. He focuses on the way that the poems bring about allusive weavings and explains them. At some point, he even relies only on his own emotions and on his own completion of the overall story. For example, in his book Un cerc de linguri [18], he comments on one of Denk’s haiku poems that can be translated into English as follows: “lost key -/ during the first frost/ no more need of it” (my translation); Atanasiu comments by imagining a scene where he, the reader, makes fun of the thieves, as the frost has done its job to lock the door and the key is not even needed any more. Thus, the reader can find a humorous attitude in some haiku poems, in the way Atanasiu exemplifies it.

The haiku poem, we can conclude, requires a constant dialog with the readers. The readers are expected to react to the poems, to the experiences presented in such a concise way, and to feel the words as strongly as possible, since they are supposed to be pruned and chosen with care. Then, through the suggestions, the reader can recompose and imagine what has been going on, which is suggested, in the poem, only through certain words, phrases, and imagery. The rhetorical language is banned from haiku poems, thus making way toward a concise poem, with the selection of the strictly necessary details, words, and phrases, nothing more, nothing less. Atanasiu writes in the community Facebook group about the fragmentary language of haiku poems, in his post from May 9, 2022 [12].

2.1 The translation exercises proposed by sensei Atanasiu

The present chapter will deal with the examples of translation exercises of haiku poems based on the members’ experience, that of being taught by sensei Atanasiu in his group and that of reading and writing haiku poems throughout the years, under his guidance, as well as independently. Sensei is seen as an honorific, or respectful title, and it means “teacher.” Traditionally, in Japanese culture, students or disciples would gather around a respectful master who would ask them to write haiku poems, which were written on a certain theme or based on everyone’s observations after going for a walk in nature together. Nowadays, Atanasiu’s group wishes to be an equivalent for this kind of group in real life, or a translation of it using the medium of the Internet, through activities and contests. The translation exercises can be seen as means of testing and reinforcing the students’ knowledge of haiku poems and the way they can be built.

As an example, one of the exercises, posted by sensei Atanasiu on February 27, 2023 [12], included the following poem in Romanian: “Dimineața de primăvară/ învăluie în ceață/ o colină fără nume.” Atanasiu decided deliberately not to give the members of his group the name and edition of the book in which this translation appeared, and also not the name of the translator. He believed these details did not matter in the context of the topic of the discussion. My translation of the poem from Romanian into English would be the following: “The spring morning/ shrouding in a mist/ a nameless hill.” In his same post, sensei Atanasiu tells his members that the translation is wrong by presenting the haiku poem as expressed through rhetorical style, since the translator has presented us readers with a full sentence, just as we have been taught during our early school years. This style is, however, incompatible with the haiku poem. What is more, another mistake resulting in building a faulty haiku is that there is no allusion, and that all the message is delivered in a manner as direct as possible, leaving to the reader nothing to be deduced, guesses, or implied. The author of the present paper has commented on this post, saying that the translator has not understood what a haiku poem is, meaning the way he/she should feel and understand, as well as know the mechanism of this type of the poem. At the same time, in the case of a haiku poem, it may be more difficult to grasp the specific features, compared to the technical texts, where some specialized terms need to be known and then used over and over again. The author of the present paper has pointed out in the comment that the translation can be seen as just some raw material, not artistically processed, and just a few notes thrown on paper. The translator has not managed to create connections between the poem’s elements and has failed to create reflections and emotions in the readers’ mind. The translator also does not know the means of communication, which is indirect, in a haiku poem, and cannot thus transmit it further to the readers. Sensei Atanasiu agreed with this comment, and he concluded that in order to get good translations of haiku poems, we need translators that know both Japanese and Romanian, that should not use an intermediary language such as English, French, and German from which to translate into Romanian, and also that the translator should be an experienced haiku reader and author. One of the knowledgeable authors of haiku poetry in the group, Cristina-Monica Moldoveanu, has proposed the following variant: “din nou acasă -/ răsărind din ceață/ dealul fără nume” (“home again -/ rising out of the mist/ nameless hill”—my translation). This second variant marks clearly a break between the two parts, marked by the kireji. It is also no longer under the form of a complete sentence. Member of the group Lavinia Georgescu-Scripcaru suggests the following variant: “dincolo de ceață -/ la poalele colinei/ primăvara” (“beyond the fog -/ at the foot of the hill/ spring”—my translation). This variant indirectly suggests that the signs of spring below the hill are shrouded in mystery, or fog, and can barely be seen. Haiku group member Tania Gogan proposed the following variant: “satul uitat -/ dincolo de colină/ iar primăvară” (“forgotten village -/ beyond the hill/ spring again”—my translation). Here, Tania Gogan shows her own understanding of the poem, namely that she associated fog with forgetting, and with a deserted village. In spite of all of these issues, spring returns and makes the surroundings beautiful. Hope of renewal is, indirectly, suggested by this variant. In the comments section, Cristina-Monica Moldoveanu expresses her opinion that haiku author’s Cristina Angelescu variant seems to her to be the best. This variant proposed by Angelescu sounds as follows: “iar primăvară -/ un deal fără nume/ iese din ceață” (“spring again -/ a nameless hill/ comes out of the mist”—my translation). Angelescu argues in favor of this variant as follows: she believes that the fog does not occur throughout the year anytime, in the morning or in the evening, except for in the mountains. Fog, in her opinion, appears together with the warmth of spring. In her opinion, this poem speaks, allusively, of the beginning of a new life, with spring’s renewal. The author of the present paper has proposed the following variant: “zori de primăvară -/ învăluit în ceață/ numele colinei” (“spring morning -/ shrouded in the mist/ the hill’s name”—my translation). In this way, there was no longer a continuation of sentence and idea, and the allusion would be to the way in the morning and in the spring, the beginning of a new day and of a new cycle of seasons, respectively, everything is refreshed and beyond recognition, but also, we have plans we do not yet know about. We are looking forward to the future, but we cannot yet know what is in store for us. Sensei Atanasiu suggested for me the following variant, with a slight modification in the second part: “zori de primăvară -/ și numele colinei/ învăluit în ceață” (“spring morning -/ the hill’s name/ also shrouded in the mist/”—my translation). With the change in the order of words in the second part, we can underline the idea that the hill’s name is yet unknown, or still unknown, and we are waiting to find it out. The Romanian language variant, however, proposed as a correction to my own variant by Atanasiu, can also be translated differently if we interpret the meaning of it differently, function of our perception of the meaning as readers. The element “si,” meaning “and” in Romanian, can be translated as “also,” creating a relationship of correspondence and equality with the uncertainty of the day that just starts and the way it may progress, and the name of the hill that is equally uncertain, covered by the mist. Yet “si” may also refer to an element of surprise, and which can be translated as “suddenly”: “spring morning -/ the hills’s name/ suddenly shrouded in mist” (my translation). This variant shows that after waiting for it long enough, the end of winter has come, apparently all of a sudden, and, with it, spring. Yet it is also well-known that in early spring, the weather can be unstable and cold days, and, with them, apparently winter, can return, at least for a while. An association between fog and forgetting is done by haiku author Claudia Ramona Codau, in her proposed variant: “altă primăvară -/ pierdut în ceață/ uită şi numele” (“another spring -/ lost in the fog/ he forgets even his name”—my translation). Codau’s variant suggests, through the first line, “another spring,” a figurative meaning, that of the beginning of a new kind of life. The person mentioned in the poem, losing his name, can be a very old and sick person. We all know that in the end of our lives, we can have a regression to early childhood, when we are helpless physically and psychologically and when we can even forget our name above all.

This was the second exercise proposed by Atanasiu, but the author of the present paper has decided to begin with the analysis of this one since here theoretical aspects of translation were also discussed. These aspects are also of concern to the present paper. The way we can read a haiku poem has been expressed in the proposed variants of translation, through improving the poem to make it sound like a genuine haiku. We have seen a variety of interpretations of the same poem, as the haiku authors, turned readers, then again haiku writers, have focused on certain aspects and associations among the elements of the poem.

The first translation exercise was proposed and posted on the group by Atanasiu on February 26, 2023 [12]. Here, Atanasiu asked for a rephrasing attempt from the members of the following poem: “De departe și de aproape,/ zvon de cascade se aude,/ frunze cad,” which in a word-for-word translation into English can sound like this: “From afar and near,/ the sound of waterfalls is heard,/ leaves are falling” (my translation). The poem is once again a continuation of ideas, containing, in the second and third lines, enumerations of what is going on in nature. In order to have a higher impact and to make readers resonate emotionally, not just describe what we can all see in a scene in nature, we need to resort to our knowledge of haiku poems. Only a faithful, word-for-word translation is not enough. The word order in Romania is not natural, o, at least, it does not sound as everyday language. Normally, we should say “se aude zvon de cascade” and “cad frunze.” Reversing the order can bring about a Western poetry device, that of underlining poetically what is important, in this case the waterfalls and the leaves. The author of the present paper has been offered positive feedback from sensei Atanasiu regarding the following variant: “ecoul cascadei -/ pe umerii mei cad/ frunze de toamnă,” which can be translated as “the echo of the waterfall -/ falling on my shoulders/ autumn leaves” (my translation). Sensei Atanasiu claims that in this version, the echo, or the consequences, leads to the change of the leaves into a soul’s burden. Thus, this is the interpretation of the haiku poem that he has found. A parallel between the sound of falling leaves and the waterfall is perceived in the following variants: “zvon de cascade -/ aproape și departe/ căderi de frunze” by Argentina Stanciu (“rumor of waterfalls -/ near and far/ falling leaves”—my translation), “zvon de cascadă -/ peste tot cad frunze/una câte una” by Mircea Moldovan (“waterfall rumor -/ leaves are falling everywhere/ one by one”—my translation), “suflul cascadei/ se-aude pretutindeni -/ frunze de toamnă” by Cristina-Monica Moldoveanu (“the sound of the waterfall/ can be heard everywhere -/ autumn leaves”—my translation). The waterfall’s sound is stronger than that of falling leaves, but it can become muffled if we are situated far from it. At the same time, the falling leaves can trouble us, since we generally become more nostalgic during the fall and feel sad that summer has ended. The falling leaves can be perceived as a strong emotion, like the strong sound of a waterfall. Even if the waterfall is farther away, we know that its sound is stronger than those of the falling leaves. At the same time, the waterfall falls continuously, and this suggests that the leaves are falling in the same way, making the reader imagining this scene feel helpless and hopeless at the end of the warm seasons, having in view the arrival of winter.

On March 2, 2023 [12], Corneliu Traian Atanasiu proposed, for rephrasing and improvement, the following haiku poems’ translations: “Norii, cînd și cînd,/ acoperă luna împrospătînd/ lumina privirilor” (“the clouds, now and then/ cover the moon refreshing/ the light in our eyes”—my translation) and “cîteodată norii/ ne dau răgaz de odihnă –/ a! privitul lunii” (“sometimes the clouds/ give us a moment of respite -/ oh! the sight of the moon). Here, we notice, in the first version, the continuation of the sentence and in the second version, an exclamation mark that directly expresses the emotion and subjectivity. This exercise includes the Japanese Romaji version: “kumo ori ori/ hito o yasumeru/ tsukimi kana,” to which Atanasiu adds some vocabulary elements: “tsukimi” = the moon, “komo” = the cloud, and “yasumeru” = to interrupt, or to weave. As the participants in the group try to offer their versions, sensei Atanasiu notices that they are not aware of the Japanese festival called Tsukimi, which takes place on August 15 every year, and whose name is The Moon Harvest Festival. During this festival, watching the moon intensely can be tiring, which leads to understanding this poem as offering a moment of rest, through the clouds, that are passing by, and which should not be interpreted as an obstacle in front of our observing the Moon. On the contrary, it is a welcome moment of rest for those watching the moon without pause. Watching the moon means a soul enriching experience for the Japanese. It is a spiritual experience. The clouds are thus beneficial and by no means a barrier with evil intentions. An example of understanding the clouds as an obstacle in observing the moon is the following version, provided by haiku author Cecilia Birca: “braconierii -/ un pâlc de nori ținând/ luna captivă” (“the poachers -/ a cluser of clouds holding/ the moon captive”—my translation). One version proposed in accordance with what Atanasu has pointed out, which includes having to watch the moon for hours on end, is the one belonging to haiku author Ildiko Jurverdeanu: “iar lună plină−/ din când în când norii dând/răgaz privirii” (“full moon again -/ every now and the the clouds giving/ a moment of respite to the gaze”—my translation). Without the culturally related element, in this exercise, and the knowledge accompanying it, sensei Atanasiu has noticed that his students cannot actually do a good and accurate translations. Sometimes, thus, the cultural element does all the difference. We cannot say that we have a cultural equivalent for this Moon-related festival, yet we can understand what it means once it is told to us.

The poem proposed in the exercise posted by sensei Atanasiu on March 6, 2023 [12], offers another element, this time related to the mentalities of two different cultures. In this case, it is a poem about a child, grinding rice and looking at the moon. Two variants have been found by sensei Atanasiu while looking through printed publications of translations in Romanian: “Sărmanul copil,/ măcinînd orezul,/ privește luna” (“poor child,/ grinding rice,/ watches the moon”—my translation) and “copil sărman -/ măcinînd orezul, se oprește/ să privească luna” (“poor child -/ grinding rice, stops/ to watch the moon”—my translation). The Japanese Romaji version is the following: “shizu no ko ya/ ine suri kakete/ tsuki o miru.” The members of the group could thus use online dictionaries and online automatic translations software for help. However, before sensei Atanasiu told them, the word “poor” does not mean that the child is victimized for being put to work. This is a usual practice in Japanese culture, and a child in Japan would not feel upset to grind rice while looking at the moon. He will not stop to look at the moon and leave the grinding aside, but would do both activities at the same time. Some members interpreted, from the Romanian translation, that the child is victimized, others that he was both coming from a not very rich family and upset. Instead, sensei Atanasiu brings us another perspective: “shizu” means quiet, and calm. According to him, the child has a very calm attitude about these usual daily activities such as grinding rice. He does not feel exploited in the least. Indeed, the Romanian haiku authors have interpreted the poem as showing how the child is a pauper: in Andrei Andy Gradinaru’s vision, we have “copilul sărman -/ din orezul măcinat/ luna întreagă” (“poor child -/ from the ground rice/ a whole moon”—my translation), in Mirela Brailean’s vision, we have “supă de orez -/ în bolul sărmanului/ luna întreagă” (“rice soup -/ in the poor child’s bowl/ the whole moon”—my translation). Haiku author Ildiko Juverdeanu interprets the moments of grinding rice and watching the moon as separate, as the child feels soothed from his hard work by looking at the beautiful moon: “copil de țăran -/ râșnind orez privește / luna pe furiș” (“peasant child -/ grinding rice he glances/ furtively at the moon”—my translation). In one of her proposed versions, haiku author Mirela Brailean sees the activity of grinding rice as a tedious one, taking the whole day for the child, who works till the moon is in the sky: “sub luna plină -/ copilul încă macină/ boabe de orez” (“under the full moon -/ the child is still grinding/ rice grains”—my translation). Following the indications by sensei Atanasiu regarding the cultural specificity reflected on mentality, haiku author Valeria Tamas proposed the following variant: “serenitate -/ copilul măcinând orez/ privește luna” (“serenity -/ the child grinding rice/ looks at the moon”—my translation), where the peaceful landscape, atmosphere, and child’s emotional state are obvious.

From this selection of exercises proposed by sensei Atanasiu, together with the solutions proposed by the haijins (meaning haiku poets considered disciples, or students, gather around a sensei, or master/ teacher), together with the feedback and completing information about the Japanese culture where needed by Atanasiu, we can notice clearly how the translator of haiku poems is a special case of translator. We cannot find any specialization at MA, BA, and even PhD levels regarding haiku poetry translations. There are no courses focused on translating haiku poetry specifically, just literature, poetry, and lyrical language in general. These conditions can form the context for making us understand the difficulties that should be obvious when trying to find skilled translators for haiku poems, especially from Asian languages into Western culture languages. Mentalities, in these cases, are inseparable from the way language is used. While Western cultures generally use direct language in communication and are direct communication cultures [19] so that they can say exactly what they mean, exceptions being polite requests, for instance, Asian languages are indirect, and Asian cultures are indirect communication cultures (Nishimura). This means that the Asians bring about allusions and offer moments of silence as clues as to what they mean, hesitations, and also body language, which needs to be deciphered. Only someone who knows the respective culture can have enough background and understand what they truly mean. From this point of view, the haiku poem can be an example of indirect communication, through various allusions and shades of meaning needed to be decoded.

2.2 How translations from Japanese to other Western cultures languages can help in understanding haiku poems

Since English is an international language, we could claim that English translations of haiku poems from the Japanese language can be very helpful, as many Romanians can understand it. English is more accessible than Japanese, as the latter is a rare language, known by comparatively less persons in Romania. This could be the reason why some Romanian translations of haiku poems come via translations in English from the Japanese language. Therefore, since we cannot have direct access to the original language, Japanese, and our own understanding of it as Romanian speakers, then we may come to believe that we cannot have a direct contact with the Japanese haiku. We can always suspect translation norms and misunderstandings to stand in our way as obstacles to our true understanding of what the haiku poem is.

Source [20] mentions how, for W. H. Auden, through English translated haiku versions, in a large variety, students can “acquire an understanding of how the mind of a Japanese haiku-poet works.” At the same time, for Auden, the following step would be for them to see how haiku “can be adapted to one’s own kind of sensibility.” Here, we may think about those moments of unintended experimentalism, when the haiku poem was misunderstood by Western culture: “In the history of literature it is extraordinary how profitable misunderstanding of poems in foreign languages has been.” We can only assume that these misunderstandings have given rise to innovations and creativity with respect to literary works. For the ages of literary experimentalism, this was considered natural and could easily fit in. The only difference comes if we wish to write genuine haiku poems.

Understanding the source text, in this case the haiku poem in another language than the one needed by the translator, Romanian, in our discussed case studies, is definitely a must. We can see how the authors gathered around master Atanasiu have already in mind a certain way of expressing themselves in a haiku poem, by breaking it into two parts. Naturally, such rules are only a brief direction, especially in the case of beginners, and can be easily disregarded by those veteran haiku disciples. Yet when we are doing a translation of a haiku poem, we need to keep some standard, template-like structures of a haiku poem in our minds. These cannot be accessed anywhere except for in the haiku authors’ and readers own experience that comes, according to sensei Atanasiu’s recommendations, after readings lots of good and exemplary haiku poems, and understanding them.

Faithful translation is, in the opinion of the author of the present paper, an ambiguous and interpretable phrase. It can many various things in various contexts. In the context of haiku poems, it means that after the translation occurs, the translated haiku poem can be a haiku poem in itself, which can stand on its own feet and be independent of the original language from which it has been translated. The haiku poem requires from the faithful translation the equivalent writing of another haiku poem, which can sound natural, fragmented, be composed from two parts, have allusive meanings all over, and rise from concrete to abstract and figurative meanings.

Can translations from Japanese into the English language be considered all right so that the public can become familiar with haiku poems? Indeed, if they offer a translated version of the haiku spirit and specific indirect and fragmented language. In the end, it does not matter how the translation of haiku poems is called: rewriting, faithful translation, adaptation (to the syntax of the Romanian language, and to the specificities of the haiku poem).

At the same time, we could consider the issue of the universal elements when translating the genre of poetry. For this, we can consider whether reactions of readers in the poems’ original and translated versions are the same [21]. According to source [21], different cultures may react differently to aspects such as the following: dark-light, nostalgic–not longing, lonely–gregarious, interesting–boring, mysterious–clear, mystical–physical, solitary–social, and gloomy–cheerful. These are pairs of opposite attitudes. The point of the research present in source [21] is that some culture may “interpret the original version of the poem in a more negative light, that is, one which arouses negative feelings (e.g., lonely) and appraisals (e.g., dark).” Other cultures, on the other hand, according to source [21], may show “a more positive attitude toward the original in English.” With respect to the cultural differences in translation, we can choose two paths: that of highlighting the unfamiliar elements and that of making the unfamiliar elements change into universal elements [22]. Are there universal trends in poetry can couple well with the question if there are any universal trends in myths? According to source [23], we can adopt an attitude of skepticism regarding “universal claims about myths.” We could also draw a distinction between translation and translatability, which entails the following aspects: translation requires a set of techniques, meant to ensure a faithful translation, regardless of medium, genre, and culture, while translatability refers to the relation between linguistics and culture [24]. We could claim that translation refers to “the creation of a language of mediation between various cultures” [25]. In the case of haiku poem, this language of mediation is English. We could also refer to the way social networks have contributed to offering an element of universality, especially through translation, by means of localization [26]. The need to translate any poetical text relies, after all, on a universal need. The universal need is that of empathy and emotions that are universal, regardless of the cultural specificities, which are simple props, making the poem more interesting. Even if, apparently, the haiku poem is austere and objective, it does rely, through its allusion, to universal forms of emotions and experiences, like in all forms of poetry. Sharing a poem on social media can have implications related to the belief of the universality of such a poem and on the ability to anyone to connect to the respective emotions.

3. Conclusions

The haiku poem, when translated, is a perfect example where not only knowledge of two languages is required. The haiku poem has some non-written rules, and some can be altered once we truly master the art of this poem. We can always break the rules, but we should do this when we are knowledgeable enough. Art cannot be included in a rigid set of rules. At the same time, the type of expressing and communicating ideas and emotions, through images, sounds, as well as synesthesia, a combination of all senses, is drawing a difference between our usual, everyday life reality and the haiku poem’s reality. The haiku poem can be understood as a different language in itself, and we should know this, before we can start translating or improving other haiku poems. We can say that the structure of the haiku poem should not be a continuous sentence, but broken in two parts. This creates a stronger effect. It is short and concise and, due to this, allows readers to have strong emotional reactions when going through it. While, apparently, cold, through objectivity and indirectness, as well as through the simplicity of both images, elements, and language, the haiku poem can have a profound impact at an emotional level on readers, troubling them and making them reflect further, in a deep, philosophical way. Some other haiku poems simply give us hope, or give us a new, fresh perspective on the world we had never thought of. Giving one clear definition of haiku is difficult, since there are, as Atanasiu shows us through his comments, so many types of haiku poems and so many structures. Authors also constantly create new forms, instinctively most times, since rules cannot ever be enough to help us create valuable artistic products. The way the haiku poem looks like and works is subject to creativity. Yet some blunders can lead to it no longer being a haiku poem. Most definitions of the haiku poem focus on the way it looks like, on its structure, as well as on general rules, which, as we can see in Atanasiu’s group, can be discarded and still write and read a valuable haiku poem.

The way a good haiku poem can be written can, sometimes, be as blurry and escape through our fingers as the way a good translation can be done. There is both rules-related and creative, as well as intuitive, work, in both cases, which makes establishing clear rules and steps to be followed difficult. The rules, structures, and steps to follow can only offer a general orientation. Understanding how to translate haiku poems can be learned through examples and concrete exercises. Yet in the end, it is a matter of inspiration, intuition, and artistic endeavor to create a good haiku poetry translation. Matters are further complicated since the meaning of some haiku poems may be more obvious, and even obvious from a first reading, while the meaning of other haiku poems may be more difficult to decipher. In this case, if even a knowledgeable haiku author cannot decipher the meaning, the translation may come out wrong. In order to create a good translation, the strategy of consulting with another expert in the field could be recommended, just as in the case of translations from other fields, such as engineering, medicine, economics, law, or politics, where the translator asks a person working in the domain some questions in order to understand what a term refers to or the way a certain device works. The best person to ask about the meaning of an obscure haiku could be, of course, a haiku master. Yet even discussions among other haiku disciples could help. The practice of translating or improving translations of haiku poems can come as a continuation of the disciples’ studying the art of haiku. At the same time, haiku authors, when they want to have their poems translated, either translate them themselves or ask another colleague haiku writer for help. They do not trust outside translators who have never read haiku or never tried to understand it and write it themselves under the supervision of a haiku master. If an outside translator tries a translation, there is a great risk for the haiku poems to completely lose their values and even not end up as haiku poems anymore.