The Japanese language allows context to flow through its words with ease. The Western mind has accused the language of being inscrutable at times. However, this subtle aspect of Japanese is not required but instead cultural. In my research, Japanese readers enjoyed translated pieces that utilized the language in ways uncommon to their daily lives. It surprised them to see Japanese spoken in more direct ways and circumstances than they typically encountered. One of my goals as a translator was to pick stories that would bring this experience to others and open their perspectives.
The natural forces in “Deer Tracks” by Ramona Gutierrez and “Paha Sapa” by Julia Pecanha remind me of the spiritual realities showcased in Shinto and Shugendo practices. The beauty hidden within everyday life featured in “The Comet” by Rick Bass and “When You am Old and I am Gray” by Eric Schlich each flow with the aesthetic properties in Zen currents and with the East Asian community. Finally, “Reflections in Brass,” introduced by Melissa Pritchard and written by Ashton Lynn Marie Goodman, is a short story from a nineteen-year-old female soldier in Afghanistan. Japan has been a pacifist country since the Second World War. It has no standing army, but instead, it has a Japanese self-defense force. I do not include this story as a statement on Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution. I want to bring a story written by a young woman from Indiana navigating the duties and difficulties of war to readers who may never know otherwise. I believe stories contain what we find worthy of being passed on to others. As a translator, I have selected these pieces because I find timeless and universal values contained within them like seeds. What readers do with that is up to them.
Throughout the process, I struggled the most with reversing the typical English grammatical structures of sentences into Japanese while preserving the author’s intention. The verb falls at the end of the sentence in Japanese, this made poetry challenging at first. This was most evident in the pervasive use of metaphors in English. Once I realized there was no word-for-word translation, that freedom allowed for more flexible results. This was especially relevant in “Deer Tracks” since English, Spanish, and Tohono Oʼodham fly in and out of the lines. The simple line, “Las gruas, 鶴が見えます” ended up being one of my favorite lines in the entire project. While las gruas (cranes) falls at the end of the line in the original poem, “I see the cranes, las gruas,” the translation gives a different sense of wonder. Poetry is intuited first, then thought about. Now the gruas appear first, and then the viewer thinks, “Ah, I see them!”
Another aspect of Japanese that readers may find interesting is the usage of katakana, an alphabet used on average for foreign words. I’ve utilized katakana in many situations rather than their Japanese “equivalents” to display a sense of distinct ideas interacting in language. I did this to push readers beyond the normal notions of Japanese and understand the concepts from a foreign perspective. I could have used a variation of Jidousha 自動車 (automobile) in “Paha Sapa,” Still, there is something whimsical about “a racecar - angel” that I wanted to preserve from the original poem, “レースカーの天使” (Re-suka-no Tenshi).
Overall, this experience challenged my intermediate Japanese abilities to a different level. “Reflections in Brass” technical and complicated sentences pushed my vocabulary and understanding of grammar. At the same time, the poetry and prose helped my Japanese skills become more mature as I encountered creative ways to construct lines without strict guidelines. I hope readers will excuse any odd structures and word choices they find strange and enjoy these pieces as a look at Japanese and foreign writing from a different angle.
About the Translator
Michael McIver is an undergraduate student at Arizona State University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in English (2024/2025). He is interested in Japanese culture, creative writing, and esoteric tradition. In his free time, he spends time in nature with his German Shepard, lifting weights, practicing Kendo, singing Gregorian chant, and playing piano. (updated 2024)
Translations
"The Comet" by Rick Bass (Japanese)
"Deer Tracks" by Ramona Gutierrez (Japanese)
"Pahá Sápa" by Julia Peçanha (Japanese)
"Reflections in Brass" by Ashton Lynn Marie Goodman, introduction by Melissa Pritchard (Japanese)
"When You are Old and I am Gray" by Eric Schlich (Japanese)
The grateful acknowledgment to Michael's extraordinary Japanese language reviewers: Dr. Robert Tuck, Aya Nakanishi McDaniel, and 辻元輝星 (Tsujimoto Ryusei)