愛国百人一首 Patriotic 100 tanka poems by 100 people

よく行く、短歌専門の私設図書館で、なんと愛国百人一首を見つけたーー！！

昭和17年発行。「1.00円」の値札がついていた…。そして戦時中。後援 陸軍省 海軍省。日本放送協会やら毎日新聞まで絡んでいる。すごいなーー時代を感じる。その中の短歌たちは、予想通り愛国心を鼓舞する内容…。当然ながら、小倉百人一首とは違う。

天誅組の吉村寅太郎氏と松本奎堂氏の句もあった。松本氏のは、辞世の句だった…。貴重な歴史資料だったので、全部手でベタベタ触るのが憚られたのですが、那須さんの句も、探したらあったかもしれない…。そして、新選組隊士の句とか、あるいは新政府側の人の句もあったのか、気になる。

吉村氏の句を、そこにいたスペイン人とアメリカ人の友達に訳してあげたら、「Oh...」って反応だった。そうだよね。

戦争で兵士が、詩を詠んだり、何か文学的なものを遺すことはないのだろうか。気になる…調査研究のテーマにしよう。

I found the "Aikoku Hyakunin Isshu" (Patriotic Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets) at a private library specializing in tanka poem that I often visit!

It was published in Showa 17 (1942). It had a price tag of "1.00 yen"... and it was from the wartime period.  Supported by the Army Ministry and Navy Ministry, with involvement from NHK and the Mainichi Newspaper.  That was incredible—it really gives a sense of the era. As expected, the tanka in it were all about encouraging patriotism... Of course, it was very different from the most-known collection, Ogura Hyakunin Isshu.

There were also poems by Yoshimura Torataro of the Tenchugumi and Matsumoto Keido. Matsumoto's was a death poem, which the author writes when they know they are passing away soon.  Since it was a valuable historical document, I hesitated to handle it too much, but if I had looked more carefully, maybe I could have found a poem by Nasu as well, another Tenchugumi worrior.  I wonder if there were any tanka by Shinsengumi members also, or people from the new government side.  That would be interesting to find out—who the regine then in power thought would be suitable characters to promote patriotism.

When I translated Yoshimura's poem to my Spanish and American friends who were there, their reaction was "Oh..."  That would be exactly my reaction, too.

I wonder if soldiers in war ever composed poems or left behind any literary works.  It makes me curious... I think I’ll make it a research theme.