General introduction

The Translation dictionary section has information on the translation of specific Japanese words into English, but I mention a few here because they are used so often and the peculiarities of their translation may be of interest even to readers who do not know classical Japanese.

yomu

This word, as in modern Japanese, can refer to the silent act of "reading", or of reading aloud. It is frequently used in the prose prefaces of the Imperial collection, particularly the Kokinshū and Gosenshū. In these prefaces it can refer to several types of poetic activity, including composing a poem to write in a letter, or delivering a poem orally (either one composed in the moment, or one previously composed). In some cases it is not clear whether the word refers to silent composition in writing, oral delivery, or perhaps is not meant to be limited to one or the other. There seems to be no single word in English that can capture this range of meaning, so I have generally used "read" unless the context specifically indicates that the poem is being composed in writing.