The British Union
Quarterly
has just printed the finest historical article that I have ever seen in any country or magazine whatsoever.
Ezra-Pound-Japan-Letters-essays
Kitasono, 1 think 1 should say something more.
You may give us three articles a month or four.
More than, we may be imposing too much on you.
Art, poetry, music--all right. So is cultural news. We know you are not on a special mission to iron out the Japan-U. S. relations, if ever there are any jagged surface, but naturally would prefer nothing which will provoke Americans in political issues. Kindly stick to literary subjects; if your criticism of current American literature is found unfavorable to Americans, for instance, it can't be helped. Have I said sufficiently to indicate what we want?
? ? SECTIONII: 1936-66 79
82: Ezra Pound to Katue Kitasono and Yasotaro Morri
TLS-2 Anno XVII, Via Marsala 12-5, Rapallo, with Gaudier-Brzeska profile head. 28 October 1939
Dear K/K/ and Dear Mr. Morri
(or Dear K. K. will you please pass on this letter to Mr. Morri? )
You may have wondered where and why etc. {I have been. ) 1 reed. Mr. Morri's letter while in America. No copy of the Japan Times, for 1st sun- day in June has reached me. May have gone astray. Mr. M. said it wd. contain my note on Yeats.
As you can imagine, the war interferes with one's income. It doesn't matter how much 1 am paid, but I shall have to be paid something, as ZERO multiplied however many times equals always zero.
I shd. be willing to accept a subscription to the Japan Times as recom- pense for the first couple of articles. At any rate 1 want to see the paper, regularly, now that I am back at a fixed address. {&- 1 want 5 copies of issues containing my articles--distribution of which wd. he good pubiic- ityforJ. Times. )
We are having a LOAN-Capital war. Some say a jew war against the aryan population of Europe. Mc N. Wilson sees American finance as the real enemy of England. You must know where China got her money for war. Some call it Kuhn Loeb and Go's war on Japan.
At any rate there is no understanding of the present wars without under- standing of war loans/ loans by the same men to the Same men. De Wen- del the banker, pays the (french) people's money to De Wendel the gun maker. And so forth.
and all this is subject matter for literature.
My Cantos 52/71 are in the press/ Chinese dynasties and John Adams. Creator of the United States and of something not unlike a dynasty in America. The fall of which meant the end of decent civilization in the U. S. or at any rate a great and pestilent sickness in American govern- ment.
And I wd. prefer to write about history for the moment, includ- ing current history.
I will, however, during the coming week try to send you an article on the Vivaldi week in Siena.
I should think the Japan Times wd. do well to send a subscription to
? 80 SECTIONII: 1936-66
Odon Por, 5 b. via Angelo Masina, Roma, Italy as exchange for some Ital- ian publications, say Meridiano di Roma, and the Rivista di Lavoro if any of you read Italian.
Per reads english.
I have also been meaning to report on meeting with oriental dept. {of American congressional lihrary) and Dr. Sakanishi, in Washington re/ proposals for bilingual editions of Noh plays. Will try to get round to that shortly.
ever yours Ezra Pound
83: Shotaro Oshima to Ezra Pound
ALS-3 c/o Fujino, 1053, 2 chome, Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, Japan. 28 October 1939
Ezra Pound, Esq. Dear Sir:
I am taking the liberty of sending you under separate cover a copy of my Poems: Among Shapes and Shadows. I am afraid that they are rather badly written, as I have some difficulty in expressing myself in good English. But I hope that you will find something of interest in them. And I shall be very much obliged if you kindly give me some remark upon my works, because it is the first and laborious attempt for me to write verse in English, and as to the merits of my poetry I am quite diffident. I am a Japanese and a professor of English poetry in Waseda University in Tokyo. For ten years ago, I devoted much of my time to the study of the poetry of the late Mr. W. B. Yeats. And so when I saw him in Dublin last year, he gave me a warm welcome and wrote a letter of introduction addressing to you.
I wanted eagerly to see you while I was in Europe, but owing to the Sudeten Crisis last year, I had to cut my stay in Europe short, and to my great regret, I lost the opportunity of seeing you.
I have read almost all your works with great admiration--your works of immediate intelligibility and of creative vision.
Yours very truly Mr. Shotaro Oshima
? SECTIONII: 1936-66 81
84: Katue Kitasono to Ezra Pound TLS-2 (n. p. ] 5 December 1939
My dear POUND
"Antonio Vivaldi," Meridiano di Roma, the note on Noh play for J. T. , and your letter all arrived at me.
There has been such a long time that I don't knou^ vi^ith u^hat I should begin to w^rite.
A few month ago, from Mr. Moori I received Y60. 00 to send to you as the payment for your former two copies for /. T. (overwhelmingly small amount! )
I didn't know where you were, in America or Italy, and so I couldn't send it. Now I send you a money order for the sum through the post office and trust you will find it correct.
It's a pity that the copies of J. T. containing your articles hadn't reached you at last, which Mr. Moori said surely they had sent to America.
They will send them to you at once.
The article on Noh play for this time I have handed over to Mr. Moori, and your letter, too.
I asked Mr. Moori to contribute J. T. regularly to you hereafter, and he accepted. Of course it's an etiquette to present it to him, if any gentleman is so kind as to read such a monotonous paper. Japan has begun to suffer from paper famine.
But VOU no. 28 is soon to be out. Please pay attention to our dessins. Our poems are progressing, I think.
I have begun to communicate with a young Chinese writer Mr. Kuan
ChiaTung. Whenthecriticalconditionwillpass,I hopeyouwillgetfrom himsufficientknowledgeaboutChinawhichI couldn'tgiveyou.
I am going to make a Chinese group like the VOU Club.
It's interesting to know your opinion on modern war.
I'm sorry, but I must confess I think economics is, too, one of such
uncertain sciences as medical science, psychology, etc. You can imagine how firmly I stand to this belief, as I am a barbarian who studied political economics and philosophy in university. Please excuse me, if I'm mis- taken, but I guess yours is political economics. In fact it's another field to which economics should extend, but I fear which may change economics into a nasty sandwich.
Formypart,I prefertolookatthevaguecosmosofMarquisdeLaplace, standing on my poetical philosophy of life, hanging down a ribbon from my
? 82 SECTIONII: 1936-66
collar, printed "I dont need such a hypothesis. "
Perhaps Xmas will have passed, when this letter will reach you. Merry
Xmas to you and to all the members of your family.
P. S. Your note on Vivaldi for J. T. has just arrived.
ever yours Katue Kitasono
85: Ezra Pound to Katue Kitasono
TLS-2 Anno XVIII, Via Marsala 12-5, Rapallo, with Gaudier-Brzeska profile head. 13 January 1940
Dear K/K
So far I have had one packet of Jap/ Times containing copies of my note on NOH. Also (thank you) 60 yen which for some reason are payable in french francs. Thanks for the same. A plain bank cheque in either yen or dollars might be simpler if you use banks. Otherwise I shall (start) (in fact I have already started) move for direct exchange between Japan and Italy. France being now the less worthy country.
I am all for the triangle.
//
Am meditating a rather more serious article on elements in european thought/ etc.
//
what would (to me) be useful would be a regular journalists card. At present 1 am a poet. Poets have no civic status above other mere men. But JOURNALISTS cau belong to the press association. Anyone can be an author. Nobody but addicts to a daily paper can get into the Press association and enjoy the privileges of being an hireling.
The Jap Times don't appear to have an Italian correspondent. If they wd. confer this honour upon me 1 will faithfully promise not to send them any news, or will comply with whatever other measures they like.
I could of course send news, but I shd/ have to be paid for that, as it wd. take time.
It shd/ be a distinction for the J. T. to have me as a regular correspondent.
? SECTIONII: 1936-66 83
It wd. cost them nothing unless they want a news service. In which case they wd. have to cover expenses. But that is not the point. The point is the formal appointment. Globe sent me a card, but monthly magazines are not counted as journalism.
I believe several foreign journalists "correspond" with papers that no longer exist or from which they have long ceased to depend.
Thanks for VOU with yet again my phiz, and note of my having been to America.
// 1 think after I do the plea for analysis of European thought from (a. d. ) 300 to 1500 / 1 will send you a translation of a plan for reform of teach- ing U. S. history. / cd/ stand as a review of Beard/ Woodward/ Bowers/ (Overhoiser? ) and 25 years american historiography
and so forth Evviva la Poesia. especial epos
Ezra Pound
86: Ezra Pound to Katue Kitasono
TLS-1 Anno XVIII, Via Marsala 12-5, Rapallo, with Gaudier-Brzeska profile head. 14 January 1940
Dear K/K
Tomorrow I am sending you an article which I hope will not be too serious for the Jap. T.
If it is you can translate it for VOU. I may have been too careful. 1 dont dare put in any more explanation for fear of its being too long.
The additional points wd/ be reference to the two fold influx of Chinese poetry in Japan/ i/e/ imitations of Chinese poetry. And jap attempts to write in Chinese parallel to latin influence in europe and men who wrote IN latin, down even to 1800.
However that is not the main point. And the question of the age at which a man begins to be interested in politico as
a development from etica wd. furnish another article. I have tried to keep my (note on) "worship to a spirit which does not belong" inside the /. T. limit, art, thought etc.
(Besides I don't know who keeps the J. T. going. ) yrs E. P.
? 84 SECTIONII: 1936-66
87: Ezra Pound to Katue Kitasono
TLS-1 Anno XVIII, Via Marsala 12-5, Rapallo, with Gaudier-Brzeska profile head. 15 January 1940
DearK. K DoesanyoneinyourgroupreadItalian?
Or wd/ it be better for me to send you a resume in English of what I publish here?
Note that London can no longer serve as centre for contemporary thought. Censorship forbidding us to send in printed matter save direct from publishing offices.
Various theories of the war. One that it is really American money- lenders against England. Naturally a desire to kill Hitler as he is aware of the general financial infamy. You can't know why there was war be- tween Japan and China, without going into subject of loans, (from Eu- rope to China. ]
Action last week printed a map showing that Russia had annexed an area in China larger than Europe. Europe being unaware of it and no protest from England or the dirty old League of Nations.
The British Union Quarterly has just printed the finest historical article that I have ever seen in any country or magazine whatsoever.
The Social Creditor has been doing valuable historical work. You shd/ read Overholser's History of Money in the U. S. A.
Do you see any of these papers? If you read Italian I will again tell the editor of Meridiano di Roma to see that it is sent to you.
in a d/n hurry EP
88: Ezra Pound to Katue Kitasono
TLS-2 Anno XVIII, Via Marsala 12-5. Rapallo, with Gaudier-Brzeska profile head. 22 January 1940
Dear K/K
I have you to thank for a very elegant volume. The drawings look as if an occidental influence had entered your life. "Decadence of the Empire. "
All I now need is a translation, as the poems are very short/ don't bother
? SECTIONII: 1936-66
85
to make it literary, if I had a literal version I might possibly put it in shape. Can't tell, only a fraction of poetry will translate.
//
Did you use that bit of jap/ Times on purpose {as wrapping), or is it coincidence? First thing I see is "leg conscious Japan" which reminded me of Ito's first remark to me in 1914 or 15.
"Jap'nese dance all time overcoat. "
Then I notice the ineffable Miscio in person, but not in voice, save in the remark on the fan dance and Sally.
I believe I (could) have done a better article on Ito than the J. T. inter- viewer. Did you meet him? The paper is dated October, and says he was to return to America in Jan. so this is too late to serve as introduction, but if he is still in Tokio, give him my remembrances. I looked for him in N. York, but he was then in S. Francisco.
Mr. Masaichi Tani writes very good english, but he has missed a chance. His girls will have to be patriotic and "use Japan Knees" whatever for- eign clothes they obtain.
if you do meet Miscio ask him about "Ainley's face behind that mask," or his borrowing the old lady's cat.
As to the photo in the ]. T. I can't believe even Hollywood and facial massage has kept him 18. Not 25 years later.
Do you know whether the J. T. is being sent me? It doesn't get here. yours E. P.
(Did you see the Hawk's Well--is it any use in Japanese? )
89: Katue Kitasono to Ezra Pound
TLS-4 vou CLUB 1649 1-tiome-nisi magome-mati, omoriku, tokio. 15 March 1940
Dear Ezra Pound,
Excuse me for my long silence.
I thank you very much for your kindly letters and the copy for J. T. which has been just printed in the paper.
First of all I wish very much to have Meridiano di Roma, because I have
? 86 SECTIONII: 1936-66
a friend who reads Italian and will read Meridiano di Roma for me.
I often passed by Mitio Ito in the theatres or musical halls, but not talked to him. His hair is turning grey already, 1 haven't seen his dance so long. We, the VOU group, watch a young Miharu Tiba who is only unique dancer with a sense in Japan except Mitio Ito. I think Mitio Ito has not yet gone to
America, and if not I will write a letter to him.
The dessins in my book of poems Violet of Fire are drawn by Seiji Togo.
Really this painter is a decadent, a regrettable defect for him for which I must always blame him.
Recently Mr. Moori resigned his post, and Mr. Tamotu Iwado has become the new chief editor. He is, too, a good journalist as Mr. Moori.
J. T. is willing to designate you for an Italian correspondent.
If the enclosed certificate will be of any use to you, then banzai. J. T. will not restrict you in any way, but they will be glad to have your cultural news and sometimes political and economical news, if possible. Of course they
will pay you for them.
I send you several poems translated from Violet of Fire, (p. 17-26)
almost literal. At any rate, I hope these short lyrics will not take up much of your precious time.
The VOU Club plans to publish an English anthology. Will you please permit us to print your introductory note for VOU Club in the first number of Townsman. If you could write a poem or something for this anthology, we should be enraptured. Except the works of VOU, poems and essays of Duncan, Laughlin, Ford and other poets who have appeared in VOU, will be contained. The book will be about 150 pages and to be out till August.
Now and then Mary pleases me with her merry letters. She gave me a photo of her portrait painted by Mrs Frost.
I pray to Allah for your health and the meandering cantos.
Appendix:
ever yours. Katue Kitasono
heated monocle
1
Rise from a stone
Walk to hopelessness A red breast sings Offended alone
The pipe's clogged Forget even the name
? SECTIONII: 1936-66
87
2
Passing through a village of lilies
Near the down
Read a lonesome letter
Look at nothing but a shell and button Hate severely tears and the sea
3
Eat green cakes
Go into the garden to laugh
But the parrot has a dirty tongue The cactus is, too, filthy Leaning sad against an oak-tree For a long time
Listen to the poor piano
4
In pain day after day
The wind blows hard
Drink some milk and then seated The watch's stopped
Trifling is the death of Pompey
5
With a broken beer bottle under my arm On the rock by the seaside
To hear a horse
My hat's already broken
Pitiful forlorn
Ah
Sextus Pompeius
Your death is foolish
Said I
And yet
Your death is foolish again
6
Roaming on the path of thorns
Tread on the thorns
Oh, God may cry!
Stones are now faded
The absolute
Or genuine eyes are sad
Irritating is the warbling of a nightingale
? 88
SECTIONII: 1936-66
7
Going along a small hill
Slightly slip
Death is too tardy
Wet with grief
The buttons are off
The love of Cid is even a boredom
8
Oh, friend!
But there's no friend
Solitude is stained
Going alone to a village where nightingales warble Look at the growing potatoes
Tears trickling down
Feeling sick at the vulgar growth of fig trees
9
On the bank studded with marigolds A flock of ducks is dazzling
On the day of fate
Lying in despair
Without glancing at the lumbers Cries of wagtails are so noisy
10
With a black cap on
Buy the lilies
And pass through the wood
The way of summer noon is endless
The despair is so lasting
Lying in the village where tomatoes are bright Gnawing a green cucumber
Shed tears at a peasant's love.
--Katue Kitasono
? SECTIONII: 1936-66 89
90: Ezra Pound to Katue Kitasono
TLS-1 Anno XVIII, Via Marsala 12-5, Rapallo, with Gaudier-Brzeska profile head. 22 April 1940
Dear Kit Kat
Thank you (very much) for the translations of the poems. Have you sent them to Duncan, or wd/ you like me to do so?
Thanks for the letter from the Japan Times. However, no copies of the paper have come since the Dec. 10th lot.
I am not sure whether they want me to send only the long articles, or occasional briefer notes. Of course no use sending news that wd. be tele- graphed, and that they obviously get from a news agency.
I hopeyoufindMiscioIto.
Cantos 52/71 should have reached you. Of course if Mr. Iwado sends on the paper regularly I can probably fit my articles to it. I mean I can get much better Idea of whom I am writing for, and what has already been said.
I hope to see the editor of the Meridiano this week, and will again ask him to send it to you.
ever yours E. Pound
91: Ezra Pound to Katue Kitasono
TLS-2 Anno XVIII, Via Marsala 12-5, Rapallo, with Gaudier-Brzeska profile head and quotation "Liberty is not a right but a duty. " m. 10 July 1940
Dear Kit Kat
Enclosed (copy of letter to Mr. Iwado) explains itself. Thanks for the connection. I suggest that you reproduce (in VOU) the frontispage of my TEXT BOOK and translate its contents. It is the start of the economic history of the U. S. The pamphlet I am sending Mr. Iwado is the next dose/ and Por has explained the matter more fully. It is probably not your "pigeon" but still.
Has Meridiano begun to reach you? The J. T. is all the printed matter in English that now arrives here. Thanks for VOU. Last Meridiano con-
? 90 SECTIONII: 1936-66
tained some quotations from (Cantos) 52/71. Another point: MasoJiver has been doing some bihngual publishing in Spain. "Poesia en la Mono. " I dont know whether the series is going on, but you might send him a copy of VOU.
Juan Ramon Masoliver, Hotel Boston, via Lombardia Roma, Italy.
He has started the series with a fine translation of Dante (select pages). I suppose french wd/ be best medium of communication {with him). He is a cousin of Dali's.
I had about 44 other topics to write you.
I forget whether you are in touch with e. e. cummings. 4 Patchin Place. New York.
He is a better bet than C. H. Ford, though not a voluminous correspon- dent. In fact he is the best poet in America (long and ancient as is my friendship with old Bill Bull Williams . . . can't grade poems in accord- ance with personal relations with authors, but (on the other hand,) my relations suffer like hell when a man's work declines. )
Looking over the bound vols, of Little Review; the amount of work done since 1924 seems to boil down chiefly to what cummings has done, plus what Eliot has gone on doing. ("Agon" is later. )
I wonder if a file of The Little Review exists in Japan? Costs like the de- vil now. 1917/ to 19 and then quarterly issues at odd seasons till 1924. Joyce, Lewis, Eliot and the undersigned. Last issue Max Ernst and 1 think all the known surrealists. Crevel etc.
Have you had Crevel's "Pieds dans Je Plat"? You probably have re- viewed it in VOU, but my ideogramic knowledge moves very slowly and I can't read the magazine yet. I occasionally make out what some article is talking about. Am convinced VOU is livelier than anything here ex- cept Duncan's quarterly.
ever yours E. Pound
? SECTIONII: 1936-66 91
92: Ezra Pound to Katue Kitasono
TLS-2 Anno XVIII, Via Marsala 12-5, Rapallo, with Gaudier-Brzeska profile head. 17 July 1940
Dear Kit Kat
The radio this a. m. announced "fusion of eastern and west- ern cultures" as part of yr/ new govt, program. I dare say I have given this as much thought as anyone. You already have a few notes of mine: The important thing is to keep the best of both cultures and not clutter.
There is a whole series of my books, starting with Spirit of Ro- mance (my first attempt in 1910) down to KULCH, aiming at telling the true story of occidental writing. Plus a few fumbles toward yours. Fenol- losa's papers etc/
I don't know whether you can persuade your colleagues to save their own time by starting from where I have got to.
The moment is important, for if you start right it will save a lot of bother. I assure you that there is a connection between the state of mind that makes good art (whether classic or romantic) and the state of mind that makes clean economics.
I dare say both start with the Ta Hio (or however you spell it)
and the definition of words (or forms).
(how does one get that Ming ideogram properly drawn? ) j" /^v
Not only for KuJturmorphoiogie, but for history, do get yr/ Kokusai Bunka Shinkokai to start with Brooks Adams' synthesis. Law of Civiliza- tion and Decay, The New Empire, and include the economists whom I have listed in my Text Book, also get (them to get a) copy of Butchart's Money (collection of opinions of last three centuries) mostly in English.
And for relations whether cultural or whatever, commercial, economic try to get the essential facts of U. S. history, not the pack of evasions taught in American Universities.
I will probably try to list the essential facts of U. S. history for the Jap. Times; may send it to you to read first.
If Japan is going "fascist," might save time to start where fascism now is, no need to go though experimental phases. Danger in U. S. is a sham fascism with none of the basic merits/ German Bauern/dhig concept; very valuable, (ancient) Roman empire flopped from failure to defend the purchasing power of agricultural labour.
If these subjects bore you, put me in touch with your grand-
^^
^ 10^
-jr"
? 92 SECTIONII: 1936-66
father, and stick to plastic values and verbal nuances. The nuance as definition. Nothing to despise in nuance.
Have already said in J. T. that the ^ -j~
intensifies racial characteristics the more he knov^s of these of other
the merrier the contacts betv^een antipodally different individuals.
If my god damned compatriots cant or wont print decent American his- tory, that is no reason why Tokio shouldn't.
yours ever E. Pound
Notes/ Is the term jap disliked? 1 mean do Japs prefer to be called Japanese? I personally prefer the monosyllable and consider it honorific.
re/ clutter. Young Laughlin thought I exaggerated when I talked of the ROT included in literary curricula, then he had to prepare for his Harvard exams in Italian literature, and was utterly amazed (having read FJaubert and a few good modern authors) that such twaddle as the course con- tained COULD be offered to any student.
93: Katue Kitasono to Ezra Pound
TLS-l vou CLUB 1649 1-tiome-nisi magome-matl omoriku, tokio. 22 August 1940
My dear Ezra Pound,
I am very much pleased to get your letters of July 10 and July 17.
I am glad to print the translation of your Text Book in the next issue of VOU which is going to be out in September. I don't get any copy of Meridiano.
I am sending a copy of VOU each to Mr. Juan Ramon Masoliver and to Mr.
Art, poetry, music--all right. So is cultural news. We know you are not on a special mission to iron out the Japan-U. S. relations, if ever there are any jagged surface, but naturally would prefer nothing which will provoke Americans in political issues. Kindly stick to literary subjects; if your criticism of current American literature is found unfavorable to Americans, for instance, it can't be helped. Have I said sufficiently to indicate what we want?
? ? SECTIONII: 1936-66 79
82: Ezra Pound to Katue Kitasono and Yasotaro Morri
TLS-2 Anno XVII, Via Marsala 12-5, Rapallo, with Gaudier-Brzeska profile head. 28 October 1939
Dear K/K/ and Dear Mr. Morri
(or Dear K. K. will you please pass on this letter to Mr. Morri? )
You may have wondered where and why etc. {I have been. ) 1 reed. Mr. Morri's letter while in America. No copy of the Japan Times, for 1st sun- day in June has reached me. May have gone astray. Mr. M. said it wd. contain my note on Yeats.
As you can imagine, the war interferes with one's income. It doesn't matter how much 1 am paid, but I shall have to be paid something, as ZERO multiplied however many times equals always zero.
I shd. be willing to accept a subscription to the Japan Times as recom- pense for the first couple of articles. At any rate 1 want to see the paper, regularly, now that I am back at a fixed address. {&- 1 want 5 copies of issues containing my articles--distribution of which wd. he good pubiic- ityforJ. Times. )
We are having a LOAN-Capital war. Some say a jew war against the aryan population of Europe. Mc N. Wilson sees American finance as the real enemy of England. You must know where China got her money for war. Some call it Kuhn Loeb and Go's war on Japan.
At any rate there is no understanding of the present wars without under- standing of war loans/ loans by the same men to the Same men. De Wen- del the banker, pays the (french) people's money to De Wendel the gun maker. And so forth.
and all this is subject matter for literature.
My Cantos 52/71 are in the press/ Chinese dynasties and John Adams. Creator of the United States and of something not unlike a dynasty in America. The fall of which meant the end of decent civilization in the U. S. or at any rate a great and pestilent sickness in American govern- ment.
And I wd. prefer to write about history for the moment, includ- ing current history.
I will, however, during the coming week try to send you an article on the Vivaldi week in Siena.
I should think the Japan Times wd. do well to send a subscription to
? 80 SECTIONII: 1936-66
Odon Por, 5 b. via Angelo Masina, Roma, Italy as exchange for some Ital- ian publications, say Meridiano di Roma, and the Rivista di Lavoro if any of you read Italian.
Per reads english.
I have also been meaning to report on meeting with oriental dept. {of American congressional lihrary) and Dr. Sakanishi, in Washington re/ proposals for bilingual editions of Noh plays. Will try to get round to that shortly.
ever yours Ezra Pound
83: Shotaro Oshima to Ezra Pound
ALS-3 c/o Fujino, 1053, 2 chome, Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, Japan. 28 October 1939
Ezra Pound, Esq. Dear Sir:
I am taking the liberty of sending you under separate cover a copy of my Poems: Among Shapes and Shadows. I am afraid that they are rather badly written, as I have some difficulty in expressing myself in good English. But I hope that you will find something of interest in them. And I shall be very much obliged if you kindly give me some remark upon my works, because it is the first and laborious attempt for me to write verse in English, and as to the merits of my poetry I am quite diffident. I am a Japanese and a professor of English poetry in Waseda University in Tokyo. For ten years ago, I devoted much of my time to the study of the poetry of the late Mr. W. B. Yeats. And so when I saw him in Dublin last year, he gave me a warm welcome and wrote a letter of introduction addressing to you.
I wanted eagerly to see you while I was in Europe, but owing to the Sudeten Crisis last year, I had to cut my stay in Europe short, and to my great regret, I lost the opportunity of seeing you.
I have read almost all your works with great admiration--your works of immediate intelligibility and of creative vision.
Yours very truly Mr. Shotaro Oshima
? SECTIONII: 1936-66 81
84: Katue Kitasono to Ezra Pound TLS-2 (n. p. ] 5 December 1939
My dear POUND
"Antonio Vivaldi," Meridiano di Roma, the note on Noh play for J. T. , and your letter all arrived at me.
There has been such a long time that I don't knou^ vi^ith u^hat I should begin to w^rite.
A few month ago, from Mr. Moori I received Y60. 00 to send to you as the payment for your former two copies for /. T. (overwhelmingly small amount! )
I didn't know where you were, in America or Italy, and so I couldn't send it. Now I send you a money order for the sum through the post office and trust you will find it correct.
It's a pity that the copies of J. T. containing your articles hadn't reached you at last, which Mr. Moori said surely they had sent to America.
They will send them to you at once.
The article on Noh play for this time I have handed over to Mr. Moori, and your letter, too.
I asked Mr. Moori to contribute J. T. regularly to you hereafter, and he accepted. Of course it's an etiquette to present it to him, if any gentleman is so kind as to read such a monotonous paper. Japan has begun to suffer from paper famine.
But VOU no. 28 is soon to be out. Please pay attention to our dessins. Our poems are progressing, I think.
I have begun to communicate with a young Chinese writer Mr. Kuan
ChiaTung. Whenthecriticalconditionwillpass,I hopeyouwillgetfrom himsufficientknowledgeaboutChinawhichI couldn'tgiveyou.
I am going to make a Chinese group like the VOU Club.
It's interesting to know your opinion on modern war.
I'm sorry, but I must confess I think economics is, too, one of such
uncertain sciences as medical science, psychology, etc. You can imagine how firmly I stand to this belief, as I am a barbarian who studied political economics and philosophy in university. Please excuse me, if I'm mis- taken, but I guess yours is political economics. In fact it's another field to which economics should extend, but I fear which may change economics into a nasty sandwich.
Formypart,I prefertolookatthevaguecosmosofMarquisdeLaplace, standing on my poetical philosophy of life, hanging down a ribbon from my
? 82 SECTIONII: 1936-66
collar, printed "I dont need such a hypothesis. "
Perhaps Xmas will have passed, when this letter will reach you. Merry
Xmas to you and to all the members of your family.
P. S. Your note on Vivaldi for J. T. has just arrived.
ever yours Katue Kitasono
85: Ezra Pound to Katue Kitasono
TLS-2 Anno XVIII, Via Marsala 12-5, Rapallo, with Gaudier-Brzeska profile head. 13 January 1940
Dear K/K
So far I have had one packet of Jap/ Times containing copies of my note on NOH. Also (thank you) 60 yen which for some reason are payable in french francs. Thanks for the same. A plain bank cheque in either yen or dollars might be simpler if you use banks. Otherwise I shall (start) (in fact I have already started) move for direct exchange between Japan and Italy. France being now the less worthy country.
I am all for the triangle.
//
Am meditating a rather more serious article on elements in european thought/ etc.
//
what would (to me) be useful would be a regular journalists card. At present 1 am a poet. Poets have no civic status above other mere men. But JOURNALISTS cau belong to the press association. Anyone can be an author. Nobody but addicts to a daily paper can get into the Press association and enjoy the privileges of being an hireling.
The Jap Times don't appear to have an Italian correspondent. If they wd. confer this honour upon me 1 will faithfully promise not to send them any news, or will comply with whatever other measures they like.
I could of course send news, but I shd/ have to be paid for that, as it wd. take time.
It shd/ be a distinction for the J. T. to have me as a regular correspondent.
? SECTIONII: 1936-66 83
It wd. cost them nothing unless they want a news service. In which case they wd. have to cover expenses. But that is not the point. The point is the formal appointment. Globe sent me a card, but monthly magazines are not counted as journalism.
I believe several foreign journalists "correspond" with papers that no longer exist or from which they have long ceased to depend.
Thanks for VOU with yet again my phiz, and note of my having been to America.
// 1 think after I do the plea for analysis of European thought from (a. d. ) 300 to 1500 / 1 will send you a translation of a plan for reform of teach- ing U. S. history. / cd/ stand as a review of Beard/ Woodward/ Bowers/ (Overhoiser? ) and 25 years american historiography
and so forth Evviva la Poesia. especial epos
Ezra Pound
86: Ezra Pound to Katue Kitasono
TLS-1 Anno XVIII, Via Marsala 12-5, Rapallo, with Gaudier-Brzeska profile head. 14 January 1940
Dear K/K
Tomorrow I am sending you an article which I hope will not be too serious for the Jap. T.
If it is you can translate it for VOU. I may have been too careful. 1 dont dare put in any more explanation for fear of its being too long.
The additional points wd/ be reference to the two fold influx of Chinese poetry in Japan/ i/e/ imitations of Chinese poetry. And jap attempts to write in Chinese parallel to latin influence in europe and men who wrote IN latin, down even to 1800.
However that is not the main point. And the question of the age at which a man begins to be interested in politico as
a development from etica wd. furnish another article. I have tried to keep my (note on) "worship to a spirit which does not belong" inside the /. T. limit, art, thought etc.
(Besides I don't know who keeps the J. T. going. ) yrs E. P.
? 84 SECTIONII: 1936-66
87: Ezra Pound to Katue Kitasono
TLS-1 Anno XVIII, Via Marsala 12-5, Rapallo, with Gaudier-Brzeska profile head. 15 January 1940
DearK. K DoesanyoneinyourgroupreadItalian?
Or wd/ it be better for me to send you a resume in English of what I publish here?
Note that London can no longer serve as centre for contemporary thought. Censorship forbidding us to send in printed matter save direct from publishing offices.
Various theories of the war. One that it is really American money- lenders against England. Naturally a desire to kill Hitler as he is aware of the general financial infamy. You can't know why there was war be- tween Japan and China, without going into subject of loans, (from Eu- rope to China. ]
Action last week printed a map showing that Russia had annexed an area in China larger than Europe. Europe being unaware of it and no protest from England or the dirty old League of Nations.
The British Union Quarterly has just printed the finest historical article that I have ever seen in any country or magazine whatsoever.
The Social Creditor has been doing valuable historical work. You shd/ read Overholser's History of Money in the U. S. A.
Do you see any of these papers? If you read Italian I will again tell the editor of Meridiano di Roma to see that it is sent to you.
in a d/n hurry EP
88: Ezra Pound to Katue Kitasono
TLS-2 Anno XVIII, Via Marsala 12-5. Rapallo, with Gaudier-Brzeska profile head. 22 January 1940
Dear K/K
I have you to thank for a very elegant volume. The drawings look as if an occidental influence had entered your life. "Decadence of the Empire. "
All I now need is a translation, as the poems are very short/ don't bother
? SECTIONII: 1936-66
85
to make it literary, if I had a literal version I might possibly put it in shape. Can't tell, only a fraction of poetry will translate.
//
Did you use that bit of jap/ Times on purpose {as wrapping), or is it coincidence? First thing I see is "leg conscious Japan" which reminded me of Ito's first remark to me in 1914 or 15.
"Jap'nese dance all time overcoat. "
Then I notice the ineffable Miscio in person, but not in voice, save in the remark on the fan dance and Sally.
I believe I (could) have done a better article on Ito than the J. T. inter- viewer. Did you meet him? The paper is dated October, and says he was to return to America in Jan. so this is too late to serve as introduction, but if he is still in Tokio, give him my remembrances. I looked for him in N. York, but he was then in S. Francisco.
Mr. Masaichi Tani writes very good english, but he has missed a chance. His girls will have to be patriotic and "use Japan Knees" whatever for- eign clothes they obtain.
if you do meet Miscio ask him about "Ainley's face behind that mask," or his borrowing the old lady's cat.
As to the photo in the ]. T. I can't believe even Hollywood and facial massage has kept him 18. Not 25 years later.
Do you know whether the J. T. is being sent me? It doesn't get here. yours E. P.
(Did you see the Hawk's Well--is it any use in Japanese? )
89: Katue Kitasono to Ezra Pound
TLS-4 vou CLUB 1649 1-tiome-nisi magome-mati, omoriku, tokio. 15 March 1940
Dear Ezra Pound,
Excuse me for my long silence.
I thank you very much for your kindly letters and the copy for J. T. which has been just printed in the paper.
First of all I wish very much to have Meridiano di Roma, because I have
? 86 SECTIONII: 1936-66
a friend who reads Italian and will read Meridiano di Roma for me.
I often passed by Mitio Ito in the theatres or musical halls, but not talked to him. His hair is turning grey already, 1 haven't seen his dance so long. We, the VOU group, watch a young Miharu Tiba who is only unique dancer with a sense in Japan except Mitio Ito. I think Mitio Ito has not yet gone to
America, and if not I will write a letter to him.
The dessins in my book of poems Violet of Fire are drawn by Seiji Togo.
Really this painter is a decadent, a regrettable defect for him for which I must always blame him.
Recently Mr. Moori resigned his post, and Mr. Tamotu Iwado has become the new chief editor. He is, too, a good journalist as Mr. Moori.
J. T. is willing to designate you for an Italian correspondent.
If the enclosed certificate will be of any use to you, then banzai. J. T. will not restrict you in any way, but they will be glad to have your cultural news and sometimes political and economical news, if possible. Of course they
will pay you for them.
I send you several poems translated from Violet of Fire, (p. 17-26)
almost literal. At any rate, I hope these short lyrics will not take up much of your precious time.
The VOU Club plans to publish an English anthology. Will you please permit us to print your introductory note for VOU Club in the first number of Townsman. If you could write a poem or something for this anthology, we should be enraptured. Except the works of VOU, poems and essays of Duncan, Laughlin, Ford and other poets who have appeared in VOU, will be contained. The book will be about 150 pages and to be out till August.
Now and then Mary pleases me with her merry letters. She gave me a photo of her portrait painted by Mrs Frost.
I pray to Allah for your health and the meandering cantos.
Appendix:
ever yours. Katue Kitasono
heated monocle
1
Rise from a stone
Walk to hopelessness A red breast sings Offended alone
The pipe's clogged Forget even the name
? SECTIONII: 1936-66
87
2
Passing through a village of lilies
Near the down
Read a lonesome letter
Look at nothing but a shell and button Hate severely tears and the sea
3
Eat green cakes
Go into the garden to laugh
But the parrot has a dirty tongue The cactus is, too, filthy Leaning sad against an oak-tree For a long time
Listen to the poor piano
4
In pain day after day
The wind blows hard
Drink some milk and then seated The watch's stopped
Trifling is the death of Pompey
5
With a broken beer bottle under my arm On the rock by the seaside
To hear a horse
My hat's already broken
Pitiful forlorn
Ah
Sextus Pompeius
Your death is foolish
Said I
And yet
Your death is foolish again
6
Roaming on the path of thorns
Tread on the thorns
Oh, God may cry!
Stones are now faded
The absolute
Or genuine eyes are sad
Irritating is the warbling of a nightingale
? 88
SECTIONII: 1936-66
7
Going along a small hill
Slightly slip
Death is too tardy
Wet with grief
The buttons are off
The love of Cid is even a boredom
8
Oh, friend!
But there's no friend
Solitude is stained
Going alone to a village where nightingales warble Look at the growing potatoes
Tears trickling down
Feeling sick at the vulgar growth of fig trees
9
On the bank studded with marigolds A flock of ducks is dazzling
On the day of fate
Lying in despair
Without glancing at the lumbers Cries of wagtails are so noisy
10
With a black cap on
Buy the lilies
And pass through the wood
The way of summer noon is endless
The despair is so lasting
Lying in the village where tomatoes are bright Gnawing a green cucumber
Shed tears at a peasant's love.
--Katue Kitasono
? SECTIONII: 1936-66 89
90: Ezra Pound to Katue Kitasono
TLS-1 Anno XVIII, Via Marsala 12-5, Rapallo, with Gaudier-Brzeska profile head. 22 April 1940
Dear Kit Kat
Thank you (very much) for the translations of the poems. Have you sent them to Duncan, or wd/ you like me to do so?
Thanks for the letter from the Japan Times. However, no copies of the paper have come since the Dec. 10th lot.
I am not sure whether they want me to send only the long articles, or occasional briefer notes. Of course no use sending news that wd. be tele- graphed, and that they obviously get from a news agency.
I hopeyoufindMiscioIto.
Cantos 52/71 should have reached you. Of course if Mr. Iwado sends on the paper regularly I can probably fit my articles to it. I mean I can get much better Idea of whom I am writing for, and what has already been said.
I hope to see the editor of the Meridiano this week, and will again ask him to send it to you.
ever yours E. Pound
91: Ezra Pound to Katue Kitasono
TLS-2 Anno XVIII, Via Marsala 12-5, Rapallo, with Gaudier-Brzeska profile head and quotation "Liberty is not a right but a duty. " m. 10 July 1940
Dear Kit Kat
Enclosed (copy of letter to Mr. Iwado) explains itself. Thanks for the connection. I suggest that you reproduce (in VOU) the frontispage of my TEXT BOOK and translate its contents. It is the start of the economic history of the U. S. The pamphlet I am sending Mr. Iwado is the next dose/ and Por has explained the matter more fully. It is probably not your "pigeon" but still.
Has Meridiano begun to reach you? The J. T. is all the printed matter in English that now arrives here. Thanks for VOU. Last Meridiano con-
? 90 SECTIONII: 1936-66
tained some quotations from (Cantos) 52/71. Another point: MasoJiver has been doing some bihngual publishing in Spain. "Poesia en la Mono. " I dont know whether the series is going on, but you might send him a copy of VOU.
Juan Ramon Masoliver, Hotel Boston, via Lombardia Roma, Italy.
He has started the series with a fine translation of Dante (select pages). I suppose french wd/ be best medium of communication {with him). He is a cousin of Dali's.
I had about 44 other topics to write you.
I forget whether you are in touch with e. e. cummings. 4 Patchin Place. New York.
He is a better bet than C. H. Ford, though not a voluminous correspon- dent. In fact he is the best poet in America (long and ancient as is my friendship with old Bill Bull Williams . . . can't grade poems in accord- ance with personal relations with authors, but (on the other hand,) my relations suffer like hell when a man's work declines. )
Looking over the bound vols, of Little Review; the amount of work done since 1924 seems to boil down chiefly to what cummings has done, plus what Eliot has gone on doing. ("Agon" is later. )
I wonder if a file of The Little Review exists in Japan? Costs like the de- vil now. 1917/ to 19 and then quarterly issues at odd seasons till 1924. Joyce, Lewis, Eliot and the undersigned. Last issue Max Ernst and 1 think all the known surrealists. Crevel etc.
Have you had Crevel's "Pieds dans Je Plat"? You probably have re- viewed it in VOU, but my ideogramic knowledge moves very slowly and I can't read the magazine yet. I occasionally make out what some article is talking about. Am convinced VOU is livelier than anything here ex- cept Duncan's quarterly.
ever yours E. Pound
? SECTIONII: 1936-66 91
92: Ezra Pound to Katue Kitasono
TLS-2 Anno XVIII, Via Marsala 12-5, Rapallo, with Gaudier-Brzeska profile head. 17 July 1940
Dear Kit Kat
The radio this a. m. announced "fusion of eastern and west- ern cultures" as part of yr/ new govt, program. I dare say I have given this as much thought as anyone. You already have a few notes of mine: The important thing is to keep the best of both cultures and not clutter.
There is a whole series of my books, starting with Spirit of Ro- mance (my first attempt in 1910) down to KULCH, aiming at telling the true story of occidental writing. Plus a few fumbles toward yours. Fenol- losa's papers etc/
I don't know whether you can persuade your colleagues to save their own time by starting from where I have got to.
The moment is important, for if you start right it will save a lot of bother. I assure you that there is a connection between the state of mind that makes good art (whether classic or romantic) and the state of mind that makes clean economics.
I dare say both start with the Ta Hio (or however you spell it)
and the definition of words (or forms).
(how does one get that Ming ideogram properly drawn? ) j" /^v
Not only for KuJturmorphoiogie, but for history, do get yr/ Kokusai Bunka Shinkokai to start with Brooks Adams' synthesis. Law of Civiliza- tion and Decay, The New Empire, and include the economists whom I have listed in my Text Book, also get (them to get a) copy of Butchart's Money (collection of opinions of last three centuries) mostly in English.
And for relations whether cultural or whatever, commercial, economic try to get the essential facts of U. S. history, not the pack of evasions taught in American Universities.
I will probably try to list the essential facts of U. S. history for the Jap. Times; may send it to you to read first.
If Japan is going "fascist," might save time to start where fascism now is, no need to go though experimental phases. Danger in U. S. is a sham fascism with none of the basic merits/ German Bauern/dhig concept; very valuable, (ancient) Roman empire flopped from failure to defend the purchasing power of agricultural labour.
If these subjects bore you, put me in touch with your grand-
^^
^ 10^
-jr"
? 92 SECTIONII: 1936-66
father, and stick to plastic values and verbal nuances. The nuance as definition. Nothing to despise in nuance.
Have already said in J. T. that the ^ -j~
intensifies racial characteristics the more he knov^s of these of other
the merrier the contacts betv^een antipodally different individuals.
If my god damned compatriots cant or wont print decent American his- tory, that is no reason why Tokio shouldn't.
yours ever E. Pound
Notes/ Is the term jap disliked? 1 mean do Japs prefer to be called Japanese? I personally prefer the monosyllable and consider it honorific.
re/ clutter. Young Laughlin thought I exaggerated when I talked of the ROT included in literary curricula, then he had to prepare for his Harvard exams in Italian literature, and was utterly amazed (having read FJaubert and a few good modern authors) that such twaddle as the course con- tained COULD be offered to any student.
93: Katue Kitasono to Ezra Pound
TLS-l vou CLUB 1649 1-tiome-nisi magome-matl omoriku, tokio. 22 August 1940
My dear Ezra Pound,
I am very much pleased to get your letters of July 10 and July 17.
I am glad to print the translation of your Text Book in the next issue of VOU which is going to be out in September. I don't get any copy of Meridiano.
I am sending a copy of VOU each to Mr. Juan Ramon Masoliver and to Mr.
