Monday, August 20, 2012

SOSEKI NATSUME ON WESTERN THOUGHT


Yesterday, Aoi was working on the new translation of Netsume Soseki’s I am a Cat we are working on. The door to the outside was open and a gentle breeze blew through the house. She happened to look up and there as a calico cat standing in the doorway, looking right at her. Their eyes met and there occurred a certain communication, as if the cat were speaking to her: “Oh, you are thinking of Soseki?...Have you ever read I am a Cat?...Hei! What are you looking at? Oh, me?...Yes, I am a cat…Bye bye.” This all seemed very strange to Aoi. No strange cat has ever come up to the door before — only our cats. The incident brought this to mind:

cat peers through the door
eyebrow cocked, tail swishing —
Soseki sent me.

Is it possible?