Worlding Sei Shonagon

The Makura no Sôshi, or The Pillow Bookas it is generally known in English, is a collection of personal reflections and anecdotes about life in the Japanese royal court composed around the turn of the eleventh century by a woman known as Sei Shônagon. Its opening section, known as the haru wa akebonoor the "spring, dawn" passage, is arguably the single most famous passage in Japanese literature.The Pillow Bookhas been translated countless times over the centuries. It has captured the European imagination with its lyrical style, compelling images and the striking voice of its author. Worlding Sei Shônagonguides the reader through the remarkable translation history of The Pillow Bookin the West, gathering 50 translations that span 135 years and 16 languages, many of which are made readily available for the first time.By comparing the translations of the "spring, dawn" passage, Valerie Henitiuk reveals how the Western understanding of Japan has transformed over time. The stylistic features of the passage have challenged every translator, who have alternated between being faithful to the original and respecting readers' expectations and cultural sensitivities. The wide range of interpretations of this passage highlights that a translation is always inevitably a creation of its time and place and that linguistic, cultural and historical equivalence are rarely captured in translation.