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The Tale of the Heike

by Heike, Helen Craig McCullough (Translator)

3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 · rating details · 255 ratings · 24 reviews

The Tale of the Heike is one of the masterworks of Japanese literature, ranking with The Tal of Genji in quality and prestige. This new translation is not only far more readable than earlier ones, it is also much more faithful to the content and style of the original. Intended for the general audience as well as the specialist, this edition is highly annotated.

Paperback, 504 pages

Published March 1st 1990 by Stanford University Press (first published June 1975)

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Mar 18, 2013 Hadrian rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: epic, fiction, japan, war, poetry

The Jetavana Temple bells
Ring the passing of all things.
Twinned sal trees, white in full flower,
declare the great man's certain fall.
The arrogant do not long endure:
They are like a dream one night in spring.
The bold and brave perish in the end:
They are as dust before the wind.

These is the opening song of the epic, The Tale of the Heike. Although this is a war story, detailing the quick rise and steady fall of a clan which sought a military takeover of Japan, it is something more. The Heike mono...more

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Jun 15, 2013 umberto rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, japan, tales

Reading "The Tale of Heike" translated by Professor Royall Tyler was nearly inconceivable to me since I hoped to read its translated version in prose like his "The Tale of Genji" (Penguin 2003) in which I enjoyed reading, taking notes, admiring the illustrations, etc. A reason was that I had read Professor A.L. Sadler's "Tales of the Heike" (Tuttle 1972) and enjoyed reading his wonderful prose and 21 illustrative reproductions dated back to 1699 and 1736, therefore, I was a bit disappointed when...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Michael Watson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Royall Tyler's translation conveys the tremendous range of this medieval classic, one of the central narratives in the Japanese tradition, and one of the world's great narratives of war. Three earlier translations were all in prose, but Tyler uses prose and two forms of verse, following closely the three ways in which the war tale was originally recited, chanted, and sung. The fall of the Heike family is a story that echoes throughout later Japanese culture--many noh plays are based on events fr...more

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Nov 25, 2010 Nick D rated it 4 of 5 stars

Many prefer the openings of Anna Karenina, Pride and Prejudice, or Moby-Dick, but my favorite is from the Tale of the Heike. There are more compelling translations but for all I know this one by Helen Craig McCullough is more accurate: "The sound of the Gion Shoja bells echoes the impermanence of all things; the color of the sala flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline. The proud do not endure, they are like a dream on a spring night. The might fall at last, they are as dust b...more Many prefer the openings of Anna Karenina, Pride and Prejudice, or Moby-Dick, but my favorite is from the Tale of the Heike. There are more compelling translations but for all I know this one by Helen Craig McCullough is more accurate: "The sound of the Gion Shoja bells echoes the impermanence of all things; the color of the sala flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline. The proud do not endure, they are like a dream on a spring night. The might fall at last, they are as dust before the wind." That said, the Tale of the Heike tells the story of two proud clans refusing to fall or blow away: the upstart Heike/Taira and the more august but temporarily weakened Minamoto/Genji (no discernible relation to the prince of Lady Murasaki's novel). For a culture that was so entranced by Buddhism, medieval Japan was deeply enamored of complicating things. Everyone had long complex names (most of them starting with Yori-, Yoshi- or Shige-, which makes following this epic more of a chore than it would otherwise be). There were even two Emperors -- they had developed a habit of retiring, presumably for religious purposes, but maintained a separate court and a following and, since the reigning Emperor was often enough a child, even a toddler, wielded as much power as the monarchs of the time could. For the period preceding this slice of history, the Fujiwara clan actually ran the nation. The Tale of the Heike starts with the Heike/Taira clan ascendant, with its chief, Kiyomori, the most powerful man in the nation, but hated by sizable factions apparently biding their time in the hills, apparently because of his humble roots and his habit of bestowing the best lands and titles on his relatives (the Japanese sense of the ornate extends to titles; there are Ministers of the Right and the Left; Dharma Seals; Chancellor-Novices; Assistant Directors of the Stables, Punishments Ministers...). Kiyomori's ablest son preceded him in death, and his remaining heirs lacked their father's political and military genius, so the Minamoto/Genji seized their moment. The heart of this bloody tale is in its incidents; the warrior who wants to spare a boy soldier's life who, realizing that the boy will die by someone's hand, proceeds with the killing so that the killer will be someone who prays for his victim; the Abbot Shunkan left alone on an island for plotting to overthrow Kiyomori, whose servant journeys to find him; the servant who weighs down the head of his dead master so that it won't be paraded (the final humiliation in these times). It was a world in which women were expected to take orders and pray for their husbands killed in battle, in which orders of monks quarreled over ritual slights and took arms over politics: Pure Land Buddhism in which one prays to the Buddha of Compassion and awaits the Buddha of the Future. It is worth remembering that Zen priests blessed the kamikazi pilots. (less)

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Feb 06, 2013 Doria rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Moving, expansive, stretching across years and touching upon innumerable lives, and yet also exquisitely intimate and personal, the Tale of the Heike is a sumptuous tale. Tragic, enthralling, lyrical and often brutal, it offers us an unflinching description of life among the upper echelon of society towards the end of the twelfth century in Japan. We follow the rise and inevitable fall of the Taira (Heike) clan, whose family members grasp arrogantly after imperial power in the face of widespread...more Moving, expansive, stretching across years and touching upon innumerable lives, and yet also exquisitely intimate and personal, the Tale of the Heike is a sumptuous tale. Tragic, enthralling, lyrical and often brutal, it offers us an unflinching description of life among the upper echelon of society towards the end of the twelfth century in Japan. We follow the rise and inevitable fall of the Taira (Heike) clan, whose family members grasp arrogantly after imperial power in the face of widespread disapproval, only to plummet from the heights when their luck turns. As their enemies gather and exact revenge, the hopelessness and tragedy of their fate is bewailed, and the ephemeral nature of success - "this dewdrop life" - is marveled at by all who have beheld their incredible ride on the wheel of fortune. I loved that this book is composed of so many stories within stories. It is as much the tale of many individuals and their personal histories - their grievances, romances, errors, foolishness and heroism - as it is an historical epic, in which the destiny of a nation is decided. Easily comparable in scope to Homer's Odyssey and Iliad, it achieves a genuine pathos and deep level of intimacy and spiritual introspection that felt to me more authentic than those Greek epics, although one could argue that this is purely subjective on my part. Who is to say that Lord Kiyomori's grief in foreseeing the downfall of his house is greater than that of King Priam of Troy? Is the desolation of former Empress Kenreimon-in at the loss of her child any less profound than that of Andromache? The one recalls the other inevitably, and neither is diminished; arguably both epics are enhanced by each other. What matters most is that the human condition - uncertain, ephemeral, by turns abysmal and glorious - is illuminated. We read, ponder and wonder at the adventures and experiences recorded so long ago, and recognize that the flame of human existence wavers but burns on, against all odds and despite ourselves, both then and now. What epics will our descendants read about us some day.......(less)

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Sep 25, 2012 Yoake rated it 3 of 5 stars

El Cantar de Heike o Heike monogatari es la historia del final de una era, la denominada Heian (792-1185) en Japón. También es la historia de la rivalidad entre dos familias, los Heike y los Genji, por la lucha por el poder. Es también la narración de mil batallas sangrientas repletas de samurais-criados, de monjes guerreros y de emperadores-niños que se suicidan arrojándose al mar. Es una advertencia de lo que puede ocurrirle al hombre cuando se aleja de los preceptos del budismo. Es una epopey...more El Cantar de Heike o Heike monogatari es la historia del final de una era, la denominada Heian (792-1185) en Japón. También es la historia de la rivalidad entre dos familias, los Heike y los Genji, por la lucha por el poder. Es también la narración de mil batallas sangrientas repletas de samurais-criados, de monjes guerreros y de emperadores-niños que se suicidan arrojándose al mar. Es una advertencia de lo que puede ocurrirle al hombre cuando se aleja de los preceptos del budismo. Es una epopeya, un cantar épico, un tratado religioso, uno poético y una elegía, todo al mismo tiempo. Es un escrito creado para ser cantado por los bonzos ciegos rodeado de repeticiones, genealogías, viajes en el tiempo, nostalgias del imperio chino y apuntes del apocalipsis.

Es imprescindible leer esta edición porque la introducción de Carlos Rubio es lo único que puede ayudarnos a encontrar un contexto a las 850 páginas. Además, también es traductor, lo que facilita la comprensión aun más. Es un texto cansino, denso, con muchos personajes con nombre, pero al mismo tiempo muy moderno. Si existe, aconsejaría la versión oral porque se compuso con ese fin. Los samurais cortan muchas cabezas a lo largo del Heike. A mí me impactaba tanto que yo me quedaba en la cabeza paseada como trofeo mientras el bonzo seguía con el emperador de China que viajó a aquella región y se entretuvo rezando en la orilla del mar. No es fácil, a veces me ha aburrido muchísimo, pero su valía literaria, histórica y cultural es innegable. Yo que soy aficionada a las series de televisión japonesas, entiendo ahora mucho mejor ciertos comportamientos que en su día me parecieron absurdos. En el Heike los hombres mojan las mangas de sus kimonos constantemente. Ocho siglos después lo siguen haciendo.

Todo ser humano posee un corazón. Y cada corazón posee una forma de pensar. El otro acierta y yo me equivoco, o bien yo acierto y el otro se equivoca. Según esta alternancia, nadie puede establecer ninguna regla ni lógica de lo que es bueno y malo. O bien los dos pueden acertar o bien equivocarse. Es como un círculo; no hay un fin. Por eso, cuando el otro se enfada, uno tiene que condenarse a sí mismo.*

*Fragmento citado en el Heike monogatari de La Constitución de los Diecisiete Artículos del príncipe Shoutoku (año 604).(less)

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Mar 07, 2011 Richard rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ask any reasonably well-read person outside Japan to name a literary work from that country and odds are they’ll first say “The Tale of Genji,” by Lady Murasaki Shikibu (not her “real” name, and a story unto itself) an account of one prince’s life at Court in the Heian Period (794-1185 AD). The second has to be “Tale of the Heike.” The main difference between the two is that “Genji” is a work of fiction, while the Heike Monogatari at least attempts to be a chronicle of actual events, the Genpei...more Ask any reasonably well-read person outside Japan to name a literary work from that country and odds are they’ll first say “The Tale of Genji,” by Lady Murasaki Shikibu (not her “real” name, and a story unto itself) an account of one prince’s life at Court in the Heian Period (794-1185 AD). The second has to be “Tale of the Heike.” The main difference between the two is that “Genji” is a work of fiction, while the Heike Monogatari at least attempts to be a chronicle of actual events, the Genpei Wars that marked the end of the Heian period, Japan’s Golden Age.

The strife between the two leading military families of the time, the Taira and the Minamoto easily becomes the stuff of legend without very much embellishment, and anything more than a quick overview is far beyond the scope of this review. In short, while in theory the Emperor was the absolute ruler of Japan, in practice most of the power resided in the court bureaucrats (the Fujiwara), and the military families that defended the Emperor and carried out his commands (Minamoto, Taira, Hojou and many others). Toward the end of the Heian period, the power of the military families was in the ascendant, and the two most powerful, the Minamoto and the Taira, clashed to decide who would become the de-facto rulers of the country. After an epic struggle culminating in the Battle of Dan-No-Ura in 1185, the Taira (Heike) were utterly defeated, which lead directly to the Kamakura Period and the first bakufu, or military government of Japan, the Shogunate.

What we know today as “Tale of the Heike” was probably first recorded in the late 13th century, barely one hundred years from the events and people it describes, but there was also a strong oral component of the account, as told by the Hoshi, blind singers and storytellers who repeated the tale and others like it as entertainment, a tradition which lasted for centuries, thus turning the chronicles into the stuff of legend which, to a great degree, had already begun even before the war ended.

“The Tale of the Heike” is worth reading for its own sake, but as a writer interested in the period I can’t deny that at least part of my motivation for reading it was as research. I’m in no position to quibble with the accuracy of McCullough’s translation, except to say that it is very readable and does not get in the way of the story as story. I was a little put off by the references to samurai, a term that barely existed at the time of the Heike Monogatari, but that would be the way most warriors would be referred to by the time the story was written down, so even that is hardly worth a mention. In short, I greatly enjoyed reading this, and I’d recommended it to anyone with evan a passing interest in events that were to determine the course of Japanese history for the next eight hundred years.
(less)

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Oct 24, 2010 Thomas rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: eastern-classics

I read this over a period of a few months, which is possible because the book is written in small sections, little set scenes that sit apart, but mesh with the whole. The individual bits were related orally by a class of blind poets known as biwa hoshi. There are some comparisons to be made to ancient western epics like the Iliad, including the vast number of characters and the detailed battle scenes, but the tone of the Heike is completely different.

The tale is generally about the fall of the T...more

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Mar 17, 2011 Angela Alcorn marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: 20-essential-japanese-works, second-hand-bookshop-wishlist, fiction, middle-ages, 13th-century, classics

Found this book on a list of 20 essential works of Japanese literature. Made this list in Goodreads here.

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Dec 11, 2012 Sinistmer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, historical-fiction, realistic-fiction, storytelling-folklore

For what it's worth, I read the Royall Taylor translation, so I can't personally comment on this translation. The Royall Taylor translation maintains the original verse, and that makes it a challenge to read; it's really like reading the Iliad in that regard and in terms of storyline. I think I would/will get more out of this book through a conversation or course, but, that being said, it was still an enjoyable and intriguing read.

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Apr 15, 2013 Petra marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Small part was recited in 1Q84; sounded like an interesting tale.

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Jul 19, 2012 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Excellent story, well translated and easily accessible for even those not devotedly in love with Japanese history. Tragic, and personal

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Jan 02, 2008 Heidi Nemo rated it 4 of 5 stars

The japanese kamakura version of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire...much more lyrical, mystical, and hard-core. Also, historically, mostly imaginary. Poetry composed on the battlefield, over the bodies of the dead? Impossibly athletic acts of bravery and suicide? Yes.

I recommend getting a recording of a traditional musical re-telling of the battle of Dan-no-ura, the death of Atsumori, or another good juicily tragic section of the epic...the voice reaches a tremulous quaver of loss and s...more

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Nov 10, 2009 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

OK, this wasn't AWFUL, but I didn't really enjoy it at all. It's clearly pretty crucial in the scheme of Japanese lit though, earning it the 3rd star. I'm reading it right after Genji, which I loved, so that may have biased me a little. There was a lot of military detail... and I'm just not a big lover of battle scenes. They bore me to tears. As for the more personal stories, those were interesting enough, but either the original or the translation is missing that really beautiful lyrical qualit...more

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Apr 17, 2008 Neil rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A great read if you're interested in the warrior tales, stories of Japanese samurai and bouts of honor, duty, and loyalty. This is the classic tale of the rise and fall of the Fujiwara clan on the eve of military rule in Kamakura Japan. The cast of characters is vast, but the main figures stand out. My favorite parts - the Burning of Nara, the Death of Kiyomori, and the death of Yoshitsune. The Heike is the basis for many later stories and plays in Japanese literature, so it's a must read for th...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Mills College Library added it · review of another edition

Shelves: april-2013, weekly-04-05-2013, fiction-new-books

Fiction H4659t 2012

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Oct 24, 2012 Weasel marked it as own-to-read-fic · review of another edition

Arrived today, lovely jacket, well bound, paper is thinish but not too thin and the book will lay open without any pressure. Slightly disappointed that it's not slipcased to match the The Tale of Genji set.

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Mar 24, 2013 Myles Osborne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(3.8/5.0) Full of wonderful didactic episodes; the footnotes provide a thorough crash course in feudal Japanese history.

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Apr 18, 2011 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very interesting but a hard read because of the large number of complicated names - way beyond War and Peace! The Heike Story is much easier unless you want to read a very accurate version of the history.

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Apr 17, 2008 X-ray rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People interested in Japanese Culture

Man, I forgot how I hate the way early Japanese literature reads. Read it Cuz' its culturally relevent, and is referenced so much in the stuff I read.

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Aug 08, 2012 Roberta rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The tale of the Heike clan, their rise to the place of emperor and subsequent ruin through their own cruelty and thoughtlessness.

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Mar 17, 2011 meeners rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: japanese-lit, translation, for-school

accessible, abridged version of heike that could prove very useful for teaching in the classroom.

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Nov 23, 2010 Jeffrey rated it 3 of 5 stars

seriously lack in samurai

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Sep 23, 2009 kasia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Beautiful.

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Jun 19, 2013 Richard Clark rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jun 18, 2013 Lucas Gravely marked it as to-read

Jun 18, 2013 Preeti marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jun 18, 2013 Megan is currently reading it · review of another edition

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“The sound of the Gion Shoja temple bells echoes the impermanence of all things; the color of the sala flowers reveals the truth that to flourish is to fall. The proud do not endure, like a passing dream on a night in spring; the mighty fall at last, to be no more than dust before the wind.” — 4 people liked it

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