“Different Songs Sung Together”: The Impact of Translation on the Poetry of José Juan Tablada

José Juan Tablada was one of Mexico's leading modern poets. During his lifetime (1871-1945) he was not only a literary writer but also an artist, art critic, and journalist. Tablada's interests also included translation. For many years, he edited Revista Moderna, a magazine he founded which featured poetry translations as well as original poetry and art. After translating a number of classical Japanese poems, Tablada wrote and published his own Spanish-language haiku and haiga. His haiku and haiga did not adhere to the criteria established by Japanese versions of these forms but combined the Japanese tradition with references to religion and Mexican culture. By integrating elements of the Japanese and Mexican poetic traditions, Tablada's translations ultimately led him to create new forms of poetry and art.