Royall Tyler (academic)
Encyclopedia
Royall Tyler is a Japanologist. He is a descendant of the American playwright Royall Tyler
(1757–1826). He was born in London
, England
, and grew up in Massachusetts
, England
, Washington D.C., and Paris
, France
. Between 1990 and 2000 he taught at the Australian National University
. He was Reader at that university and is now a visiting Fellow in ANU's Faculty of Asian Studies. He has translated an anthology of Japanese folklore
, a collection of Noh
plays, and, recently The Tale of Genji
by Murasaki Shikibu
.
He has a B.A.
in Far Eastern Languages (1957) from Harvard University
and a Ph.D.
in Japanese literature
from Columbia University
, and has also taught at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
and the University of Oslo
, Norway
. At Columbia he was supervised by the doyen of Japanese studies in the West, Donald Keene
.
He lives in New South Wales
, 70 miles (112.7 km) outside Canberra
in Australia
.
In 2008, the government of Japan conferred the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon
, which represents the third highest of eight classes associated with this award. This honor acknowledged his exceptional contribution in introducing non Japanese audiences to the Noh theatre through "his highly acclaimed translations and publications of numerous Noh plays, culminating in over forty years of research and deep understanding of classical Japanese literature and culture."
In 2001 Dr Tyler completed translating the entire Tale of Genji, a task that took approximately eight years. It is the third translation of the entire Tale into English.
Individual authors
Anthologies
Royall Tyler
Royall Tyler , American jurist and playwright who wrote The Contrast in 1787 and published The Algerine Captive in 1797. He wrote several legal tracts, six plays, a musical drama, two long poems, a semifictional travel narrative, The Yankey in London , and essays...
(1757–1826). He was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and grew up in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Washington D.C., and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Between 1990 and 2000 he taught at the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
. He was Reader at that university and is now a visiting Fellow in ANU's Faculty of Asian Studies. He has translated an anthology of Japanese folklore
Japanese folklore
The folklore of Japan is heavily influenced by both Shinto and Buddhism, the two primary religions in the country. It often involves humorous or bizarre characters and situations and also includes an assortment of supernatural beings, such as bodhisattva, kami , yōkai , yūrei ,...
, a collection of Noh
Noh
, or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
plays, and, recently The Tale of Genji
The Tale of Genji
is a classic work of Japanese literature attributed to the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century, around the peak of the Heian period. It is sometimes called the world's first novel, the first modern novel, the first psychological novel or the first novel still to be...
by Murasaki Shikibu
Murasaki Shikibu
Murasaki Shikibu was a Japanese novelist, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court during the Heian period. She is best known as the author of The Tale of Genji, written in Japanese between about 1000 and 1012...
.
He has a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Far Eastern Languages (1957) from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Japanese literature
Japanese literature
Early works of Japanese literature were heavily influenced by cultural contact with China and Chinese literature, often written in Classical Chinese. Indian literature also had an influence through the diffusion of Buddhism in Japan...
from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, and has also taught at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
and the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. At Columbia he was supervised by the doyen of Japanese studies in the West, Donald Keene
Donald Keene
Donald Lawrence Keene is a Japanologist, scholar, teacher, writer, translator and interpreter of Japanese literature and culture. Keene was University Professor Emeritus and Shincho Professor Emeritus of Japanese Literature at Columbia University, where he taught for over fifty years...
.
He lives in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, 70 miles (112.7 km) outside Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
In 2008, the government of Japan conferred the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
, which represents the third highest of eight classes associated with this award. This honor acknowledged his exceptional contribution in introducing non Japanese audiences to the Noh theatre through "his highly acclaimed translations and publications of numerous Noh plays, culminating in over forty years of research and deep understanding of classical Japanese literature and culture."
In 2001 Dr Tyler completed translating the entire Tale of Genji, a task that took approximately eight years. It is the third translation of the entire Tale into English.
Honors
- Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck RibbonOrder of the Rising SunThe is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
, 2008. - Japan FoundationJapan FoundationThe was established in 1972 by an Act of the Japanese Diet as a special legal entity to undertake international dissemination of Japanese culture, and became an independent administrative institution under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Ministry of Japan on 1 October 2003 under the "Independent...
: Japan Foundation Award, 2007. - Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Translation Award, 2001.
Selected works
- Tyler, Royall. (1990). The Miracles of the Kasuga Deity: Records of Civilization. New York: Columbia University PressColumbia University PressColumbia University Press is a university press based in New York City, and affiliated with Columbia University. It is currently directed by James D. Jordan and publishes titles in the humanities and sciences, including the fields of literary and cultural studies, history, social work, sociology,...
. 10-ISBN 0-231-06958-8; 13-ISBN 978-0-231-06958-8 (cloth) - _____________. (2002). The Hidden Tale of Genji (Occasional papers in Japanese studies). Cambridge: Harvard University, Edwin O. Reischauer Institute Of Japanese Studies.
Individual authors
- Kawaguchi, Matsutaro. (2007). Mistress Oriku: Stories from a Tokyo Teahouse (tr. Royall Tyler). Tokyo: TuttleTuttleTuttle may refer to:* Tuttle, Animal* Tuttle, California, in Merced County* Tuttle, Colusa County, California* Tuttle, Oklahoma* Tuttle, North Dakota* "Tuttle" People with the surname Tuttle:* A...
. 10-ISBN 0-8048-3842-9; 13-ISBN 978-0-8048-3842-9 (cloth) -- 10-ISBN 4-8053-0886-9; 13-ISBN 978-4-8053-0886-8 (paper) - Murasaki ShikibuMurasaki ShikibuMurasaki Shikibu was a Japanese novelist, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court during the Heian period. She is best known as the author of The Tale of Genji, written in Japanese between about 1000 and 1012...
. (2001) The Tale of Genji. (tr. Royall Tyler). New York: Viking PressViking PressViking Press is an American publishing company owned by the Penguin Group, which has owned the company since 1975. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim...
. 10-ISBN 0-670-03020-1; 13-ISBN 978-0-670-03020-0 (cloth)- _____________. (2002). The Tale of Genji. (tr. Royall Tyler). New York: Penguin Classics. 10-ISBN 0-14-243714-X; 13-ISBN 978-0-14-243714-8 (paper)]
- Suzuki, Sadami. (2006). The Concept of "Literature" in Japan (tr. Royall Tyler). Tokyo: International Research Center Japanese Studies. 10-ISBN 4-901558-31-5 (cloth)
- Suzuki, Shosan. (1977). Selected Writings of Suzuki Shosan (tr. Royall Tyler). Ithica: Cornell University Press.
- Yasuoka, ShotaroShōtarō Yasuokais a Japanese writer.-Biography:Yasuoka was born in pre-war Japan in Kōchi, Kōchi, but as the son of a veterinary corpsman in the Imperial Army, he spent most of his youth moving from one military post to another. In 1944, he was conscripted and served briefly overseas...
. (2008). The Glass Slipper and Other Stories (tr. Royall Tyler). Tokyo: Dalkey Archive PressDalkey Archive PressDalkey Archive Press is a publisher of fiction, poetry, and literary criticism in Illinois in the United States, specializing in the publication or republication of lesser known, often avant-garde works...
. 10-ISBN 1-56478-504-1; 13-ISBN 978-1-56478-504-6 (cloth)
Anthologies
- Various. (1987). Japanese Tales (tr. Royall Tyler). New York: Pantheon BooksPantheon BooksPantheon Books is an American imprint with editorial independence that is part of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.The current editor-in-chief at Pantheon Books is Dan Frank.-Overview:...
. 10-ISBN 0-394-52190-0; 13-ISBN 978-0-394-52190-9 (cloth) -- 10-ISBN 0-394-75656—8; 13-ISBN 978-0-394-75656-1 (paper)- (2002). Japanese Tales. New York: Knopf Publishing. 10-ISBN 0-375-71451-0
- Various. (1992). Japanese No Dramas (tr. Royall Tyler). London: Penguin Classics. 10-ISBN 0-14-044539-0; 13-ISBN 978-0-14-044539-8 (paper)
- Various. (1978). Granny Mountains: A Second Cycle of No Plays (tr. Royall Tyler). Ithaca: Cornell University PressCornell University PressThe Cornell University Press, established in 1869 but inactive from 1884 to 1930, was the first university publishing enterprise in the United States.A division of Cornell University, it is housed in Sage House, the former residence of Henry William Sage....
. 10-ISBN 0-939657-18-X; 13-ISBN 978-0-939657-18-6 (paper) - Various. (1978). Pining Wind: A Cycle of No Plays (tr. Royall Tyler). Ithaca: Cornell University Press. 10-ISBN 0-939657-17-1; 13-ISBN 978-0-939657-17-9 (paper)
- Various. (1970). Twenty Plays of the No Theatre (tr. Donald Keene and Royall Tyler). New York: Columbia University Press. 10-ISBN 0-231-03454-7; 13-ISBN 978-0-231-03454-8 (cloth) -- 10-ISBN 0-231-03455-5; 13-ISBN 978-0-231-03455-5 (paper)
External links
- Monash University: "Translating the Tale of Genji", text of lecture text by Prof. Tyler (2003).
- Australian Broadcasting Commission: "Interview," Ramona KovalRamona KovalRamona Koval is an Australian broadcaster, writer and journalist.Her parents were Yiddish-speaking survivors of the Holocaust who arrived in Melbourne from Poland in 1950....
with Prof. Tyler (2003). - New York Times: sample text -- 1st chapter of Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu