Basho Revisited, fragile twigs

Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)

Published and shared on:Carpe Diem, a daily haiku meme



Also published and shared on:

Poets United's The Poetry Pantry

A new episode in Basho Revisited. It's a long time ago that I wrote an episode but now ... it's time again. Since the beginning of October 2012 I have a new weblog Carpe Diem, seize the day, a daily haiku meme. Here I give an every day theme or prompt and once in a week the theme is 'Carpe Diem, special' in which I share a haiku written by one of the haiku masters. For this first Carpe Diem month I have chosen for haiku written by Basho. So let's take a look to this week's Carpe Diem 'special'.

The given haiku Basho wrote when he was 33 years old, a mature man, and he had contributed it, together with 19 other verses,to a colossal poetry contest arranged by Fûko (a rich daimyo patron). The contest was entered by over 60 poets. Kigin and Saiganji Ninko were the referee-judges.
After the contest father and son Ninko created an Anthology of the results called Roppya kuban Haikai Hokku awase (The Hokku contest in Six Hundred Rounds). It was shown that of the twenty verses Basho entered nine were published, placing him as one of the best of the participants and that made him an established master.

That's for the background ... now back to the given haiku for this week's Carpe Diem 'special'. First I will give the Japanese verse in Romanji followed by the English translation.

eda moroshi   hi toshi yaburu    aki no kaze

fragile twigs
breaking off the scarlet papers
autumn winds

'Toshi' refers to a very fragile paper made in China. The idea of the poem was that even a fragile twig could tear the paper or the twigs were too fragile to hold on to the Autumn leaves.

Autumn Colors (Yamanaka Spring)

I can picture this scene in front of my eyes. A stormy Autumn day, the fragile twigs, elastic as they are, ruining the scarlet papers or the soft skin of the tree, but can't stand to hold up their leaves. Fragile as the twigs are they finally break taking with them in their fall the fragile paper or skin of the tree.
To write a haiku inspired on the one by Basho, in his Spirit so to say, isn't easy, but I have to try it of course ...

autumn winds -
colorful leaves struggling
their end is near

I think this one is a wonderful one (how immodest). It's for sure in the Spirit of Chèvrefeuille, but is it also in the Spirit of Basho? I don't know ..., but I think ... yes it is.

To be continued ... when I don't know ... (smiles)

Basho Revisited, bridge of morning

Also published and shared on: poets united's poetry pantry

 

Another haiku about moon-viewing. Also a great one, but not so well known. As we know, the moon is a season word for autumn. So this one is an autumn verse written in 1689.

asamutsu ya   tsukimi no tabi no   ake banare


bridge of morning
a journey of moon-viewing
at dawn

With this haiku came a preface: "When we crossed the bridge of Asamutsu, which is popularly known as 'Asazu', I recall a passage in 'The Pillow Book of Sei Shanagan (a female poet) who wrote: "The most interesting bridges are the bridge of Asamutsu, (and of Nagara and of Amabiko)". This is the very bridge.
According to Jane Reichhold the third sentence 'ake banare' in a longer translation would be to say 'to leave the darkness of night into the light of morning'. The bridge of Asamutsu is about 8 km soutj of Fukui, in Asuwa.

Personally I love the longer translation of the third sentence, but it's really to long 'at dawn' says the same.
A closer look pictures the moon in the early morning hidden behind thin clouds making her mysterious. At the same time as the moon-viewing in the early morning the sun rises to his place at the autumn sky.

Well ... here I go ... a new haiku, as promised in the first part of these series:

in the thin line
of night's leave into the day
sun and moon together

in the thin line
leaving the night into the day
sun and moon dancing

A tough one to write another haiku in Basho's Spirit. I don't know if this one has that Spirit, but I love the scene.

Sincerely,poets united's poetry pantry

Basho Revisited, best for seeing the moon

Also shared with Rebecca's Haiku My Heart

The next haiku was written in Autumn 1689. As the title of this episode tells us the haiku is a real autumn verse. As you know the moon is a seasonword for autumn. In Japan they find the moon of autumn the most beautiful and there are lots of haiku written with the autumn moon. The moon was (and is still) a seasonword for autumn. In my country, The Netherlands, poets find the moon of winter the most beautiful. Maybe that's true, but as a haiku poet I find the moon of autumn the most beautiful and spectacular. Why? I can't say why it's a feeling. Maybe it's because of my interest in the classical haiku, maybe it's because the Japanese haiku poets have written such beautiful haiku about the autumn moon.
This haiku was part of a 15 link renga written at the house of Tosai, who lived in Fukui. The renga was recorded by Miyazaki, a disciple of Basho in Ogaki. He didn't recorded it well because one verse is missing. Maybe he has recorded it right and was it a 14 link renga. By the way Miyazaki recorded it in Basho O Tsuki Ichiya Jogo Ku.
Well ... this is the haiku.

meigetsu no   midokoro towa n   tabine se n

let's visit the places
best for seeing the moon
sleeping on a journey

Credits: autumn full moon

Which places are the best for moon viewing? The shore, the mountains, a Temple or what ever?
I look at the moon from my backyard, because I love the sight of the moon rising up above the surrounding houses. It's leaving me in awe as the moon rises just around a chimney. Or as a mysterious circle behind thin clouds. I love the moon of every season, but ... it's true in autumn the moon is the most beautiful.

in front of my house
I am looking at the full moon
behind the chimney

in the front yard
looking at a mysterious circle
the full moon

I loved to do this episode and I am proud of my two new haiku. It's a real Chevrefeuille with a touch of Basho.

Until next time. Happy moon-viewing!

Basho Revisited, lingering moon

Maybe you know, maybe you don't know, but the Classical Japanese Culture had several great festivals, such as the 'Cherry Blossom Festival' and 'Tanabata', but they also had a big festival on September 9th. That festival was called 'Cho yo no Sekku', this means 'The Chrysanthemum Festival'.

The Chrysanthemum is a seasonword for autumn. I think Chrysanthemums are wonderful season bound flowers in so much different colours and species and they are a wonderful theme for haiku.

izayoi no   izure ka kesa ni   nakoru kiku

lingering moon
which is better this morning
early chrysanthemum

This haiku had a preface (very common): 'At Sodo's house. The chrysanthemums on the tenth. The elderly host of the lotus pond (Basho's host) loves chrysanthemums. Yesterday he held a party for the Chrysanthemum Festival just like that of Long Shan and today he offers the rice wine left over from our Renga party. I wonder who will stay in good health for next year's party!' (Source: Jane Reichhold's Old Pond)

This haiku was part of a Renga which Basho and his host Sodo composed. It's not sure if this was the 'hokku' opening haiku, but it could have been.

Chrysanthemums are beautiful. I personally love white chrysanthemums mixed with red roses. Maybe I will use that in my haiku for this part of Basho Revisited.

in the backyard
gazing at the Milky Way -
white chrysanthemums

I have tried to write this one in more than Basho's Spirit I also have tried to bring a touch of Sodo in it. It surely is a touch of Chèvrefeuille :)

Sincerely,

Basho Revisited, orchid fragrance

As a haiku poet you can only write for someone if being asked. It's an unwritten haiku law that a haiku poet never writes a haiku for a person, when not asked to.
Basho did write haiku for people but only when they asked him.
The next haiku he wrote for a woman named Butterfly when she asked him to write a haiku for her with her name in it. This event occured in a teahouse somewhere in Edo.

ran no ka ya    cho no tusubasa ni    takimono su


orchid fragrance
from the butterfly's wings
scenting the clothes

It is a beautiful haiku, very fragile and pure as there are more by Basho. In this one the haiku master is seen. Basho wrote this haiku in the Spring of 1684. The seasonword in this one is butterfly. So the name of the woman gives the season for this haiku.

I once wrote a haiku for friend when she asked me for it. This was the one I wrote for her:

newborn child
inbetween coloured leaves
Ah! that perfume

This friend of mine used it for the birth announcement of her first born. I think this is in the same sense of the one by Basho.

Sincerely,

Also published for The Poetry Picnic of the Gooseberry Garden