Basho Revisited, Saigyo's straw sandals

Basho was a fan of Saigyo's poetry. Saigyo (1118-1190) was a poet who has written 'waka' (now known as tanka). Basho loved and respected him very much. He had studied his poetry several years. He also studied a lot of Chinese poetry. In some of Basho's poems we can see that he had studied the classical Chinese and Japanese poetry, but also had studied a lot of spiritual and religious literature and poetry.
It's a wonder how he put all this knowledge into his haiku. As we can see in our lifetime modern poets and haiku poets also use the knowledge of the classical poetry and literature in their poetry.
I myself used it for example in my haibun 'My Narrow Road', in which I used (as the title already says) Basho's Narrow Road to the Far North. It's not a shame to use your knowledge to write fine poetry or in my case haiku.

Saigyo no    waraji mo kakare   matsu no tsuyu


Saigyo's straw sandals
hanging from the pine tree
dew

This was written on a painting of a pine tree dripping with dew. Basho uses in this one the associative technique. Both dew drops and straw sandals are hanging in the pine. The genius stroke is that Basho could 'see' that his mentor's shoes hung there also.
As we can read in the above text this haiku was written on a painting of a pine tree dripping with dew. This art is called haiga. In haiga a painting, picture or a photo and haiku are melting together. The haiku or the picture are strengthen each other.
In the past years I have painted and photographed many items and themes at which I included haiku. For example: In 2008 I published a haiku anthology titled 'Deep Silence'. The cover of this anthology was a photo by myself. With the photo I included the next haiku in Kanshicho-style:

silence
in between worlds -
the city parc

Back to this episode of Basho Revisited. I have to write a new haiku in the same Spirit as the one by Basho. This will be a tough one I think :)

on the door post
the name of the place
next to mine

Not a strong one I guess, but ... I had to write a new haiku in Basho's Spirit, I think I succeeded. If not ... well it's surely in the Spirit of Chevrefeuille.

Until the next episode,

Basho revisited, sea of summer

While Basho was on his 'Narrow Road' he also visited Matsushima. According to many sources, old and new ones, Matsushima is the most beautiful and spectacular place in Japan. Since olden times, it has been depicted in poetry and pictures by many poets and artists. Even I, a simple and humble haiku poet from The Netherlands, have written about Matsushima without seeing it for real. I only know Matsushima from stories, poems and pictures. And I can say Matsushima cannot be hold in any poem, story of picture. It's a beautiful place and has an expanse of about 12 km of sea, where there are many islands in various shapes, as if designed and carved artistically by God Himself. Each island is covered with pine trees and its beauty is beyond description.
Matsushima must be really Paradise. Basho wrote the following haiku:

shi majima ya   chiji ni kudaki te   natsu no umi


many islands
broken into pieces
sea of summer

This leaves me in awe. What a picture, what a wonderful place to be. Maybe ... just maybe I will be allowed to see it with my own eyes.

Writing a haiku myself about Matsushima ... I think it isn't possible, but I have to try.

Matsushima
indescribable
tears in my eyes


Matsushima
beyond description
tears in my eyes

Matsushima

tears in my eyes
I cannot find the words to describe
Matsushima


covered with pine
the place of my dreams
Matsushima


crafted by God
this wonderful piece of Japan
Matsushima

Well ... I thought I couldn't find the words to describe Matsushima, but I did it ...and still Matsushima leaves me in awe.

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