Basho Revisited, the wind's hand

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For One Single Impression

The Japanese love the delicacy of the blossoming trees of Cherry and Plum. There is a lot of poetical energy spent in wishing that the wind that blows down the petals will stay away.
I can feel the pain which the Japanese felt when the Spring wind is blowing as all the flowering trees are in full bloom. I have in my backyard a wonderful Cherry tree and when it's in full bloom I myself pray that the wind will stay away. It's such a pity when those delicate blossoms are torn apart by the wind.
This one Basho wrote in Spring 1667:


hano no kao ni   hare ute shite ya   oboro zuki


in full bloom
may the plum not be touched 
by the wind's hand


A wonderful haiku I think. One can vision the sight of the plum in full bloom and the anxiety that the wind will damage the delicate blossoms.


in the Spring breeze
the Cherry blossoms move
a few petals fall


Not completely in the same sense as Basho's, but on the other hand so completely the same. Just a few petals fall by the hand of the Spring breeze.

Sincerely,