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
