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!

Tackle It Tuesday, back to basic

As every week I write my own haiku post for Tackle It Tuesday. So I will do that also for this week's theme back to basic. The classical form isn't really my cup of tea, but ... well I can't stay behind if I ask my visitors and my haiku friends to write a haiku in the classical form.

So let's do this:

I'm paralyzed

as bitten by a Black Mamba -

awesome sunset

The Black Mamba is one of the most poisonous snakes on Mother Earth's surface. One bit of his teeth will paralyze you in seconds of time and can be your death.
In our country we have what we call 'Adder' and I think in English you call it a Viper and the 'Ratelslang' or Ratle snake who are poisonous, but not as poisonous as the Black Mamba.

This haiku is a classical one, but the season isn't well caught in this one, maybe Summer, maybe Spring as I would say according to the awesome sunset.
Again the deeper meaning is laying in nature and the care we have to take for Mother Earth. As we have to watch out for the Black Mamba, we can see also the awesome sunset. The danger and the beauty of Mother Earth.

Well ... see you next week when the theme for Tackle It Tuesday shall be Aleph.

Tackle It Tuesday, "paint the picture"

Also shared on: Haiku My Heart

For this week's Tackle It Tuesday I have given my dear haijin friends a inspirational picture. Of course I need to write my own haiku for this "paint the picture".
So here is mine and it's written in the Spirit of Basho, although he wasn't familiar with the cascading haiku-form, I have used that form.




Monastery Thessaloniki Greece

 in the garden
of the monastery
silent for God

silent for God
monks in deep meditation
between roses

between roses
the sound of a fountain
in the garden



Well ... do you like this cascading one? Please ... send me your feed-back on this one.

Tackle It Tuesday, Exposure

There are several statues of Matsuo Basho, so you can say he's "exposed" around the world. This weeks prompt for Tackle It Tuesday is "exposure".

near Matsushima (*)

the Master exposed to the weather

Basho's statue

Basho's statue

covered with fresh fallen snow

exposed

(*) Matsushima is one of the places which Basho visited when he was on his road to the High North.

See you next week

Carry On Tuesday, "the long and winding road"



Carry On Tuesday, the long and winding road

Carry On Tuesday, well here is my entry for this week:

walking along
the long and winding road
to the High North

This haiku is inspired on the haibun "The Narrow Road to the High North" as written by Matsuo Basho (1644-1694). A haibun is a travelogue in which prose and haiku are intwined.
Basho has written several haibun, but his "Narrow Road" is (in my opinion) his best one.

I hope you enjoyed reading this entry.

Warm greetings,

Chèvrefeuille



Tackle It Tuesday, Magnolia

I have to share this with you all my haiku friends. It just came up in my mind and I had to write it down. This weeks prompt is Magnolia. A wonderful tree when it blooms, I always feel sad when the blossoms of the Magnolia fall.

tears in my eyes
my Magnolia is losing her flowers
making me sad


making me sad
every year again
blossoms fall


blossoms fall
after a glorious time
tears in my eyes

Credits: Magnolia tree

I hope this cascading haiku is in the spirit of Basho, my role model and my spiritual master.