hototogisu little cuckoo

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- hototogisu 郭公 / ほととぎす -

This is one of the classical season words, used in the poetry of the Heian period.
Basho sometimes uses the word and adds a new twist, closer to the normal life of the normal people of his Edo.

hototogisu can be written with many Chinese characters:
ほととぎす【時鳥／子規／杜鵑／不如帰／郭公】

Basho uses the Chinese characters 郭公, which was common during the Heian period.
But now is often pronounced kakkoo, Japanese cuckoo, which is a different bird, Cuculus canorus.


. WKD : hototogisu ホトトギス, 時鳥 .
Little Cuckoo, Cuculus poliocephalis


Sometimes, even the bush warbler (uguisu　鶯) and the little cuckoo (hototogisu) get mixed up.






under construction
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曙はまだ紫にほととぎす
akebono wa / mada murasaki ni / hototogisu


冬牡丹千鳥よ雪のほととぎす
fuyu botan / chidori yo yuki no / hototogisu


ほととぎす今は俳諧師なき世哉
. hototogisu ima wa haikaishi naki yo kana .
(summer) little cuckoo. now a world without haikai masters


時鳥鰹を染めにけりけらし
. hototogisu katsuo o some ni keri kerashi .
(summer) little cuckoo. skipjack sashimi


ほととぎす消え行く方や島一つ
. hototogisu kieyuku kata ya shima hitotsu .
(summer) little cuckoo. it disappears. a single island

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郭公声横たふや水の上
hototogisu koe yokotau ya mizu no ue

cuckoo:
its call stretching out
across the water
Tr. Barnhill


sound of a cuckoo
whose cry now is stretching out
across the water
Tr. Chilcott


hototogisu––
the shriek lies stretched
across the water
Tr. Ueda

The cut marker YA is at the end of line 2.

Written in summer 1693 　 元禄六年四月二十九日.
Basho had gotten the news that his nephew and adopted son Toin had died. Basho was very shocked and vowed not to write about the hototogisu any more. His friends Sunpu and Sora tried to help him overcome his sorrow
愁情なぐさめばやと、杉風、曽良、水辺之ほとゝぎすとて、更ニすゝむるにまかせて


Basho also wrote

一声の江に横たふやほとゝぎす
hito-koe no e ni yokotau ya hototogisu

a single call
comes across the inlet -
hototogisu
Tr. Gabi Greve

Basho was referring to a poem by Su Dongpo, Su Dungpo 蘇東坡 (So Toba そ とうば)

白露江ニ横タハリ / 白露江に横たはる

“The gleaming water extends to heaven,
and the white mist lies stretched across the water.”

“White mist lay across the water;
the light from the water reached the sky. .”
source :　afe.easia.columbia.edu/song


quote
..... which strongly suggests that the lingering sound of the hototogisu echoes the vanishing spirit of the dead youth.
Shirane, Traces of Dreams


. Matsuo Basho - His nephew Tooin 桃印　Toin, To-In - .
(?1661 - 1693)

doobutsu no koe 動物の声　- a difficult expression to translate:
The voices of animals used by Basho -
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .


- Japanese Reference -

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郭公招くか麦のむら尾花
hototogisu / maneku ka mugi no / mura obana

時鳥正月は梅の花咲けり
hototogisu / matsuki wa ume no / hana sakeri


ほととぎす鳴く鳴く飛ぶぞ忙はし
hototogisu / naku naku tobu zo / isogawashi
so busy!


杜鵑鳴く音や古き硯箱
. hototogisu naku ne ya furuki suzuri-bako / suzuribako .
(summer) little cuckoo. old inkstone box

.......................................................................

ほととぎす鳴くや五尺の菖草
hototogisu naku ya go shaku no ayamegusa

hototogisu
cries –– a blade of iris
five feet tall
Tr. Ueda


the Hototogisu
is calling - some iris
of five Shaku hight
Tr. Gabi Greve



This hokku is a version of a poem from the Kokin Shu 古今集 collection, by an unknown author.

ほととぎす鳴くや五月のあやめぐさ あやめも知らぬ恋もするかな
hototogisu naku ya gogatsu no ayamegusa ayame mo shiranu koi mo suru kana

Basho has only changed the gogatsu to goshaku.

.......................................................................

ほととぎす大竹薮を漏る月夜
. hototogisu ootakeyabu o moru tsukiyo .
(summer) little cuckoo. bamboo, moon night



ほととぎす裏見の滝の裏表
. hototogisu Urami no Taki no ura omote .
(summer) little cuckoo. Urami no Taki waterfall (Nikko). back and front



烏賊売の声まぎらはし杜宇
. ika uri no koe magirawashi hototogisu .
(summer) squid vendor. hardly distinguishable. hototogisu. his voice


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source :　itoyo/basho


清く聞かん耳に香焼いて郭公
kiyoku kikan mimi ni koo taite hototogisu

the clear sound
of burning incense near the ear
hototogisu

天和3年, Basho age 40
koo o kiku, to "listen to incense" had become fashionable in the Genroku period.


The Way of Incense 香道　
As in the analogous tea ceremony, various instruments (many of them made of gold or silver) were called for. Diverse formalities were developed and a proper name for the activity was created: kodo.
Eventually even the act of smelling became too common.
Instead one "listened" to incense. (koo o kiku 香を聞く)
. WKD : Incense, O-Koo　お香 .


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木隠れて茶摘みも聞くやほととぎす
. kogakurete chatsumi mo kiku ya hototogisu .
(spring) picking tea leaves. to hear. hototogisu


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京にても京なつかしやほととぎす
. Kyoo ni te mo Kyoo natsukashi ya hototogisu .
Kyoo nite mo
(summer) little cuckoo, longing for Kyoto



待たぬのに菜売りに来たか時鳥
matanu no ni / na uri ni kita ka / hototogisu
vendor of leaves for food


野を横に馬牽きむけよほととぎす
. no o yoko ni uma hikimuke yo hototogisu .
(summer) little cuckoo, horse


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落ち来るや高久の宿の郭公
ochikuru ya Takaku no shuku no hototogisu

falling from high above -
at a Takaku lodging,
cuckoo
Tr. Barnhill

Oku no Hosomichi, Station 6 - Nasu　那須


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しばし間も待つやほととぎす千年
shibashi ma mo matsu ya hototogi su sennen
shibashi ma mo matsu ya hototogisu sennen

I wait only for a short while
for the hototogisu - it feels
like some thousand years

This is an allusion to the Chinese poet Li Po (701-762)

白髪三千丈

My white hair is three thousand joo 丈 long.
The waterfall falls down three thousand feet.

(One 丈 is about 3 meters).


Written in 1666 寛文7年, Basho age 24.
This poem has a particular meter, with the cut marker YA in the middle of line 2 and the structure 5 8 4, if HOTOTOGISU is seen as one word.

matsu, to wait, is also a pun with the auspicious 1000 year old pine, sennen no matsu 千年の松.
quite a few places, temples and shrines, have such a long-living pine.
hototogi susennen, ほととぎ 数千年 the bird - a few thousand years suu sennenn 数千年.
Basho is still experimenting with the hokku form.

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須磨の海士の矢先に鳴くか郭公
. Suma no ama yasaki ni naku ka hototogisu .
(summer) little cuckoo. fisherman as Suma


田や麦や中にも夏のほととぎす
. ta ya mugi ya naka ni mo natsu no hototogisu .
(summer) hototogisu in summer. fields. barley.


橘やいつの野中の郭公
tachibana ya / itsu no nonaka no / hototogisu


戸の口に宿札名乗れほととぎす
. to no kuchi ni yadofuda nanore hototogisu .
at the front entrance, hand out your visitor sign (yado fuda 宿札)


鳥刺も竿や捨てけんほととぎす
torisashi mo / kasa ya suteken / hototogisu



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. WKD : hototogisu ホトトギス, 時鳥 .
Little Cuckoo, Cuculus poliocephalis


. Cultural Keywords used by Basho .


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. Kinenkan 記念館 Museums in honor of Basho .


. kanjaku 閑寂 - the melting of solitude and tranquility .

- - - - - . kigo　季語 seasonal topics and words used by Basho . - - - - -



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- - - - - . - ka 香 fragrance - . - - - - -


. kabitan mo tsukubawase keri kimi ga haru .
kapitan mo tsukubawase keri kimi ga haru
(spring) Kapitein - Captain (Dutch Delegation from Nagasaki). to kneel.



- - - - - . kabuto 甲 / 兜 / 冑 helmet of a samurai *. - - - - -



. kachi naraba Tsuetsuki-zaka o rakuba kana .
(no season word). if I had walked. the slope Tsuetsukizaka. I fell from my horse



- - - - - . kadomatsu 門松　pines at the gate / matsukazari 松飾り * . - - - - -

. kadomatsu ya omoeba hitoyo sanjuunen .
(New Year) pines at the gate, one night. 30 years



- - - - -. kagami 鏡 mirror * . - - - - -




. kagemachi, kage machi 影待ち waiting for sunrise *.

. kagemachi ya kiku no ka no suru toofugushi .
(autumn) chrysanthemum. Tofu bean curd on sticks
- and
irozuku ya toofu ni ochite usumomiji




. kageroo no waga kata ni tatsu kamiko kana .
(spring) heat shimmers. my shoulder. paper robe

. kageroo ya saiko no ito no usugumori .
(spring) heat shimmers. saiko plant threads. thin haze.
(more kageroo hokku)



- - - - -


. - Kanda Joosui 神田上水 Kanda Josui Waterworks and 関口芭蕉庵 Sekiguchi Basho-An - .


- - - - -

The Hanging Bridge at Kiso 木曽の架け橋　/ 木曽のかけはし　Kiso no Kakehashi *

. kakehashi ya inochi o karamu tsuta katsura .
(autumn) tsuta and katsura vines. plank bridge. to be coiled
- - - - - and
kakehashi ya mazu omoi-izu uma mukae
(autumn) picking up the horses. hanging bridge. first thing to remember

- - - - -



. kakitsubata kataru mo tabi no hitotsu kana .
(summer) blue flag iris Iris laevigata. to talk about. Travelling


. kakitsubata ware ni hokku no omoi ari .
(summer) blue flag iris, myself, Hokku

- - - - -


. kaki yori wa nori o ba oi no uri mo sede .
(spring) nori seaweed. oysters. to sell. old age


. kakurega ya tsuki to kiku to ni ta san tan .
(autumn) moon. chrysanthemums. hermitage. three tan of rice paddies


. kakusanu zo yado wa najiru ni toogarashi .
(autumn) red pepper. do not hide. home. leafy vegetable soup



. Kamakura o ikite ideken hatsugatsuo .
(summer) first katsuo skipjack bonito. town of Kamakura. to be alive


. kame waruru yoru no koori no mezame kana .
(winter) ice. water jar. breaking. I wake up




- - - - - . - kami 神 Shinto deities, the Japanese Gods - ### . - - - - -

. kamigaki ya omoi mo kakezu Nehanzoo .
(spring) Nirvana ceremony. fence of a shrine. surprize

- - - - -



. kami haete yoogan aoshi satsuki ame .
(summer) samidare rain. my hair has grown. my face is pale



. kanashiman ya Bokushi seriyaki o mite mo nao .
(spring) dropwort, Japanese parcely. Chinese poet Bokushi 墨子 Mozi, Mo-tsu, Ma-Tzu


. kanbutsu no hi ni umare-au ka no ko kana .
(spring) Kanbutsu celebrations, Buddha's birthday. baby deer is born



- - - - - . - kane 鐘 bell, temple bell - . * - - - - -

. kane kiete hana no ka wa tsuku yuube kana .
(spring) cherry blossoms, fragrance. temple bell. evening

. kane tsukanu sato wa nani o ka haru no kure .
(spring) dusk in sprign. temple bell ringing. village

- - - - -




ka ni nioe uni horu oka no ume no hana
香に匂へうに掘る岡の梅の花




- - - - - . Kannon Bosatsu 観音菩薩 and Asakusa Kannon 浅草観音 Temple . * - - - - -

. Kannon no iraka miyaritsu hana no kumo .
(spring) cherry blossoms. Asakusa Kannon Temple. tiled roof




. ka o nokosu ranchoo ran no yadori kana .
(summer) orchid. remaining fragrance in the room curtain. for 悦堂 Etsudo



. ka o saguru ume ni kura miru nokiba kana .
(spring) fragrance of plum blossoms. I look up to the warehouse eaves



- - - - - . kao　顔 my face, faces ### . - - - - -
. kao ni ninu hokku mo ideyo hatsu zakura .
(spring) first cherry blossoms, my face, Hokku




. kapitan mo tsukubawase keri kimi ga haru .
(spring) Dutch Kapitein - Captain. to kneel. Shogun / 甲比丹 / 甲必丹 / 加比旦
*



- - - - - . karahafu, kara hafu 唐破風 Chinese cusped gable . * - - - - -



. karakasa ni oshiwake mitaru yanagi kana .
(spring) willow tree. with my umbrella I part the branches




- - - - - . karasu 烏 crow, crows . - - - - -

. kare eda ni karasu no tomari keri aki no kure .
(autumn) dusk, branch, crow

- - - - -


. karahafu no irihi ya usuki yuu suzumi .
(summer) evening coolness. Chinese gable. sunset. (kara hafu)


- - - - - . karakoromo, karagoromo, kara koromo から衣 / 唐衣 / 空衣 　robes from China . * - - - - -



. Karasaki no matsu wa hana yori oboro nite .
(spring) hazy cherry blossoms, pines of Karasaki 辛崎


. karazake mo Kuuya no yase mo kan no uchi .
(winter) in the cold. dried salmon. Saint Kuya 空也


. kareshiba ya yaya kageroo no ichi ni sun .
(spring) heat shimmers, (winter) withered lawn) one two


. kari ato ya wase katakata no shigi no koe .
(autumn) after the harvest. the call of a snipe. (at 法蔵寺 Temple Hozo-Ji )



- - - - - . - kari 雁 goose geese - . - - - - -

. kari kiki ni miyako no aki ni omomukan .
(autumn) geese. to listen to the geese. autumn in Kyoto. I will set out

. kari sawagu Toba no tazura ya kan no ame .
(autumn) geese. rice fields of Toba. cold rain

- - - - -



. kari ato ya wase katakata no shigi no koe .
(autumn) after the harvest and snipe. katakata



. karikakeshi tazura no tsuru ya sato no aki .
(autumn) autumn in the village. half-harvested paddies. a crane


. karite nen kakashi no sode ya yowa no shimo .
(winter) frost at midnight. I want to borrow the sleeve of a scarecrow



- - - - - . karo toosen 夏炉冬扇 to be useless - like a stove in summer, a handfan in winter . * - - - - -


- - - - - . karumi かるみ【軽み】 lightness - . - - - - -





- - - - - . - kasa 笠　his traveller's hat - ### . - - - - -

. kasa mo naki ware o shigururu ka ko wa nanto .
(winter) sleet. I have no rain hat. well, well!

- - - - -



. Kasa-dera ya moranu iwaya mo haru no ame .
(spring) rain in spring. temple Kasadera. grotto


. - Kasane to wa かさねとは A girl named Kasane - .


. - Kashima Kikoo 鹿島紀行 - A Visit to the Kashima Shrine - .



. kashi no ki no hana ni kamawanu sugata kana .
(spring) cherry blossoms. the Kashi oka does not care. (for 三井秋風 Mitsui Shufu)



- - - - - . katabira 帷子 light linen dress . * - - - - -



. katararenu Yudono ni nurasu tamoto kana .
wet sleeve, at Yudono, Dewa. I can not talk about it.

. katatsuburi tsuno furiwake yo Suma Akashi .
(summer) snail. waving its horns. Suma, Akashi (both in Hyogo prefecture)




. katsuo uri 鰹売 vendor of skipjack, bonito fish monger * .

. katsuo uri ikanaru hito o yowasuran .
(summer) first skipjack katsuo. vendor, fish monger. charming people





. kawakaze ya usugaki kitaru yuusuzumi .
(summer) coolness. river wind. robes of persimmon color



- - - - - . kawara 瓦　roof tiles - いらか iraka roof tiles . - - - - -



. kawauso no matsuri mite koyo Seta no oku . kawa uso *
(winter) otter festival. let's go to the upper region of river Setagawa



- - - - - . kazarinawa, kazari nawa 飾縄 rope decoration for New Year * . - - - - -



- - - - -. kaze　風　wind . - - - - -

. kazairo ya shidoro ni ueshi niwa no aki .
(autumn) autumn in the garden. color of the wind

. kaze kaoru haori wa eri mo tsukurohazu .
(summer) fragrant wind. haori coat and neckband with patches

. kaze no ka mo minami ni chikashi Mogamigawa .
(summer) wind from the south. fragrance of the wind. river Mogamigawa


- - - - - . kaze no oto 風の音 the sound of wind - . - - - - -




. kazuki fusu futon ya samuki yo ya sugoki .
(winter) cold. futon bedding. to lie down. dreadful night


. kazu naranu mi to na omoi so tama matsuri .
(autumn) bon festival. do not think you did not count.
for his dead wife Jutei-Ni 寿貞尼 Juteini



- - - - - . keitoo 鶏頭 cockscomb . - - - - -

. keitoo ya kari no kuru toki nao akashi .
(autumn) geese. cockscomb becomes even more red


.............................................................................



. kesa chirishi Kaii no ochiba ya Tago no Ura .
(winter) fallen leaves) at Tago no Ura bay 田子の浦

. kesa no yuki nebuka o sono no shiori kana .
(winter) snow this morning, leek

. . . . .


- - - - - . keshizumi 消炭 (けしずみ) ash to extinguishing the fire / sumi 炭 ash . * - - - - -

. keshi-zumi ni maki waru oto ka Ono no oku .
(winter) charcoal from Ono. the sound of splitting firewood





- - - - - . kigo　季語 kidai　季題　season words used by Basho . - - - - -



- - - - - . - kiku 菊　chrysanthemum - . - - - - -
. . . . . kunichi 九日 Chrysanthemum Festival Day

. kangiku ya amazake tsukuru mado no saki .
(winter) winter chrysanthemum. sweet sake. window

. kangiku ya ko nuka no kakaru usu no hata .
(winter) winter chrysanthemum. rice bran beside the hand-mill

. kiku keitoo kiri tsukushi keri Omeikoo .
(autumn) chrysanthemum. for Saint Nichiren Memorial 御命講

. kiku ni dete Nara to Naniwa wa yoizukiyo .
(autumn) chrysanthemums. Nara and Naniwa. a crescent moon at night

. kiku no ato daikon no hoka sara ni nashi .
(autumn) chrysanthemum. radish. nothing else

. kiku no hana saku ya ishiya no ishi no ai.
(autumn) chrysanthemum, stone, stonemason

. kiku no ka ya Nara ni wa furuki hotoketachi .
(autumn) chrysanthemum. the old capital of NARA. old Buddha statues
-- and
kiku no ka ya Nara wa ikuyo no otokoburi

. kiku no ka ya niwa ni kiretaru kutsu no soko .
(autumn) chrysanthemum. fragrance, garden. sandal

. kiku no tsuyu ochite hiroe ba nukago kana .
(autumn) chrysanthemum. dew. propagule (mukago, nukago 零余子 )


. . . . .


. kimi hi o take yoki mono misen yukimaruge . 雪まるげ
(winter) snowman. you make a fire. I show you something nice (for Sora)


. kimi ya cho ware ya Sooji ga yumegokoro .
(spring) butterfly. You are. I am Chuang-tzu.


. kinbyoo no matsu no furusa yo fuyugomori .
(winter) winter seclusion. golden folding screen. old pine


. ki no moto ni shiru mo namasu mo sakura kana .
(spring) cherry blossoms. under trees. soup. fish salad


- - - - - . kinuta 砧 fulling block * . - - - - -

. kinuta uchite ware ni kikase yo ya boo ga tsuma .
(autumn) fulling block. to let me hear. wife of the priest




- - - - - . kire and kireji 切れ　－　切字　cut and cut markers . - - - - -



. kiri no ki ni uzura naku naru hei no uchi .
(autumn) quail is calling. paulownia tree. inside the garden wall



. kirigirisu wasurene ni naku kotatsu kana .
(winter) kotatsu heater, brazier. chrickets chirping.


. kiri shigure Fuji o minu hi zo omoshiroki .
(winter) Mount Fuji 富士山


. Kiso no tochi ukiyo no hito no miyage kana .
(autumn) chestnuts. souvenir from Kiso　木曽


. kite mo miyo jinbei ga haori hanagoromo .
(spring) cherry blossom viewing. come here and look! wearing a Jinbe robe (jinbei).



- - - - -. kitsuki bon 朽木盆 tray from Kitsuki town . * - - - - -



. kitsutsuki mo io wa yaburazu natsu kodachi .
(summer) woodpecker. hermitage. do not destroy. summer grove


. kiyoku kikan mimi ni koo taite hototogisu .
(summer) hototogisu. clear sound. burning incense near the ear


. Kiyotaki no mizu kumasete ya tokoroten .
(summer) Tokoroten jelly. draw water from river Kiyotaki

. kiyotaki ya nami ni chirikomu aomatsuba .
(autumn) pine needles. Kiyotaki waterfall. scattering
(a candidate for Basho's death hokku).
- - - - - kiyotaki ya nami ni chiri naki natsu no tsuki


. kochira muke ware mo sabishiki aki no kure .
(autumn) end of autumn. turn this way! I am lonely too
for his friend priest Kitamuki Unchiku 北向雲竹



. kochoo ni mo narade aki furu namushi kana .
(autumn) "leaf-worm" caterpillar. not a butterfly, autumn deepens



. kodai sasu yanagi suzushi ya ama ga tsuma .
(summer) coolness. fisherman's wife. small sea bream


- - - - - . kodomo 子供 child, children . - - - - -

. kodomora yo hiragao sakinu uri mukan .
(summer) melon. children. bindweed

. ko ni aku to moosu hito ni wa hana mo nashi .
(spring) cherry blossoms. one who says. I am tired of my children.

- - - - -


. koe ni mina nakishimaute ya semi no kara .
(summer) cicada slough, molt, skin, empty hull. it sang itself away


. koe sumite hokuto ni hibiku kinuta kana .
(autumn) fulling block. North Star. clear voice



. kogakurete chatsumi mo kiku ya hototogisu .
(spring) picking tea leaves. to hear. hototogisu





. - - - - - kogarashi 木枯らし, 木枯, 凩　－　こがらし　　winter drizzle - - - - - . 　　

. kogarashi ni iwa fukitogaru sugima kana .
kogarashi ni iwa fuki togaru sugi ma kana
(winter) rock. cedar tree

. kogarashi no mi wa Chikusai ni nitaru kana .
(winter) winter drizzle. I resemble (doctor) Chikusai


. kogarashi ya take ni kakurete shizumarinu .
(winter) winter drizzle. bamboo. to hide.

. . . . .




. ko hagi chire Masuho no ko-gai ko sakazuki .
(autumn) kohagi : small bush clover. small shells, small sake cups. Masuho


. Kohoogen dedokoro aware toshi no kure .
(winter) end of the year. where does it come from?
about a painting by Kano Motonobu Kohōgen 狩野元信 古法眼


. koke uzumu tsuta no utsutsu no nebutsu kana .
(autumn) tsuta vine. overgrown by moss. Amida prayer


. koko hotaru tagoto no tsuki to kurabeken .
(summer) fireflies. each field. moonlight, to compare



- - - - - . - kokoro こころ　－　心　 "heart", mind, soul - ### . - - - - -



- - - - - . koma 駒 - uma 馬 - Japanese horses . *
- - - - - komamukae, koma mukae 駒迎へ selecting tribute horses for court - - - - -


- - - - - . kometsuki 米搗き professional rice grain pounder . * - - - - -


. komo o kite tarebito imasu hana no haru　 .
(spring) spring in the capital. a man wearing a straw mat (komo 薦 *)


- - - - - . - Komojishi shuu 薦獅子集 Komojishi Shu Collection - ### . - - - - -



. ko ni aku to moosu hito ni wa hana mo nashi .
(spring) cherry blossoms. one who says. I am tired of my children.


. konnyaku no sashimi mo sukoshi ume no hana .
(spring) plum blossoms. raw Konnyaku food (a favorite of Basho)
- and
konnyaku ni kyoo wa urikatsu wakana kana




. kono aki wa nande toshiyoru kumo ni tori .
(autumn) . getting older. clouds. birds

. kono atari me ni miyuru mono wa mina suzushi .
(summer) coolness. everything around here is cool
- - - Juhachiro no Ki 十八楼ノ記 Tower of Eighteen - Gifu



. konoha chiru sakura wa karushi hinokigasa .
(autumn) falling leaves. cherry tree. so light. hat from cypress bark


. kono hodo o hana ni rei iu wakare kana .
(spring) cherry blossoms. how much to thank you. this departure


. kono hotaru tagoto no tsuki ni kurabemin .
(autumn) moon. reflected in each paddy. fireflies (from Seta)


. kono kokoro suiseyo hana ni goki ichigu .
(spring) cherry blossoms. this my heart you know. this begging set of bowls
for Kagami Shikoo 各務支考 Kagami Shiko


. kono matsu no mibae seshi yo ya kami no aki .
(autumn) autumn of the Gods. this pine. at Kashima Shrine 鹿島神宮 Kashima Jingu


. kono michi ya yuku hito nashi ni aki no kure .
(autumn) this road, nobody walks

. kono suji wa gin mo mishirazu fujiyuusa yo .
people do not know silver coins. how inconvenient
no kigo, non-seasonal part of the kasen Sarumino

. kono tera wa niwa ippai no bashoo kana .
(summer) banana plant. this temple. garden full of banana plants


. kono ume ni ushi mo hatsune to nakitsu beshi .
(spring) plum blossoms. an oxen might shout his first moo
for Sugawara Michizane


. kono umi ni waranji suten kasa shigure .
(winter) sleet. this sea. I throw away my straw sandals. my hat
at the home of 桐葉 Hayashi Toyo


. kono yado wa kuina mo shiranu toboso kana .
(summer) water rail. this lodging is not known. door

. kono yama no kanashisa tsuge yo tokorohori . 　
(autumn) yam potatoes. this mountain (this temple) tell us about the sad fate






. koomori mo ideyo ukiyo no hana ni tori .
(spring) cherry blossoms. bats come out


. koori nigaku enso ga nodo o uruhoseri .
(winter) ice. bitter. mole (sewer rat). just enough to drink


- - - - -
. kooshi goosu, gabushi 合子 - furugooshi 古合子 set of food bowls . * - - - - -



. kore ya yo no susu ni somaranu furu gooshi / goosu / gabushi .
(winter) cleaning soot. a set of bowls will not be colored by this world



- - - - - . koromogae 衣替え, 衣かへ 　changeing robes for summer . * - - - - -


- - - - - . koshi no wata 腰の綿, koshiwata 腰綿 "cotton wrapper around my hips" . * - - - - -


- - - - - . - kosode 小袖 short-sleeved kimono - . * - - - - -


- - - - - . kotatsu 炬燵　Kotatsu heater - okigotatsu 置炬燵　. * - - - - -



. kotobako ya furumono dana no sedo no kiku . 琴箱 *
(autumn) chrysanthemum. box for a koto 琴 zither. dealer of old, used things.


. koyoi tare Yoshino no tsuki mo juuroku ri .
(autumn) moon. tonight. Mount Yoshino. 16 Ri distance


. kozue yori ada ni ochikeri semi no kara .
(summer) cicada slough, molt, skin, empty hull. It falls from a twig


.......................................................................


- - - - - . kuchikiri, kuchi kiri kuchikiri 口切 opening a new jar of tea * . .

. kuchikiri ni Sakai no niwa zo natsukashiki .
(winter) opening a new jar of green tea. garden in Sakai. full of memories





- - - - - . kuina 水鶏 water rail. Rallus aquaticus . - - - - -

. kuina naku to hito no ieba ya Saya domari .
(summer) water rail. staying at Saya 佐屋



- - - - - . Kumasaka 熊坂長範 Kumasaka Chohan . * - - - - -
Kumasaka ga yukari ya itsu no tama matsuri
(autumn) Bon festival. Kumasaka was here




- - - - - . - kumo　雲 cloud, clouds - . - - - - -

. kumo kiri no zanji hyakkei o tsukushi keri .
(autumn) fog. clouds. a hundred scenes. (viewing Mount Fuji)

. kumo nani to ne o nan to naku aki no kaze .
(autumn) autumn wind, voice of a spider

. kumo no mine ikutsu kuzurete tsuki no yama .
(summer) billowing clouds. Mount Gassan 月山 (tsuki no yama)

. kumo o ne ni Fuji wa sugi nari no shigeri kana . .
(summer) leaves grow thick. clouds for roots. Mount Fuji. cedar

. kumo to hedatsu tomo ka ya kari no ikiwakare .
(spring) parting geese. like clouds drifting apart. separation from friends

- - - - -



. kuniguni no hakkei sara ni Kehi no tsuki .
(autumn) the moon at Kehi 気比の月, Tsuruga


- - - - - . kura 蔵 storehouse, warehouse . * - - - - -


. kuratsubo ni koboozu noru ya daiko hiki .
(winter) radish. radish pullers. boy. saddle

. kure kurete mochi o kodama no wabine kana / kurekurete .
(winter) pounding mochi rice-cakes. end of the year. echo. I sleep alone


. kuromori o nan to iu tomo kesa no yuki .
(winter) snow. this morning. black forest. how can I call it? (kuro mori)




- - - - - . - kusamakura 草枕 "grass pillow" - . ### - - - - -

. kusamakura inu mo shigururu ka yoru no koe .
(winter) sleet. "grass pillow" . a dog in the rain. voices of the night

. kusamakura makoto no hanami shite mo koyo .
(spring) cherry blossom viewing. grass pillow. go and experience it
for Yasomura Rotsuu 八十村路通 Rotsu -

- - - - -




. kusa no to mo sumikawaru yo zo hina no ie .
(spring) Hina dolls. this old thatched hut changes inhabitants
(Basho is now off to Oku no Hosomichi)

. kusa no to ya higurete kureshi kiku no sake .
(autumn) chrysanthemum sake. grass door. dusk
for Kawai Otokuni

. kusa no ha o otsuru yori tobu hotaru kana .
(summer) fireflies. falling from a blade of grass. flying away



. kusuri nomu sarademo shimo no makura kana .
(winter) frost on my pillow. I drink medicine but
- MORE about Basho and his chronic illness



. kutabirete yado karu koro ya fuji no hana .
(spring) wisteria flowers. I am so tired. looking for a lodging


. kuwa no mi ya hana naki choo no yosute-zake .
(summer) mulberries. hermit sake for the butterflies



. kyoo bakari hito mo toshiyore hatsushigure .
(winter) first winter drizzle. just today. growing older.


. kyoo yori ya kakitsuke kesan kasa no tsuyu .
(autumn) dew. from today on. the inscription erased. my traveler's hat




- - - - - . - Kyooto 京都 Kyoto, Kyo -　Miyako 都 / みやこ - ### . - - - - -

. Kyoo made wa mada nakazora ya yuki no kumo .
(winter) snow, clouds, half-way

. Kyoo ni te mo Kyoo natsukashi ya hototogisu . Kyoo nite mo
(summer) little cuckoo, longing for Kyoto

. Kyoo wa kuman kusen kunju no hanami kana .
(spring) ninety-nine thousand (people). watching cherry blossoms


. Kyoo mo tooku Narumi ga taharukeki umi o naka ni hedatete .
alone at the beach of Narumi

. Kyoo ni akite kono kogarashi ya fuyuzumai .
(winter) winter storm. I am bored by Kyoto. lodging in winter




. kyooku 狂句 Kyoku, comic verse . *


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. WKD - Hokku and Haikai 　発句と俳諧 . 　
The opening verse of a linked verse or beginning stanza was called " hokku　発句" .
Since about 1670, the haikai poets started composing stand-alone poems of 5 7 5, independent from the renku 連句　linked verse.
They were usually simply called KU　句, poem, verse.
A hokku and a haiku in Japan share the same basic formal criteria:
5 7 5 on
one kireji
one kigo/kidai
Shiki did not touch this formal definition when he promoted the naming of haiku 俳句.



. Haikai Kanjinchoo 俳諧勧進牒 - Collection to promote Haikai .
Compiled by Yasomura Rotsuu 八十村路通 Rotsu


. Heian - Basho in the footsteps of the Heian Period 平安時代　 .


- - - - -. hut　庵　my thatched hut, hermitage ### . - - - - -

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

- - - - - . hachi takaki, hachitataki 鉢叩き　ceremony for Saint Kuya 空也上人 * . - - - - -


. hafuguchi no higake ya yowaru yuu suzumi .
(summer) coolness. edge of the gable. sunlight is weakening


- - - - -. WKD : hagi 　萩　bush clover . - - - - -
. hagihara ya hito-yo wa yadose yama no inu .
(atumn) bush clover field. shelter for a night. mountain dogs


. haiide yo kaiya ga shita no hiki no koe .
(summer) toad. crawl out! silkworm shed


- - - - - . haji 恥 shame, disgrace . 　- - - - - 　


- - - - - . hakama 袴　Hakama formal trouser skirt * . - - - - -

- - - - - . hakamairi 墓参り visiting graves at O-Bon * . - - - - -

- - - - - . hakkei 八景 Eight Views, eight famous scenic spots * . - - - - -



. Hakone kosu hito mo aru rashi kesa no yuki . 　
(winter) snow. Hakone pass (along the Tokaido road). people crossing



. hamaguri no futami ni wakarete yuku aki zo . at Ogaki
(autumn) autumn is leaving hamaguri clams

. hamaguri no ikeru kai are toshi no kure .
(winter) end of the year. hamaguri clams.



- - - - - hana 花 cherry blossoms - - - - -

. hana ni akanu nageki ya kochi no utabukuro .
(spring) cherry blossoms. I can not open my poetry pouch.

花に遊ぶ虻な喰ひそ友雀　
hana ni asobu / abu na kurai so / tomo suzume
(hokku)

. hana ni ukiyo waga sake shiroku meshi kuroshi .
(spring) cherry blossoms. floating world. white ricewine. black rice

. hana ni yoeri haori kite katana sasu onna .
(spring) cherry blossoms. a lady wears a haori coat and sword

. hana no kage utai ni nitaru tabine kana .
(spring) cherry blossoms. I feel like in a Noh play. sleeping on the road - at Yoshino

花の顔に晴れうてしてや朧月
hana no kao ni / hareute shite ya / oboro-zuki
(hokku)

. hana no kumo kane wa Ueno ka Asakusa ka .
(spring) clouds of cherry blossom. temple bell, Ueno, Asakusa (in Edo)


. hana no yado ni hajime owari ya hatsuka hodo .
(spring) cherry blossoms. from beginning to end about 20 days

. hana wa shizu no me ni mo mie-keri oni azami .
(autumn) demon thistle, the poor and lowly

. hanazakari - hana-zakari yama wa higoro no asaborake .
(spring) cherry blossoms. the Yoshino mountain at daybreak

- - - - -



- - - - - . hanami 花見 cherry blossom viewing - Basho SAIJIKI . - - - - -

. hanami ni to sasu fune ososhi Yanagihara .
(spring) cherry blossom viewing. leisurely boat. Yanagiwara embankment

- - - - - . hana no wakare 花の別れ I bid farwell to a cherry blossom . - - - - -

..........................................................................




. hana ayame ichiya ni kareshi Motome kana .
(summer) Ayame iris. withering over night. Kabuki actor Yoshioka Motome




. ha ni somuku tsubaki no hana ya yosogokoro .
(spring) camellia blossom. leaf. yoso gokoro, yoso-gokoro ... the heart goes astray . . .



. hanjitsu wa kami o tomo ni ya toshi wasure .
(winter) end of year party. half a day. in the company of the Shinto gods


. hana mina karete aware o kobosu kusa no tane .
(winter) withered flowers. pity. seeds of weeds


- - - - - . haori 羽織 Japanese coat * . - - - - -


. haranaka ya mono ni mo tsukazu naku hibari .
(spring) field with skylarks. not attached to anything. (voice of an animal)



. haremono ni yanagi no sawaru shinae kana .
haremono ni sawaru yanagi no shinae kana
haremono ni fureru yanagi no shinae kana
(spring) willow tree. hand touching a tumor


. haritate ya kata ni tsuchi utsu karakoromo .
no season. acupuncture needle. pounding my shoulder. cast-off robe




- - - - - haru 春 spring - - - --

. haru kaze ni fukidashi warau hana mogana .
(spring) spring wind. burst into laughter. cherry blossoms

. haru mo yaya keshiki totonou tsuki to ume /
(spring) spring takes shape. moon and plum blossoms

. haru nare ya na mo naki yama no usugasumi .
(spring) mountain. without a name. light mist

. haru no yo ya komorido yukashi doo no sumi .
(spring) spring night. person in retreat. temple corner (at temple Hasedera 長谷寺 Nara )


- - - - - . harusame　春雨　spring rain - 春の雨 haru no ame rain in spring 　 . > - - - --

. harusame no koshita ni tsutau shimizu kana .
(spring spring rain. flowing down the trees. pure water

. harusame ya futaba ni moyuru nasubidane .
(spring) spring rain. two leaves sproutng. eggplant seedlings

. harusame ya hachi no su tsutau yane no mori .
(spring) spring rain. bee's nest, rain from the roof

. harusame ya mino fukikaesu kawa yanagi .
(spring) spring rain. river willow blown like a straw coat

. harusame ya yomogi o noabasu kusa no michi .
(spring) mugwort, road with weeds

- - - - -


. haru tatsu to warawa mo shiru ya kazari nawa .
(winter, New Year). spring begins. ritual rope decorations. children will know

. haru tatsu ya shinnen furuki kome goshoo .
(winter, New Year). spring begins. old rice. ten quarts


. haru ya koshi toshi ya yukiken kotsugomori .
(winter) second-last day of the year 小晦日. has spring come?






- - - - - . - Hasedera 長谷寺 Visiting Hase-Dera in Nara - . - - - - -


. hashigeta no shinobu wa tsuki no nagori kana .
(autumn) farewell-moon. bridge beams with "fern of longing" - nagori


. hasu-ike ya orade sonomama tamamatsuri .
(autumn) O-Bon. lotus pond. not plucked
- - - - and
tamamatsuri kyoo mo yakiba no kemuri kana
smoke from the crematorium


. hasu no ka o me ni kayowasu ya men no hana .
(summer)lotus. fragrance. reaches the eyes. nose of a Noh mask.



. hatake utsu oto ya arashi no sakura asa .
(spring) to plough the fields. sound. storm. "cherry-blossom hemp"



- - - - - . hatsumono, hatsu mono 初物 first things . - - - - -
- hatsugatsuo 初鰹 first bonito and more

. hatsu aki ya tataminagara no kaya no yogi . - hatsuaki
(autumn) first sign of autumn. my folded mosquito net as blanket

. hatsu aki ya umi mo aota mo hito midori .
(autumn) autumn begins. the sea and the fields one shade of green

. hatsu hana ni inochi nanajuu gonen hodo .
hatsu hana ni inochi shichi jū go nen hodo
(spring) first blossoms. I will gain at least 75 years

. hatsu makuwa yotsu ni ya tatan wa ni kiran .
hatsu makuwa yotsu no ya kiran wa ni kiran
(summer) first Makuwa melon. cut it in quarters? or round slices?

. hatsu shigure saru mo komino o hoshige nari .
(winter) winter drizzle, monkey, straw coat. - first from Sarumino 猿蓑

. hatsu shigure hatsu no ji o waga shigure kana .
(winter) first winter drizzle. the character "first".

. hatsu shimo ya kiku hie somuru koshi no wata .
(autumn) chrysanthemums. first frost. cotton wrapper around my hip

. hatsutake ya mada hikazu henu aki no tsuyu .
(autumn) first mushrooms. few days have passed. dew in autumn

. hatsu-uma ni kitsune no sorishi atama kana .
(New Year) First Day of the Horse. a fox shaved your head
for Zekitsu 是橘

. hatsuyuki ni usagi no kawa no hige tsukure .
(winter) first snow. rabbit, fur. beard

. hatsuyuki ya hijiri kozoo no oi no iro .
(winter) first snow. mendicant monk. color of his backpack

. hatsu yuki ya itsu Daibutsu no hashira date .
(winter) first snow. Daibutsu temple, Nara. erect new columns

. hatsu yuki ya kakekakaritaru hashi no ue .
(winter) first snow. on the bridge under construction - The Great Bridge of Fukagawa 深川大橋

. hatsu yuki ya saiwai an ni makariaru .
(winter) first snow. luckily. I am in my own hut.

. hatsu-yuki ya suisen no ha no tawamu made .
(winter) first snow. enough to bend the daffodils


. hatsuzakura orishi mo kyoo wa yoki hi nari .
(spring) first cherry blossom. today is a good day
at Iga Ueno　伊賀上野, temple Yakushi-Ji


. hayaku sake kunichi mo chikashi kiku no hana .
(autumn) chrysanthemums. hurry up to bloom! Chrysanthemum festival day





. hebi kuu to kikeba osoroshi kiji no koe .
(spring) voice of a pheasant. eating a snake. dreadful voice

- - - - - . hei 塀 wall, garden wall . - - - - -


- - - - - . heso no o, hozo no o 臍の緒 umbilical cord * . - - - - -



- - - - - . hibari 雲雀 lark . - - - - -

. hibari naku naka no hyooshi ya kiji no koe .
(autumn) voice of lark and pheasant

. hibari yori sora ni yasurau tooge kana.
(spring) lark. resting in the sky at the pass

- - - - -


- - - - - . Hida no takumi 飛騨の工 / 飛騨の匠 craftsman from Hida * . - - - - -


- - - - - . Hieizan, Hiei-Zan 比叡山 Mount Hiei in Omi ### . - - - - -
- - - Hie oroshi, hieoroshi 日枝颪 wind from Mount Hieizan




. higashi nishi aware sa hitotsu aki no kaze .
(autumn) autumn wind. East. West. deep feeling is the same
on the death of Mukai Chine 向井千子


. hige kaze o fuite boshuu tanzuru wa tare ga ko zo .
(autumn) wind, beard, remembering Tu Fu


. higoro nikuki karasu mo yuki no ashita kana .
(winter) snow in the morning. hateful crows. hokku including "to hate" - nikumu




- - - - -. hijiri, hijiri kozoo 聖小僧　mendicant monk, "holy man" * . - - - - -
Basho himself was on a kind of "hijiri" life, travelling all over Japan, without a regular home.



- - - - - . himuro 氷室 (ひむろ) icehouse, ice cellar * . - - - - -



日の道や葵傾く五月雨
hi no michi ya / aoi katamuku / satsuki ame
(hokku)


. hinzan no kama shimo ni naku koe samushi .
(winter) frost. poor mountain temple. the kettle sounds cold in the frost



- - - - -. hioke 火桶 wooden brazier for winter - hibachi　火鉢　. 　- - - - -



. Hiraizumi 平泉 - Oku no Hosomichi Stage 23 .


. Hira Mikami yuki sashiwatase sagi no hashi .
(summer) Mount Hira, Mount Mikami at Lake Biwa



- - - - - hirugao - - - - -

. hirugao ni hirune seu mo no toko no yama .
(summer) bindweed, sleeping, remembering Urashima Taro

. hirugao ni kometsuki suzumu aware nari .
(summer) bindweed. noonflower. rice pounder. to cool. pityful

- - - - -



. WKD : hirune, hiru-ne 昼寝 nap, Mittagsschlaf .


. hito hi hito hi mugi akaramite naku hibari .
(spring) voice of the skylark. day by day the barley reddens


. hito-koe no e ni yokotau ya hototogisu .
(summer) little cuckoo. one call across the inlay





人も見ぬ春や鏡の裏の梅
hito mo mi nu / haru ya kagami no / ura no ume
(hokku)


. hito ni ie o kawasete ware wa toshi wasure .
(winter) "forget the year". I make him buy a house.


. hito one wa shigururu kumo ka Fuji no yuki .
(winter) snow. Mount Fuji. one ridge. winter drizzle. clouds


. hitori ama wara ya sugenashi shiro tsutsuji .
(spring) azalea. lonely nun. straw-thatched hut


. hito shigure tsubute ya futte Koishikawa .
(winter) winter drizzle. hailstones falling. Koishikawa (in Edo)


. hitotose ni ichido tsumaruru nazuna kana .
(spring/New Year) sheperd's purse. picked only once a year


. hitotsu nugite ushiro ni oinu koromogae .
(summer) changing robes


. hitotsuya ni yuujo mo netari hagi to tsuki .
(autumn) bush clover, prostitute, moon


. hitozato wa mina hanamori no shison kana .
(spring) cherry blossom warden. everyone in the region. descent


. hi wa hana ni kurete sabishi ya asunaroo .
(spring) cherry blossoms. sunset. to feel lonely. Asunaro cypress

ひやひやと壁をふまへて昼寝哉
hiya hiya to / kabe o fumaete / hiru ne kana
(hokku)




. hokku nari Matsuo Toosei yado no haru .
(spring). the home of Matsuo Tosei (Basho). hokku


. hoorai ni kikabaya Ise no hatsudayori .
(New Year) 蓬莱 Horai decoration and first news. from Ise shrine


. horohoro to yamabuki chiru ka taki no oto . horo horo
(spring) yellow mountain rose. sound of a waterfall


. Hoshizaki no yami o miyo to ya naku chidori .
(winter) plover. darkness at Hoshizaki. take a good look!




- - - - - . - hotaru 蛍 (ほたる) firefly, fireflies - . - - - - -

. hotarubi no hiru wa kie-tsutsu hashira kana .
(summer) hotaru fireflies. the pillars (of the Golden Hall, Hiraizumi)

. hotarumi ya sendoo yoote obotsukana .
(summer) hotaru fireflies. drunken boatsman. worrying

- - - - -




. hotoke　仏 - ほとけ Buddha .

. hotoketachi 仏達　Buddha statues * .



.............................................................................


- - - - - . - hototogisu 郭公 / ほととぎす - little cuckoo
- . - - - - -
Cuculus poliocephalis

. hototogisu ima wa haikaishi naki yo kana .
(summer) little cuckoo. now a world without haikai masters

. hototogisu katsuo o some ni keri kerashi .
(summer) little cuckoo. skipjack sashimi

. hototogisu kieyuku kata ya shima hitotsu .
(summer) little cuckoo. it disappears. a single island

. hototogisu koe yokotau ya mizu no ue .
(summer. little cuckoo. its voice stretches over the water

. hototogisu naku ne ya furuki suzuri-bako / suzuribako .
(summer) little cuckoo. old inkstone box

. hototogisu naku ya go shaku no ayamegusa .
(summer) little cuckoo. iris of 5 shaku hight

. hototogisu ootakeyabu o moru tsukiyo .
(summer) little cuckoo. bamboo, moon night

. hototogisu Urami no Taki no ura omote .
(summer) little cuckoo. Urami no Taki waterfall (Nikko). back and front

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- - - - - . hoya 穂屋 "shrine hut with a thatched wall" *. - - - - -



. hyaku ri kitari hodo wa kumoi no shita suzumi .
(summer) coolness. I walked 100 RI. ceiling of clouds


. hyorohyoro to nao tsuyukeshi ya ominaeshi .
(autumn) yellow valerian. covered with dew


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Article - Philosopher

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- The Great Eastern Philosophers: Matsuo Basho -


Bibliotherapy, Mind & Body, Soul

- quote
In the West, we have a vague sense that poetry is good for our ‘souls’, making us sensitive and wiser. Yet we don’t always know how this should work. Poetry has a hard time finding its way into our lives in any practical sense. In the East, however, some poets—like the 17th-century Buddhist monk and poet Matsuo Bashō—knew precisely what effect their poetry was meant to produce: it was a medium designed to guide us to wisdom and calm, as these terms are defined in Zen Buddhist philosophy.

Matsuo Bashō was born in 1644 in Uego, in the Iga province of Japan. As a child he became a servant of the nobleman Tōdō Yoshitada, who taught him to compose poems in the ‘haiku’ style. Traditionally, haikus contain three parts, two images and a concluding line which helps to juxtapose them. The best known haiku in Japanese literature is called ‘Old Pond’, by Bashō himself:

Old pond . . .
A frog leaps in
Water’s sound

It is all (deceptively) simple – and, when one is in the right, generous frame of mind, very beautiful.

After Yoshitada died in 1666, Bashō left home and wandered for many years before moving to the city of Edo, where he became famous and widely published. However, Bashō grew melancholy and often shunned company, and so until his death in 1694 he alternated between travelling widely on foot and living in a small hut on the outskirts of the city.

Bashō was an exceptional poet, but he did not believe in the modern idea of “art for art’s sake.” Instead, he hoped that his poetry would bring his readers into special mental states valued by Zen. His poetry reflects two of the most important Zen ideals: wabi and sabi. Wabi, for Bashō, meant satisfaction with simplicity and austerity, while sabi refers to a contented solitude. (These are the same mindsets sought in the well-known Zen tea ceremony defined by Rikyu). It was nature, more than anything else, that was thought to foster wabi and sabi, and it is therefore unsurprisingly one of Bashō’s most frequent topics. Take this spring scene, which appears to ask so little of the world, and is attuned to an appreciation of the everyday:

First cherry
budding
by peach blossoms

Bashō’s poetry is of an almost shocking simplicity at the level of theme. There are no analyses of politics or love triangles or family dramas. The point is to remind readers that what really matters is to be able to be content with our own company, to appreciate the moment we are in and to be attuned to the very simplest things life has to offer: the changing of the seasons, the sound of our neighbours laughing across the street, the little surprises we encounter when we travel. Take this gem:

Violets—
how precious on
a mountain path

Bashō also used natural scenes to remind his readers that flowers, weather, and other natural elements are—like our own lives—ever-changing and fleeting. Time and the changing of weathers and scenes need to be attended to, as harbingers of our own deaths:

Yellow rose petals
thunder—
a waterfall

This transience of life may sometimes be heartbreaking, but it is also what makes every moment valuable.

Bashō liked to paint as well as write, and many of his works still exist, usually with the related haikus written alongside them. This one depicts the above haiku. (“Yellow rose petals…”)

In literature, Bashō valued “karumi,” or “lightness”. He wanted it to seem as if children had written it. He abhorred pretension and elaboration. As he told his disciples, “in my view a good poem is one in which the form of the verse, and the joining of its two parts, seem light as a shallow river flowing over its sandy bed.”

The ultimate goal of this “lightness” was to allow readers to escape the burdens of the self —one’s petty peculiarities and circumstances—in order to experience unity with the world beyond. Bashō believed that poetry could, at its best, allow one to feel a brief sensation of merging with the natural world. One may become – through language – the rock, the water, the stars, leading one to an enlightened frame of mind known as muga, or a loss-of-awareness-of-oneself.

We can see Bashō’s concept of muga or self-forgetting at work in the way he invites us almost to inhabit his subjects, even if they are some rather un-poetic dead fish:

Fish shop
how cold the lips
of salted bream

In a world full of social media profiles and crafted resumes, it might seem odd to want to escape our individuality—after all, we carefully groom ourselves to stand out from the rest of the world. Bashō reminds us that muga or self-forgetting is valuable because it allows us to break free from the incessant thrum of desire and incompleteness which otherwise haunts all human lives.

Bashō suffered for long periods from deep melancholy; he travelled the dangerous back roads of the Japanese countryside with little more than writing supplies, and he spent some truly unglamorous nights:

Fleas and lice biting;
awake all night
a horse pissing close to my ear

Yet muga freed Bashō—and it can also free us—from the tyranny of glum moments of individual circumstance. His poetry constantly invites us to appreciate what we have, and to see how infinitesimal and unimportant our personal difficulties are in the vast scheme of the universe.

Bashō’s poetry was a clever tool for enlightenment and revelation – through the artfully simple arrangement of words. The poems are valuable not because they are beautiful (though they are this too) but because they can serve as a catalyst for some of the most important states of the soul. They remind both the writer and the reader that contentment relies on knowing how to derive pleasure from simplicity, and how to escape (even if only for a while) the tyranny of being ourselves.


Posted by The Philosophers' Mail on 26 September 2014
no author quoted
- source : www.theschooloflife.com


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. Cultural Keywords used by Basho .

. - KIGO used by Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - .


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