Haiku (6 page)

Illustration 19

The beggar

wears heaven and earth

as summer clothes

—K
IKAKU

Where there are people

there are flies, and

there are Buddhas

—I
SSA

They live long—

the flies, fleas, and mosquitoes

in this poor village

—I
SSA

Two old bent backs

sitting close, wrapped in

a shower of cicada songs

—A
NONYMOUS

In my hand

its fleeting light vanishes—

the firefly

—K
YORAI

How delightful

walking on dewy grasses—

straw sandals

—H
ARITSU

Killing the spider

then so lonesome—

evening cold

—S
HIKI

Seeing that I'm old

even the mosquito whispers

closer to my ear

—I
SSA

An autumn mosquito

determined to die

bites me

—S
HIKI

Before the white mums

hesitating for a while—

the scissors

—B
USON

Truly the autumn has come—

I was convinced

by my sneeze

—B
USON

Planting my buttocks

on a huge taro leaf—

moon-viewing

—H
ARITSU

Whatever they wear

they become beautiful

moon-viewing

—C
HIYO-JO

 

Illustration 20

Taking me along

my shadow comes home

from moon-viewing

—S
ODŌ

Even grandma

goes out drinking—

moonlit night

—I
SSA

Wild geese muttering, muttering—

are they spreading

rumors about me?

—I
SSA

Don't cry, wild geese,

it's the same everywhere—

this floating world

—I
SSA

A man raking—

the leaves keep

calling him back

—A
NONYMOUS

Dusk—

while the earth and I talk

leaves fall

—I
SSA

When I show my delight

they fall down faster—

acorns

—F
ŪSEI

Coldly, coldly

the sun slips into my sleeve—

autumn mountains

—I
SSA

Autumn wind—

in my heart, how many

mountains and rivers

—K
YOSHI

Deep in the mountains—

falling into my heart

autumn streams

—S
HINKEI

More than last year

it is lonely—

the autumn dusk

—B
USON

On my shoulder

is it longing for a companion?

a red dragonfly

—S
ŌSEKI

Love in my old age—

as I try to forget,

late autumn rain

—B
USON

When I finally die—

weeds

falling rain

—S
ANTŌKA

From the nose

of the Buddha in the fields—

icicles

—I
SSA

Visitors

kindly create a path

through the snow at my gate

—I
SSA

The black dog

becomes a lantern—

snowy road

—A
NONYMOUS

Winter sun—

frozen on horseback

is my shadow

—B
ASHŌ

Piercing cold—

I dropped my broom

under the pines

—T
AIGI

Colder than snow

on my white hair—

the winter moon

—J
ŌSŌ

A hundred miles of frost—

in a boat, I own

the moon

—B
USON

Peaceful, peaceful

chilly, chilly

snow, snow

—S
ANTŌKA

To my cat

a New Year's card

from its vet

—Y
ORIE

The child on my lap

begins to point at

plum blossoms

—I
SSA

Plum blossoms—

“Steal this one here!”

points the moon

—I
SSA

Under the trees

into the salad, into the soup—

cherry blossoms

—B
ASHŌ

THE POETS

A
RŌ
. See
U
SUDA
A
RŌ
.

B
AISHITSU
(1769–1852). Baishitsu was born in Kanazawa to a family of sword experts. He moved to Kyoto, visited Edo (Tokyo) for twelve years, and then settled again in Kyoto, where he became one of the major haiku teachers of his era.

B
AKUSUI
(1718–83). A poet from Kanazawa during the middle of the Edo Period, Bakusui studied under Otsuyū.

B
ASHŌ
(1644–94). Widely admired as the greatest of all haiku masters, Bashō, when young, left samurai life when his lord passed away and devoted himself to poetry. He made several journeys, which he celebrated in combinations of prose and haiku called
haibun
, and his deep humanity and depth of spirit influenced Japanese literature profoundly.

B
IRIKEN
(dates and details unknown).

B
ONCHŌ
(died 1714). By profession a doctor, Bonchō edited a famous book of haiku poems with Kyorai, and also wrote many fresh and original haiku of his own. He was also interested in European studies, and was imprisoned for trading illegally with Dutch merchants.

B
ŌSAI
. See
K
AMEDA
B
ŌSAI
.

B
USON
(1716–83). Around the age of seventeen, Buson went to Edo (Tokyo) and studied painting and haiku. After his haiku teacher's death in 1742, Buson wandered around the eastern provinces for more than ten years, later settling in Kyoto. Buson is now considered one of the greatest artists in the literati style, and second only to Bashō in the haiku tradition. Buson's verses as well as his paintings show the warmth and brilliance of his vision of humanity and the natural world.

C
HIGETSU
(1634?–1708?). Chigetsu, the wife of a freight agent, studied haiku with Bashō, and became one of the four famous women poets of her era. After the death of her husband in 1686, she became a nun. She lived in Ōtsu with her son, Otokuni, who also studied with Bashō and became a fine haiku poet.

C
HINE-JO
(?–1688?). Chine-jo was the younger sister of Kyorai, who was one of the ten leading pupils of Bashō. In her early twenties, Chine-jo and Kyorai traveled together to Ise. During this trip, Chine-jo wrote haiku poems that were considered as good as or even better than those by her elder brother.

C
HIYO-JO
(1703–75). Beginning to write haiku on her own at the age of fifteen, Chiyo-jo later studied with Shikō and eventually became a nun. Her haiku style achieved great popularity with its direct expression and witty mastery of language.

C
HORA
(1719–80). Born in Shima (present-day Mie Prefecture), Chora later moved to Ise. He associated with poets such as Buson.

C
HŌSUI
(1701–69). A poet in the middle of the Edo Period, Chōsui was born the son of a local governor in Chiba, and he later became a monk. One of his haiku disciples was Shirao.

D
AKOTSU
. See
I
IDA
D
AKOTSU
.

E
IJI
(dates and details unknown).

F
UKUDA
H
ARITSU
(1865–1944). Born in the small town of Shingū in Wakayama Prefecture, Fukuda Haritsu became a pupil of Shiki in Tokyo, then moved to Kyoto where he led the life of a scholar-poet using the name Kodōjin (Old Taoist). He wrote haiku,
waka
, and Chinese-style poetry, and painted both
haiga
and literati landscapes.

F
ŪSEI
. See
T
OMIYASU
F
ŪSEI
.

G
ARAKU
(dates and details unknown).

G
IBON
. See
S
ENGAI
G
IBON
.

G
OMEI
(1731–1803). A poet in Akita Prefecture, Gomei studied Bashō's haiku on his own.

H
AKUCHŌ
(dates and details unknown).

H
AKUSHI
(dates unknown). A writer of humorous verse from Edo (Tokyo).

H
ARA
S
EKITEI
(1886–1951). Born in Shimane Prefecture, Sekitei studied under Takahama Kyoshi. He was active in the haiku journal
Hototogisu
and he was also skilled in
haiga
painting.

H
ARITSU
. See
F
UKUDA
H
ARITSU
.

H
EKIGODŌ
. See
K
AWAHIGASHI
H
EKIGODŌ
.

H
ISA-JO
. See
S
UGITA
H
ISA-JO
.

H
ŌITSU
(1761–1828). Born in Edo (Tokyo) to the Sakai family, lord of Himeji fiefdom, Hōitsu excelled as a haiku poet and also a painter in the decorative tradition.

H
ŌSAI
. See
O
ZAKI
H
ŌSAI
.

I
IDA
D
AKOTSU
(1885–1962). Born in Yamanashi Prefecture, Dakotsu studied at Waseda University. He was one of the representative poets of the haiku journal
Hototogisu
.

I
SSA
(1763–1827). A poet whose life was filled with personal tragedy, Issa became the most compassionate of all haiku masters, with a special feeling for children and common people.

J
ŌSŌ
(1662–1704). Due to poor health, Jōsō gave up his samurai position at the age of twenty-six and became a monk. He studied haiku with Bashō, and after the death of his master lived a quiet and solitary life.

K
AGAI
(died 1778, details unknown).

K
AIGA
(1652–1718). A pupil of Bashō, Kaiga was a close friend of the poet Kikaku.

K
AMEDA
B
ŌSAI
(1752–1826). One of the leading Confucian scholars and Chinese-style poet-calligraphers of his day, Bōsai only rarely wrote haiku. He inscribed his verse about “the old pond” over a portrait of Bashō.

K
ANA-JO
(dates unknown). A Kyoto poet, Kana-jo was Kyorai's wife and had two daughters.

K
ANSETSU
(dates and details unknown).

K
AWAHIGASHI
H
EKIGODŌ
(1873–1937). Born in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, Hekigodō studied with Shiki. He also wrote literary criticism and novels.

K
EISANJIN
(dates and details unknown).

K
ENJIN
(dates and details unknown).

K
ICHŌ
(dates unknown). Kichō was best known as a critic and evaluator of poetry competitions during the Edo Period.

K
IGIN
(1624–1705). Born in Shiga Prefecture, Kigin was known as a scholar of classics. He served the
bakufu
government. Kigin learned haiku with Teitoku, whose pupils included Bashō.

K
IJŌ
. See
M
URAKAMI
K
IJŌ
.

K
IKAKU
(1661–1707). One of the ten leading pupils of Bashō, Kikaku was also an expert in Chinese-style poetry, Confucianism, medicine, calligraphy, and painting. His poetic style is known for its wit and humor.

K
IKUSHA
(1753–1826). Born in Yamaguchi, Kikusha devoted herself to the arts, including painting, calligraphy,
waka
, Chinese-style verse, and haiku. After her husband died when she was twenty-four years old, she became a nun.

K
INOSHITA
Y
ŪJI
(1914–65). Born in Hiroshima Prefecture, Yūji took over his father's pharmacy store. As a poet, he was recognized by Kubota Mantarō, a popular literary figure of the time.

K
ITŌ
(1741–89). Learning haiku first from his father and later from Buson, Kitō also greatly admired the poems of Kikaku. Kitō wrote haiku with direct and unsentimental observations. He loved
sake
, and like several other haiku poets he became a monk in his final years.