Thursday 7 January 2021

Poetry -- Tranquility (Edited)

Matsuo Basho - 17th Century Haiku Master 


閑けさや 

岩にしみいる 

蝉の声

Oh, tranquility!

Penetrating the very rock,

A cicada’s voice.


3 comments:

  1. Haiku poetry would be interesting to those of us, not only in poetry, but interpretation of foreign languages. Matsuo Basho shares equal esteem with Pablo Picasso and cubistic art.

    The regulated 5-7-5 sequencing format is, equally, a challenge to both poet and reader, such that forming an image while the eyes are closed (as in meditation) conflicts, perhaps, with the image in each language. One should be aware, obviously, that the sequencing is based on syllable quota in each line.

    It removes CoviD-19 from the mind.

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  2. You may be curious by the Japanese characters, e.g., the second character in each line being, seemingly, identical. This is because that character may be thought of as a conjunction clause (or phrase) that changes, dependant upon its' preceding character.

    Interesting, eh ?

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  3. There may be some who say, "Matsuo Basho ... Who ?
    For those, this quotation (Non-haiku) may be familiar:
    "Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought."

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