枯朶に烏のとまりけり秋の暮
on a withered branch
sits a crow
autumn nightfall
—Basho
(kareeda ni / karasu no tomari keri / aki no kure)
(Print by Kawanabe Kyosai, titled Crow on Branch)
This is perhaps Basho's second most famous haiku. Everyone in Japan learned this in school and knows it well, but perhaps some of you aren't familiar with it.
He wrote this in the autumn of 1680 and it is said to be the first poem of his mature style.
It's a wonderfully simple image. One can almost hear the crow as it settles on the branch, perhaps cawing into the empty night.
In the zen mode of thinking, he is hinting at the interdependence of all things.
By the way, can anyone help me in formatting these better? I would like to format the Japanese characters going up and down in 3 rows (right to left) on the right side of the translated English text. Is there an easy way to format it like this on Steemit? If you know, please let me know!
Don't miss the other great haiku in the Haiku of Japan series!
#1 - Traveling to the inn
#2 - Childless Woman
#3 - Old Dancing Butterfly
#4 - Seeing the Moon
#5 - Checking the Scarecrow
#6 - Skill of Insects
#7 - The Spider Lilies
#8 - A Thousand Green Mountains
#9 - Falling Lead Enlightenment
#10 - Lonely Night
#11 - Her Day Off
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David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. He blogs here and at laspina.org. |