雪折やよし野ゝ夢のさめる時 蕪村
yukiore ya Yoshino no yume no sameru toki
from snow a branch snaps
waking me from my dream
of cherry blossoms
—Busho
(Tr. David LaSpina)
("Cherry Blossoms at Yoshino" by Hokusai)
This is just about as close to a universal experience as it comes: being weary of the cold winter and dreaming of the coming spring. Unfortunately for Buson, the ample snowfall and weak tree limb brought him back to reality.
I simplified my translation; the Japanese actually doesn't explicitly say cherry blossoms, but rather Yoshino, referring to Mt Yoshino, a mountain long famous for its beautiful cherry blossoms. I unfortunately have never been there, but here is a creative common's licensed photo by coniferconifer of the place.
You can see why he was dreaming of it.
❦
| Don't miss other great haiku in the Haiku of Japan series! |
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Recent Haiku
- 81 — Winter Game
- 82 — Hated Crow
- 83 — Passing Through
- 84 — Dried Salmon
- 85 — Little Demon Hunters
- 86 — Still Alive
- 87 — After Demon Purification
- 88 — Burning House
- 89 — Cold Night
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- 92 — Paper, Rock, Scissors
- 93 — Straight Hole
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- Collection 7 :: Haiku 61–70
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I post one photo everyday, as well as a haiku and as time allows, videos, more Japanese history, and so on. Let me know if there is anything about Japan you would like to know more about or would like to see.
| Who is David? | |
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 | David LaSpina is an American photographer lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time. |