一葉散る咄ひとはちる風の上
one leaf falls
alas! another
with the wind
—Ransetsu
(hito ha chiru / totsu hito ha chiru / kaze no ue)
Another haiku from Ransetsu today. This one a short, succinct reflection on our transient world.
In haiku-code, "one leaf" can have the meaning of a Paulownia tree. Paulownia trees are much beloved in haiku because they hold 5, 7, and 5 buds, an uncanny connection to the poetic verse.
The first word of the second line—totsu—has a double meaning. It is an exclamation spoken by Zen Buddhists when enlightenment is achieved, and it is also the sound a paulownia leaf makes as it hits the ground upon falling. As usual the wordplay is difficult to translate, hence this note (-_^).
(print by Kiyoshi Awazu)
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
Thank you for reading. :)
If you enjoyed this post, please like and resteem. Also be sure to follow me to see more from Japan everyday.
I post one photo everyday, as well as some misc posts such as haiku, 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.
David LaSpina is an American photographer lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time.