Title: Dissection of the Haiku Tradition (3)
Insects
When I think about insect-related kigo, the first one that comes to mind is “butterfly.” This kigo always reminds
me of the ancient Chinese philosopher, Chuang-tzu. He became a butterfly in his dream and the story is used to
explain the meaning of life – its transience and vulnerability.
hitsugi mada kara no omosa yo chô no hiru
casket… yet
weight of emptiness –-
afternoon with butterflies
Shugyo Takaha (1)
“Butterfly” is a spring kigo. Spring is the beginning of a cycle of four seasons. Flowers are vying with their
colors; birds chirp happily; cats fall in love. However, I often think about reincarnation in the beginning of
spring. I am an atheist. I am not practicing Zen. I do not believe in fate. But, a butterfly in haiku can be a
medium for me to explore the depth of life.
kaishi yori nukekishi chô ni pin no ato
on the butterfly
out through the ocean mirage
… trace of a pin
Shogi Kawana (2)
A couple years ago, I had a chance to see the monarch butterflies in Pacific Grove in California. I don’t know
how those tiny butterflies can travel thousands of miles. But, they came all the way to mate and die. Among the
crowd, one or two could come from the other world.
ari yo bara o noboritsumetemo hi ga tôi
ants… even you manage to
climb up to the top of a rose
the sun is still far away
Hosaku Shinohara (3)
I always want to ask soldier ants if they are satisfied with their lives. In their society, there are no
psychologists, no judges, no chiropractors. On their behalf, I would look up at the sun and measure the
distance from here to there. I may not tell the ants how far it is. I may just leave them an encouraging note.
semi shigure ko wa tansôsha ni oitsukezu
cicada’s chorus—
my child cannot keep up with
my ambulance
Hideno Ishibashi (4)
“Cicada shell” in ancient Japanese is utsusemi. The first character means “empty.” In the same
pronunciation of other characters, the meaning becomes “a human living in this world.” The word “utsusemi”
(a summer kigo) has been used often in traditional waka. You may remember a tragic heroine named Utsusemi
in The Tale of Genji.
Hideno Ishibashi (1909-1947) passed away at the age of thirty-nine. She was a wife of Kenkichi Yamamoto
(1907-1988), the most famous haiku scholar in Japan. Hideno started writing haiku in her early teens. She
learned tanka under Akiko Yosano; haiku under Kyoshi Takahama. I translated semi shigure to “cicada’s
chorus,” but “shigure” literally means intermitting rain from the end of autumn to early winter. It implies a thing
that last for a while. Figuratively, it is a way to say “crying.” The above haiku is the last haiku Hideno wrote.
suzumushi o kaite shiniyuku kotomo aru
keeping bell crickets
sometimes their lives
slip away from me
Hideo Furuya (5)
Suzu (bell) mushi (insect) is an autumn kigo. I am not sure “bell cricket” is the right translation, but the sound
of this insect is like a tiny bell. In the clear autumn night, listening to the sound of suzumushi and admiring the
full moon, what did my ancestors have in their minds?
When I was a child, every year my grandparents brought back a cage of kôrogi (crickets) from a stall at the
autumn festival. I was happy and proud to be in charge of those tiny insects. Following my grandmother’s
instruction, I fed them cucumbers, but the crickets always died in a few days.
fuyu bachi no shini dokoro naku aruki keri
winter bee
without a place to die
is … walking
Kijo Murakami (5)
“Bee” itself is a spring kigo, but in the above haiku Kijo described an insect which somehow lived long enough
to see winter. Kijo Murakami (1865-1938) was hearing impaired. His work has been categorized as “kyôgai”
haiku. The circumstance of poet’s life is the theme for these haiku. I have not read his work extensively, but in
his signature haiku like the one above, he compares himself to small animals as Issa Kobayashi (1764-1827)
did.
The sample haiku I chose for this article are rather heavy. However, insect-related kigo can be used to
describe everyday life with tenderness and humor. The following two are such “light” examples. Both
“caterpillar” and “jewel beetle” are summer kigo.
mamagoto no mama o nakasete kemushi kana
making a girl playing Mom
cry…
a caterpillar
Shingo Kanamura (6)
Shingo, my Japanese haiku mentor, has excellent eyes for a small, heart warming scene of life. I have
tendency towards drama, but haiku can be like Noh with minimal movements.
tamamushi ya myôrei no sen hikinaoshi
jewel beetle—
I redraw the line
for a woman’s youth
Michio Nakahara (7)
Michio Nakahara has a unique approach toward his haiku subject. Often, his juxtaposition surprises me.
Tamamushi has two golden-purple lines down its back and is considered beautiful by insect-lovers.
I am planning to discuss food and beverages.
(1) Kigo Betsu Takaha Shugyo Kushu, (Collection of haiku by Shugho Takaha categorized per kigo) Furansu-do,
2001
(2) Unpublished at the time the article was written. Used with permission from the author
(3) Gendai no Haiku (modern haiku anthology) edited by Shôbin Hirai, Kadokawa Shoten, 1982
(4) Gendai 100 Meiku Shu (Best 100 Modern Haiku Collection) Vol. 5, edited by Kotaro Inagaki, Katsumi Ozawa,
et al, Tokyo Shiki Shuppan, 2004
(5) Kiyose (Collection of Kigo) edited by Kenkichi Yamamoto, Bungei shunju-sha, 1996
(6) Kaki (Persimmon), haiku collection of Shingo Kanamura, Kadokawa Shoten, 2000
(7) Gendai Haiku Shusei (Modern Haiku Collection), edited by Yasumasa Soda, Rippu Shobo, 1996
Essay 3