12/11/2007

Ancestor's New Year

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Ancestors New Year (Hotoke Shoogatsu)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: New Year
***** Category: Season


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Explanation

Here, HOTOKE means the ancestors, not Buddha.

First visit to the ancestor's graves.
During the first three days of the New Year, there is no ancestor worship.
This is an important ritual and often takes place on January 16 or 18. People visit temples and graveyards to say prayers and put incense on the graves. At home in the Family Buddha Altar (butsudan) they offer New Year's Soup (zooni) in small cups to the ancestors.

In some areas this is January 4 or as late as January 20.

In some areas of the island of Shikoku, there is a special day in December (tatsumi no hi), called "Ancestor's New Year". This implies the LAST service of the year for the ancestors.

This day corresponds to the Ancestor Worship during the O-Bon Ceremonies and rituals and is very important. Nowadays, Ancestor Worship concentrated during O-Bon and merrymaking (happy new year style) during O-Shoogatsu New Year.




Let us look at the related kigo:

Hotoke Shoogatsu 仏正月 (ほとけしょうがつ)
..... hotoke no shoogatsu 仏の正月(ほとけのしょうがつ)
day of the ancestors, hotoke no hi 仏の日(ほとけのひ)

ancestors passing into the new year, hotoke no toshikoshi
仏の年越(ほとけのとしこし)

hotoke no kuchi ake 仏の口明(ほとけのくちあけ)
nenbutsu no kuchi ake 念仏の口明(ねんぶつのくちあけ)

New Year of the Ancestors, sensoo shoogatsu
先祖正月(せんぞしょうがつ)

Beginning of the Temple Year, tera nenshi
寺年始(てらねんし)
Temples are the places where the ancestor worship usually takes place.


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way



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HAIKU


ひとり来て仏の正月崖荒し
hitori kite Hotoke no shoogatsu gake arashi

I came alone
for the Ancestor's New Year -
these wild cliffs


Minamoto Onihiko 源 鬼彦
Tr. Gabi Greve

Japanese haiku collection about stones, walls, cliffe and more


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Related words

*****Dead body, deceased person, corpse (hotoke)
Death Poems, Death Haiku


***** Little New Year .. ko shoogatsu (January 15)


***** New Year (shinnen, shin nen, shoogatsu) Worldwide



***** New Year Ceremonies of Japan
......... A topical Saijiki

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Little New Year (January 15)

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"Little New Year" (koshoogatsu)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: New Year
***** Category: Season


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Explanation

"Little New Year", minor new year,
koshoogatsu 小正月(こしょうがつ)

koshogatsu
According to the Asian Lunar Calendar, but this is now celebrated on January 15.
A Chinese lunar month started with the new moon.
An older Japanese system had a lunar month start with the full moon.
This makes allocations for kigo quite difficult, especially for the New Year kigo and celebrations on our present January 15.

CLICK for more photos CLICK for more photos


Other kigo versions are

mochi shoogatsu 望正月(もちしょうがつ)
mochidoshi 望年(もちどし)

"young year", wakatoshi 若年(わかとし)
"young New Year", waka shoogatsu 若正月(わかしょうがつ)

second New Year, niban shoogatsu 二番正月(にばんしょうがつ)
"small Year", kotoshi 小年(こどし)
"flower New Year" 、hana shoogatsu 花正月(はなしょうがつ)



Most decorations for the New Year are burnt on this day, as it marks the end of the New Year Celebrations.
Dondo Yaki, Sankuroo and Daruma 三九郎とだるま

CLICK for more photos CLICK for more English photos
Dondo Yaki どんどやき

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Since the BIG New Year (oo shoogatsu 大正月, Men's New Year, otoko shoogatsu 男正月) is a busy time for the womanfolk to serve the many visitors, on the day of January 15, they are the ones to celebrate. This is called

New Year for the Woman, Onna Shoogatsu
女正月(おんなしょうがつ)
..... me shogatsu 女正月(めしょうがつ)


CLICK for more photos of mother resting

Now the womanfolk can start to relax, they have been busy with all the New Year preparations, like cleaning the house and preparing food for the family and visitors.


In Okinawa, this day is celebrated with colorful parades of the ladies, called Juriba sunee ジュリ馬スネー, sometimes on January 20.

CLICK for more photos


"Michi Junee" consists of a parade of men and women wearing traditional Ryukyu costumes accompanied by sanshin shamisen and drums. The parade will be led by a group bearing colorful flags and a god called Miruku (Miroku Bosatsu), who is believed to visit Okinawa on New Year’s Day from across the sea, bringing happiness to the island. Also, a vibrant eisa performance and various Ryukyu performing arts will top off the New Year’s event.
© Ryukyu Mura

More LINKS

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Typical Decoration for Small New Year

More photos !



Koshogatsu - A Time of Celebration

New Year is the largest, and perhaps the oldest celebration in Japan. Having both religious and secular associations, it is much like Christmas in Canada.

In A.D. 604, the lunar calendar used in China was adopted for use by the Japanese government. This calendar had both a lunar component which regulated civic events and a solar component which was used for agricultural purposes.

The new moon marked the beginning of the official months but date discrepancies existed between official celebrations and folk celebrations. Using the lunar calendar the New Year was to begin at the second new moon after the winter solstice.

This was the "Great New Year" or shogatsu. At the full moon two weeks later, there was another celebration called "Little New Year" or koshogatsu. Traditionally, these dates would occur sometime from the end of January to the middle of February. However, when the government adopted the Gregorian calendar, shogatsu became associated with the first day of January and koshogatsu fell on the 15th of January.
© www.smu.ca/ Paul Fitzgerald



. mogura-uchi 土龍打 ( もぐらうち) "hitting the moles" .


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


EISA drummers of Okinawa

Traditional Okinawan Bon festival drum-dancing (eisa)
source : www.okinawastory.j


Worldwide Eisa Festival 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Okinawa Eisa festival held in Naha

The first Eisa dance festival was held in Naha City in Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa on Sunday. Eisa is the island's unique folk dance.
The Worldwide Eisa Festival 2011 was held to coincide with the 5th Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival, where people celebrate their ancestral roots in Okinawa.
Local people and the descendants of emigrants from Okinawa danced at the prefectural stadium.
Eighteen members of a Brazilian team performed a dance based on the theme of emigrants crossing the ocean by ship. The team is made up of second and
third-generation descendants who have danced at events in Sao Paulo.
The team leader, 21-year-old Tadashi Nakasone, made his first visit to Okinawa this year. His grandfather was from Okinawa. He began practicing Eisa dancing 10 years ago when he became interested in Okinawa's culture.
Nakasone said he is happy that he can express his love for Okinawa's culture through his performances. He said he had a wonderful experience on the stage that was almost beyond description.
Dancers from Los Angeles and Hawaii also took part in the event.
source : NHK world news


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. hoojari ほうじゃり Hojari amulet
from Chiba prefecture


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HAIKU


母が家に 母のもの着し 女正月
haha ga ya ni haha no mono kishi me shoogatsu

I put on mother's clothes
in her house -
New Year of women


Yoko Yamamoto
Tr. Etsuko Yanagibori
with photo !


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法華寺に守り犬買ふ小正月
Hokkeji ni mamori inu kau koshoogatsu

at temple Hokke-Ji
I buy a dog talisman -
little New Year


Kawai Kayoko 河合佳代子

. Temple Hokke-Ji 法華寺 Nara .


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女正月ひとりは泣きにきてをりぬ
me shoogatsu hitori wa naki ni kite orinu

Women's New Year -
one woman came
just to cry


Hayashi Kikue, 林菊枝



母に逢ふ口実もなき女正月
haha ni au koojitsu mo naki onna shoogatsu

I have no more excuses
to suit my mother ...
Women's New Year



Wada Shookai 和田照海

Collection of 80 haiku about Women's New Year
© www.haisi.com 女正月

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Related words

***** New Year (shinnen, shin nen) Worldwide


***** New Year Ceremonies of Japan
.......... A topical Saijiki




source : mingeijapan - furoshiki

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11/27/2007

Snipe (shigi)

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Snipe (shigi)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Various, see below
***** Category: Animal


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Explanation


CLICK for more snipe photos.

A Snipe is any of nearly 20 very similar wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae.
They characterised by a very long slender bill and cryptic plumage. The Gallinago snipes have a nearly worldwide distribution, the Lymnocryptes Jack Snipe is restriced to Asia and Europe and the Coenocorypha snipes are restriced to New Zealand. The three species of painted snipe are not closely related to these, and are placed in their own family, the Rostratulidae.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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There are many kigo with various types of this autumn bird.

snipe, shigi 鷸(しぎ)
snipe in the weeds, kusa shigi 草鴫(くさしぎ)
snipe on the beach, iso shigi 磯鴫(いそしぎ)
snipe on the sandy beach 浜鴫(はましぎ)

"crane snipe", tsuru shigi 鶴鴫(つるしぎ)
"snipe with red legs" aka ashi shigi 赤脚鴫(あかあししぎ)
"snipe with blue legs", ao ashi shigi青脚鴫(あおあししぎ)

"snipe with bent legs", sori ashi shigi
反脚鴫(そりあししぎ)
"snipe with bent bill", soriha shigi 反嘴鴫(そりはしぎ)


CLICK for more photos
"bill snipe", shaku shigi 杓鴫(しゃくしぎ)

spatula-shaped bill snipe, hera shigi 箆鴫(へらしぎ)


"old woman" snipe 姥鴫(うばしぎ)


snipes born in this year, toonen shigi
当年鴫(とうねんしぎ)



Click for Kyoto Lady Snipe
"Kyoto Lady" snipe, kyoojo shigi 京女鴫(きょうじょしぎ)


mountain snipe, yamashigi 山鴫(やましぎ)
.. boto shigi ぼと鴫(ぼとしぎ)
snipe in the rice fields, paddy shigi, ta shigi 田鴫(たしぎ)
snipe in the wild fields 鴫野(しぎの)


blue snipe, aoshigi 青鴫(あおしぎ)
"makerel snipe", saba shigi 鯖鴫(さばしぎ)

small snipe, little snipe, koshigi 小鴫(こしぎ)
"treasure snipe", tama shigi 玉鴫(たましぎ)


snipes "reciting sutras", shigi no kangin
鴫の看経(しぎのかんぎん)

snipes cleaning feathers, shigi no hagaki
鴫の羽掻(しぎのはがき)
"scratching one hundred wings" momo hagaki
百羽掻(ももはがき)
..... kazu kaku 数掻く(かずかく)

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SNIPE kigo for other seasons
BIRD SAIJIKI


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


SNIPES in many languages
(Chinese, Vietnamese ...)

snipe proper (genus Gallinago)

オオジシギ, (大地鷸 or 大地鴫)
ō ji-shigi : 'large ground shigi'

ハリオシギ, (針尾鷸 or 針尾鴫)
hari-o shigi : 'needle-tailed shigi'

チュウジシギ, (中地鷸 or 中地鴫)
chū ji-shigi :'medium ground shigi'

and more
 © www.cjvlang.com / Scolopacinae

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HAIKU


大磯や早朝飯で鴫の立
ooiso ya haya asameshi de shigi no tatsu

on a large beach
early risers for breakfast...
snipe




噂すれば鴫の立けり夕涼み
uwasa sureba shigi no tachi keri yûsuzumi

speaking of the devil
a snipe takes flight...
evening cool




夕祓鴫十ばかり立にけり
yû harai shigi jû bakari tachi ni keri
yuuharai ya shiki too bakari tachi ni keri

evening's shrine boats--
about ten snipes
stand guard


This haiku refers to a Shinto purification ritual that takes place in Sixth Month in the traditional Japanese calendar (harai, nagoshi). One of the observances is to launch special shrine boats in water. Shinji Ogawa adds that the most popular forms of the ritual involve (1) entering a shrine through the chinowa (a large ring made of woven reeds) or (2) going to a river and releasing a paper boat containing a paper doll (katashiro). As the doll drifts away it is thought to take "all unclean things with it."

Issa, Tr. David Lanoue


噂すれば鴫の立けり夕涼み
uwasa sureba shigi no tachi keri yuusuzumi


. WKD : Kobayashi Issa 小林一茶 in Edo .


Ōiso, Ooiso (大磯町, Ōiso-machi) is a town located in Naka District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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Temples visited by
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .

At temple Hozo-Ji 法蔵寺 (Hoozooji, Hozoji)
広井村田中山法蔵寺(現名古屋市西区新道町)


At the temple there is now a memorial stone for the snipe 鴫塚

笈の小文 - Oi no Kobumi - Notes from my Knapsack
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .
written in 1688 貞亨5年秋 / or 貞享元年(1684)


刈り跡や早稲かたかたの鴫の声
kari ato ya wase katakata no shigi no koe

harvested rice fields -
in the stiff stubbles
the call of snipes

Tr. Gabi Greve

固固 KATAKATA, stiff, hard, or 片々, is also a pun with the sound KATAKATA - 方々, - katagata ... all these people.


In the rice fields at the Treasury of the Dharma Temple

after the reaping--
from the side of a field of early rice
a snipe's call

Tr. Barnhill


Barnhill notes that this haiku "draws on a famous waka by Saigyoo:

kokoro naki mi ni mo aware wa shirarekeri
shigi tatsu sawa no aki no yuugure

Even one who is
free of passions
feels such sorrow:
a marsh where a snipe rises
into autumn evening

Tr. Barnhill

.  Basho and Saigyo 芭蕉と西行法師 .


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あちらむきに鴫も立たり秋の暮
achira muki ni shigi mo tachitari aki no kure


雪の暮鴫(しぎ)はもどつて居るような
yuki no kure shigi wa modotte iru yoo na


鴫遠く鍬すゝぐ水のうねりかな
shigi tooku kuwa susugu mizu no uneri kana

The snipe farther and farther away,
The ripples
Of the washed hoe.

Tr. Blyth


後の月鴫たつあとの水の中
nochi no tsuki shigi tatsu ato no mizu no naka

the "next full moon"
is reflected in the water
after the snipe flew away



. WKD : Yosa Buson 与謝蕪村 in Edo .
Buson also shows an allusion to the waka of Saigyo.



. WKD : nochi no tsuki 後の月 "next full moon" .
One month after the meigetsu, now october, celebrated on day 13 though.


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Related words

***** Summer Purification Ceremony (nagoshi, harai)

***** Voices of an animal (marumaru no koe) and haiku


***** Birds of Winter Japan

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11/24/2007

Verbs used in Kigo

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Verbs used in Kigo

Should verbs be used in haiku?
A question I am asked frequently.


Read the general answers here please:

Verbs used in Haiku

. Negative Verb Forms and Haiku .



Here I collect some SPRING kigo with verbs. I use translation with
DOING xyz.
It depends on the haiku wheater it will be translated as
"I do", "We do" or someone else does.


Look at the ABC index for further explanations of these kigo, many concerning plants or animals.

Gabi Greve


For verbs used in other seasons, see below.
For WRITE, WRITING, see below.


Activities in SPRING


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. . . . . SPRING
going through all categories, there are quite a few



cold comes to an end, kan akeru 寒明ける(かんあける)
cold ends, kan owaru 寒終る(かんおわる)
cold passes on, kan sugiru 寒過ぎる(かんすぎる)



"spring stands up", spring begins,
haru tatsu 春立つ(はるたつ)

spring comes, haru kuru 春来る(はるくる)
spring comes closer, haru saru 春さる(はるさる)
SARU here does not mean " to leave 去る"
"it becomes spring", haru ni naru 春になる(はるになる)



cold comes back, sae kaeru 冴返る さえかえる
..... ite kaeru 冱返る(いてかえる)
freezing comes back, shimi kaeru しみ返る(しみかえる)
cold comes back, kan kaeru 寒返る(かんかえる)



february (the second month) comes to an end
nigatsu hatsu 二月果つ(にがつはつ)

..... nigatsu tsuku 二月尽く(にがつつく)
nigatsu owaru 二月終る(にがつおわる)
february goes away, nigatsu yuku 二月逝く(にがつゆく)



march (the third month) comes to an end
sangatsu owaru 三月終る(さんがつおわる)
..... sangatsu tsuku 三月尽く(さんがつつく)



april comes, shigatsu kuru 四月来る(しがつくる)
april ends, shitatsu owaru 四月終る(しがつおわる)
..... shigatsu tsuku四月尽く(しがつつく)



spring is leaving, yuku haru 行く春 (ゆくはる)
seeing spring off, haru o okuru 春を送る(はるをおくる)



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CLICK for more left snow

snow is still left, yuki nokoru 雪残る(ゆきのこる)
snow is melting, yuki tokeru 雪解くる(ゆきとくる)


cold weather gets a bit warmer, ite yurumu 凍ゆるむ(いてゆるむ)


CLICK for more floating ice
ice is floating,koori nagaruru 氷流るる(こおりながるる)


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taking off the hood, 頭巾脱ぐ(ずきんぬぐ)
taking off the overcoat, gaitoo nugu 外套脱ぐ (がいとうぬぐ)
taking off the warm winter underwear, doogi nugu
胴着脱ぐ (どうぎぬぐ)


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preparing herring roe, kazu no ko tsukuru
数の子作る (かずのこつくる)

drying herring roe, kazu no ko hosu
数の子干す(かずのこほす)
kigo for late spring

This is done mostly in march and april.
The roe is first placed in a barrel with saltwater for five days, adding fresh salt water maybe five times every day during this time. This helps to get the roe firm. To get the delicious yellow color, the roe is then washed in fresh water and placed on straw mats to dry. It is turned over many times during the drying process and finally ready for preservation.
The fresh ones are called "new herring roe" shin kazu no ko 新数の子.
In years with a bountiful catch you could see them in all the villages along the coast of Hokkaido.

Nowadays, most of the kazunoko is imported.


Kazu no ko 数の子 (かずのこ) herring roe
kigo for the New Year


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Snow and weather-related work in spring

taking down the snow guards, yukiyoke toru
雪除とる(ゆきよけとる)
taking down the frost guards, shimoyoke toku
霜除解く(しもよけとく)
..... shimogakoi toru 霜囲とる(しもがこいとる)
..... yukigakoi toru 雪囲とる (ゆきがこいとる)
..... yukigaki toku 雪垣解く(ゆきがきとく)
fuyugamae toku 冬構解く(ふゆがまえとく)
..... fuyugakoi toru 冬囲とる(ふゆがこいとる)
yukitsuri toku 雪吊解く(ゆきづりとく)


taking down the wind guards, kazeyoke toku
風除解く かぜよけとく
..... kazegaki toku 風垣解く(かざがきとく)
..... kazegakoi toku 風囲解く(かざがこいとく)


and a few more SNOW kigo at home


yukiwari 雪割 (ゆきわり) "make the snow forget"
by bringing sweets or fruit to a friend in January
mid-spring
yukikiri 雪切(ゆききり), yukihori 雪堀(ゆきほり)
yukikeshi 雪消(ゆきけし)
yukiwari ninpu 雪割人夫(ゆきわりにんぷ)
yukikiri ninpu 雪切人夫(ゆききりにんぷ)

yukikeshi in winter



sori shimau 橇蔵う (そりしまう) packing away the sledge
late spring
sutezori 捨橇(すてぞり
sukii shimau スキーしまう packing away the ski
sukeeto shimau スケートしまうpacking away the skates


kuruma kumu 車組む (くるまくむ) taking out the car
mid-spring
kuruma dasu 車出す(くるまだす)


yanegae 屋根替 (やねがえ) putting on a new roof
mid-spring
yane fuku 屋根葺く(やねふく)
fukikae 葺替(ふきかえ)



kaki tsukurou 垣繕う (かきつくろう) repairing the hedge
mid-sprig
kaki teire 垣手入れ(かきていれ)


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Farm and garden work in spring

burning the withered fields, noyaku 野焼く(のやく)

burning the paths between fields, aze yaku
kusa yaku 草焼く(くさやく)burning the weeds
aze yaku 畦焼く(あぜやく)burning the small path between the fields
azebi 畦火(あぜび)"fire in the small paths"
tsutumi yaku 堤焼く(つつみやく)burning the dikes
oka yaku 丘焼く(おかやく)burning the hills

noyaki 野焼 (のやき)
nobi 野火(のび)
yakeno 焼野(やけの)
yakihara 焼原(やきはら)
ogi no yakehara 荻の焼原(おぎのやけはら)


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yama yaku 山焼く(やまやく) "burning the mountain"
yamayaki 山焼 (やまやき) mountain burning
yamabi 山火(やまび)"fire on the mountain"
Burning the weeds on the mountain slopes to make room for the new green.


observance kigo for the New Year

Nara no yamayaki 奈良の山焼
Burning the Mountain Slopes at Nara

..... Burning the mountains, o-yama yaki お山焼(おやまやき)


It was on the 11 day of the second lunar month.
The slopes of Wakakusayama 若草山 were burned.
This ritual dates back to the Kamakura period, when the slopes burned down during a warriour's fight. It is also good to help the new grass come out in spring.
In the evening, drums are beaten and then fire is set in various places, even fireworks are shot in the night sky.
Now it is relocated to the day before the ceremony of "Coming of Age" on a Sunday.

SAIJIKI – NEW YEAR OBSERVANCES

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yakihata tsukuru 焼畑つくる(やきはたつくる)
preparing the burnt fields
hata yaku 畑焼く (はたやく) burning the fields
hatayak 畑焼(はたやき)


shiba yaku 芝焼く (しばやく) burning the grass
early spring
shibayaki 芝焼(しばやき)
shibabi 芝火(しばび)



plowing the fields "hitting the fields" hatake utsu
畑打つ(はたけうつ), hatake kaesu 畑返す(はたけかえす)
hatake suku 畑鋤く(はたけすく)



matsu no midori tsumu 松の緑摘む (まつのみどりつむ)
late spring
..... midori tsumu 晩春 緑摘む(みどりつむ)
wakamidori tsumu 若緑摘む(わかみどりつむ)
"picking the green of the pine"
(this is also the title of a famous song)


jakago amu 蛇籠編む (じゃかごあむ) making a gabion
A basket-like container for stones to prevent mud slides. It used to be made of bamboo, nowadays of metal.
Schanzkorb


mugifumi 麦踏 (むぎふみ) trampling on wheat (straw)
early spring
mugi o fumu 麦を踏む(むぎをふむ)
To make it easier for making tools out of it.



umaya dashi 厩出し (うまやだし) getting the cart out
maya dashi まやだし
clearing the stable with the carts


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watering the seeds, tane hitashi 種浸し (たねひたし )

. Seeds in Spring Kigo  



CLICK for more sowing seeds
sowing the seeds, tane maki 種蒔 (たねまき)
with a few more related kigo


SOWING

asa maku 麻蒔く (あさまく) sowing hemp

asagao maku 朝顔蒔く(あさがおまく)sowing morning glories

goboo maku 牛蒡蒔く (ごぼうまく) sowing burdock

hanadane maku 花種蒔く(はなだねまく)sowing flowers

hechima maku 糸瓜蒔く (へちままく) sowing hechima gourd

keitoo maku 鶏頭蒔く(けいとうまく)sowing cockscomb

kyuuri maku 胡瓜蒔く(きゅうりまく)sowing cucumbers

monotane maku 物種蒔く (ものだねまく) sowing seeds (mostly flowers)

nasu maku 茄子蒔く(なすまく)sowing eggplants

yugao maku 夕顔蒔く(ゆうがおまく) sowing evening glories


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PLANTING


ai maku 藍蒔く (あいまく) planting indigo
..... ai uu 初春 藍植う(あいうう)

hasu uu 蓮植う (はすうう) planting lotus

imo uu 芋植う (いもうう) planting taro potatoes
taneimo, tane-imo 種芋(たねいも)potatoe seedlings
imo no mo 芋の芽(いものめ)potatoe buds,imonae 藷苗(いもなえ)
satoimo uu 里芋植う(さといもうう)planting taro


jagaimo uu 馬鈴薯植う (じゃがいもうう) planting potatoes
..... bareisho uu 仲春 馬鈴薯植う(ばれいしょうう)
jagaimo no nane oroshi 馬鈴薯の種おろし(じゃがいものたねおろし)


kabocha maku 南瓜蒔く (かぼちゃまく) planting pumpkin
..... kabocha uu 南瓜植う(かぼちゃうう)
toonasu maku 南瓜蒔く(とうなすまく)、boofura maku ぼうぶら蒔く(ぼうぶらまく)


kajuu uu 果樹植う (かじゅうう) planting fruit trees
konomi uu 木の実植う (このみうう) planting nuts and fruits

kiku uu 菊植う (きくうう ) planting chrysanthemum

konnyaku uu 蒟蒻植う (こんにゃくうう) planting konyak devil's tongue

kuwa uu 桑植う (くわうう) planting mulberry trees

satoimo uu, sato-imo 里芋植う(さといもうう) planting taro seedlings

suiren uu 睡蓮植う (すいれんうう) planting water lilies


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DIGGING

kuwai horu 慈姑掘る (くわいほる) digging arrowhead bulbs

tokoro horu 野老掘る (ところほる) digging yam roots
Dioscorea fam.


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DIVIDING ROOTS

hagi newake 萩根分 (はぎねわけ) dividing bushclover roots
..... hagi uu 萩植う(はぎうう)planting bushclover

kiku 菊根分 (きくねわけ) dividing chrysanthemum roots
..... kiku wakatsu 菊分つ(きくわかつ)
..... kiku no newake 菊の根分(きくのねわけ)

newake 根分 (ねわけ) dividing roots (for replanting)
..... kabuwake 株分(かぶわけ)

shoobu newake 菖蒲根分 (しょうぶねわけ) dividing iris roots


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harvesting wakame seeweeds, wakame karu
若布刈る (わかめかる)

wakame toru 若布採る(わかめとる)
drying seeweeds, wakame hosu 若布干す(わかめほす)

harvesting nori seeweeds, nori toru 海苔採る(のりとる)


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cutting the goats hair, yagi no ke karu
山羊の毛刈る(やぎのけかる)

cutting the sheeps hair, hitsuji no ke karu
羊の毛刈る ひつじのけかる
hitsuji senmoo 羊剪毛(ひつじせんもう)shearing sheep
senmooki, senmoo ki 剪毛期(せんもうき)time for shearing sheep
mid-spring


makibiraki 牧開 (まきびらき) starting the pastures


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picking tea leaves, chatsumi 茶摘 (ちゃつみ)
preparing (freshly harvested) tea leaves,
cha tsukuri 茶つくり(ちゃつくり)



floating wood, ki nagashi 木流し (きながし)
floating rafts 管流し(くだながし)



picking bracken, warabi tori 蕨採り(わらびとり)
..... warabi tsumi 蕨摘(わらびつみ)
for eating
. WASHOKU
Warabi わらび(蕨) bracken, fern
 



picking wild leaves 草摘む(くさつむ)kusa tsumu
..... tsumikusa 摘草 (つみくさ)
for eating



visiting famous places for cherry blossoms
hana meguri 花巡り(はなめぐり)

looking at cherry blossoms, sakura mi 桜見(さくらみ)
guarding the cherry blossoms, sakura mori 桜守(さくらもり)
with a few more related kigo



hunting season comes to an end, ryooki owaru
猟期終る (りょうきおわる)



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many kigo about festivals and ceremonies come with a verb.

check here
Saijiki of Japanese Ceremonies and Festivals


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wild animals copulating, kemono tsurumu
獣交む (けものつるむ)
..... kemono sakaru 獣交る(けものさかる)


bears coming out of the den, kuma ana o izu
熊穴を出づ (くまあなをいづ)

kuma ana o deru 熊穴を出る(くまあなをでる)
similar kigo are used for other animals


horses are born, uma no ko umaru 馬の子生る(うまのこうまる)


deer loosing the horns, shika no tsuno otsu
鹿の角落つ(しかのつのおつ)



"cats walking to their lovers", kayou neko 通う猫(かようねこ)
. Cats love in spring  




cranes leaving, tsuru saru 鶴去る(つるさる)
cranes going home, tsuru kaeru 鶴帰る(つるかえる)
cranes staying here, nokoru tsuru 残る鶴(のこるつる)
cranes going home, naeru tsuru 帰る鶴(かえるつる)


geese leaving, yuku kari 行く雁(ゆくかり)
ducks going home, kamo kaeru 鴨帰る(かもかえる)
ducks leaving, yuku kamo 行く鴨(ゆくかも)
CLICK for more photos




birds going/coming home, tori kaeru 鳥帰る (とりかえる)
birds copulating, tori sakaru 鳥交る (とりさかる)
..... tori tsurumu 鳥つるむ(とりつるむ)
sparrows copulating, suzume sakaru 雀交る(すずめさかる)



(birds) preparing the nest, su kumi 巣組み(すぐみ)


sleeping butterfly, nemuru choo 眠る蝶(ねむるちょう)
dancing butterfly, mau choo 舞う蝶(まうちょう)
crazily fluttering butterfly,kuruu choo 狂う蝶(くるうちょう)



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late "left over" cherry blossoms, nokoru hana
残る花(のこるはな)
..... nokoru sakura 残る桜(のこるさくら)



flowers of the sumomo plum are falling,
sumomo chiru 李散る(すももちる)
sumomo is a special sour plum kind



Japanese nashi pears flowering,
nashi saku 梨咲く(なしさく)




young green "standing up" starts sprouting
midori tatsu 緑立つ(みどりたつ)




picking aralia plants, ugoki tsumu 五加摘む(うこぎつむ)
picking Clethra barbinervis, ryoobu tsumu 令法摘む(りょうぶつむ)
to prepare spring tea and food


ryoobu 令法 (りょうぶ) Japanese Clethra
..... hatatsumori はたつもり
Clethra barbinervis
ryoobu meshi 令法飯(りょうぶめし)cooked rice with clethra
ryoobu cha 令法茶(りょうぶちゃ)tea made from clethra



"red leaves are flowering", momiji saku もみじ咲く(もみじさく)
a special kind of kaede maple with red leaves in spring



CLICK for more AKEBI photos
akebia flowering, akebi saku 通草咲く(あけびさく)



picking horsetail plants, tsukushi tsumi 土筆摘(つくしつみ)
to prepare spring food


drying hijiki seaweed, hijiki hosu ひじき干す(ひじきほす)
harvesting mirume seaweed, mirume karu みるめ刈る(みるめかる)
harvesting arame seaweed, arame karu 荒布刈る(あらめかる)


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write, to write, writing, I write 書く kaku


kigo for mid-summer
gihoo o kaku 儀方を書く (ぎほうをかく) writing a spell
..... gihoo o shosu 儀方を書す(ぎほうをしょす)
to ward off mosquitoes and flies



humanity kigo for mid-winter
nengajoo kaku 賀状書く がじょうかく writing a new year card


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way



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HAIKU


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Related words

***** Verbs used in Haiku !!!!!


. Planting in summer


. Autumn and farmers work : kigo list  


. Activities in Winter  


End of Year Activities ...


Emotions expressed directly in Haiku


More activities concerning food
WASHOKU ... Japanese Food SAIJIKI


.SAIJIKI ... HUMANITY
Kigo for Spring
 

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Numbers used in Kigo

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Numbers used in Kigo

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Various, see below
***** Category: Humanity


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Explanation

The use of numbers as counters in a haiku makes the situation look very real. It is therefore carefully used to get this special effect.

"eightfold", yae 八重 ... is often used to mean "many-layered".

The names of the Japanese months are using the numbers from one to 12.


There are some kigo that use counters, thought, and I collect them here.


Also consider this :
WKD . . . . . Numbers used as TOPICS in Haiku
including the use of DATES !

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. . . . . SPRING

First Spring Wind, haru ichiban  春一番
this is followed by second, third and fourth South wind
..... haru niban 春二番, haru sanban 春三番, haru yonban 春四番
This is usually quite a strong storm or gusty wind on the coast of the East side of Japan, toward the end of February. After haru ichiban, we know that spring is coming.



one-layered camellia,
hitoe tsubaki 一重椿(ひとえつばき)

"eight-layered", multi-layered camellia
yae tsubaki 八重椿(やえつばき)
WKD : Camellia (tsubaki)



"one night weed", hito yo gusa 一夜草(ひとよぐさ)
"one leaf weed", hito ha gusa 一葉草(ひとはぐさ)
"Three-colored violet", sanshoku sumire 三色菫




"eight-fold mist", yae gasumi 八重霞(やえがすみ)
WKD : Fog, Mist and more hazy words


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. . . . . SUMMER

"one layer sash", hitoe obi 一重帯(ひとえおび)
Summer sash (natsu obi)



"sushi left for one night"
ichiya zushi 一夜鮓(いちやずし)
salted fish, left to give its tast to the rice over night
WKD : Sushi is raw fish on vinegared rice ! 寿司



"sweet ricewine left for one night"
hitoya zake 一夜酒(ひとよざけ)

a kind of "sweet ricewine" amazake.
WKD : Ricewine, rice wine (sake, saké, saki)



"first cuting of the weeds" , ichiban gusa
一番草(いちばんぐさ)
second cutting of the weeds, niban gusa 二番草(にばんぐさ). third cutting of the weeds, sanbangusa 三番草(さんばんぐさ)
Having lived in Rural Japan for more than 10 years, I must say, we are lucky to get around with cutting them three times. Often is a lot more often. Cutting the weeds along the small paths of the terraced ride fields is quite a job for the farmers.



cutting indigo, ai karu 藍刈る (あいかる)
kigo for late summer
first harvest of indigo, ichiban ai 一番藍(いちばんあい)
second harvest of indigo, niban ia 二番藍(にばんあい)
aidama 藍玉(あいだま)"indigo ball"
aitsuki 藍搗(あいつき)pounding indigo
yama ai 山藍(やまあい)mountain indigo
Ryuukyuu ai 琉球藍(りゅうきゅうあい)indigo from Okinawa
Indo ai インド藍(いんどあい)Indigo from India

(There are more kigo with indigo in other seasons.)
TBA.


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. . . . . AUTUMN


. August 1 (hassaku 八朔) .
first day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar


. hyakugiku 百菊(ひゃくぎく)"one hundred different types of chrysanthemums"


kiri hitoha 桐一葉 one leaf of the paulownia tree



The autumn harvest moon comes with a few numbers for the days before and after the full moon.
The Moon, O-Tsukisama, Der Mond, La Lune
Moon in autumn (aki no tsuki)



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. . . . . WINTER


. sankan shion 三寒四温 (さんかんしおん)
three times cold, four times warm
 
..... sankan 三寒(さんかん)、shion 四温(しおん)
shionbiori, shion biyori 四温日和(しおんびより) fine day of shion
A common winter weather pattern mostly in China and Korea, also sometimes in Japan. Has been introduced as kigo to Japan with the imigrants of Manchuria.




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. . . . . NEW YEAR

First Water, ichiban mizu 一番水(いちばんみず)
First drawing of Well Water (wakamizu)



First Day of the Tiger, ichi no tora
一の寅(いちのとら)


"First Lottery", ichi no tomi 一の富(いちのとみ)
"Second Lottery", ni no tomi 二の富(にのとみ)
"Third Lottery", san no tomi 三の富(さんのとみ)
Related to Mino-O New Year Lottery 箕面の富 in Osaka.



Check out the many FIRST activities of the New Year !
There are also more references to other ceremonies using numbers.


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way



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HAIKU





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Related words

***** Numbers used in Haiku

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11/18/2007

Autumn dusk (aki no kure)

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Autumn dusk (aki no kure)

***** Location: Japan, worldwide
***** Season: All Autumn
***** Category: Season


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Explanation


02 the sun
© PHOTO Gabi Greve, October 2007


autumn dusk, autumn twilight,
aki no kure 秋の暮 (あきのくれ)

autumn nightfall, autumn evening, autumn eve

"aki no kure" might also refer to the end of autumn.
SEE
Autumn coming to an end
But this is usually expressed in the opposite wording
kure no aki, the twilight of autumn itself, 暮の秋(くれのあき)


evening dusk in autumn, aki no yuugure
秋の夕暮(あきのゆうぐれ)

..... aki no yuube 、秋の夕(あきのゆうべ)
autumn evening, shuuseki 秋夕(しゅうせき)

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"Autumn means sunset (dusk)" (aki wa yuugure)
is a famous statement in the Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon (Sei Shoonagon 清少納言, Makura Sooshi 枕草子). It has long been loved by Japanese poets and together with the SPRING DAWN (haru no akebono) been the subject of many poems.

In autumn, it is still warm enough to be outside and enjoy the passing of the time, watch the valley change from light to shadow, the colors of the sky and the soft clouds constantly changing.

In the times of Basho this kigo was used to express feelings of "the sadness of things" (mono no aware) and solitude or melancholy (sabishisa).



Twilight, dusk ... and many related kigo  



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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


Miyamoto Musashi (宮本 武蔵) (c.1584 - 1645)


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HAIKU


CLICK for more photos
Miyamoto Musashi
枯木鳴鵙図 宮本武蔵筆

Matsuo Basho and his famous haiku in translations

枯朶に烏のとまりけり秋の暮
枯れ枝に鴉のとまりけり 秋の暮
(かれえだにからすのとまりけりあきのくれ)

kara eda ni karasu no tomari keri aki no kure

A crow
has settled on a bare branch
Autumn evening


On a withered branch,
A crow has stopped
Autumn's eve


A lone crow
sits on a dead branch
this autumn eve

Read more about Basho and some Crow Haiku.
http://www.shades-of-night.com/aviary/haiku.html


..................... More translations:

On a withered branch
a crow is perched:
an autumn evening.


... bopsecrets


a crow is perched on a bare branch;
it is an autumn eve.

Classic Haiku: An Anthology of Poems by Basho and His Followers


On dead branches
Crows remain perched
At autumn's end.


... www.tapsns.com


On a dead limb
squats a crow.
Autumn night.


... www.cs.arizona.edu


on a bare branch
a crow perches
in the autumn twilight


... http://www.ecf.or.jp/shiki/1999/dec5.html


................. One more interpretation

First Basho realized that it was an autumn evening. Then he saw the crow on a bare branch.
The order of events is not:
First he saw a crow on a branch, then he remembered it was autumn.

a crow is perched
on a barren branch -
this autumn evening


Tr. Gabi Greve

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"Expressing how I feel"

この道や行く人なしに秋の暮れ
kono michi ya yuku hito nashi ni aki no kure

on this road
where nobody else travels
autumn nightfall

and an earlier version

The road here--
No traveler comes along
This autumn evening.


Matsuo Basho . Tr. Makoto Ueda


. . . . More translations

Along this road
Goes no one;
This autumn evening.

An autumn eve;
Along this road
Goes no-one.


No-one
Walks this road;
Autumn evening.


Along this autumn road
Goes no-one,
This autumn eve.

R.H. Blyth


By lonely roads
this lonely poet marches
into autumn dusk.

Beilenson


this road--
with no one on it,
autumn dusk

Barnhill


This road--
no one goes down it,
autumn evening.

Robert Hass


This road:
with no one traveling on it,
autumn darkness falls.

Harold Henderson


None is traveling
Here along this way but I,
This autumn evening.

Kenneth Yasuda


This road ––
no one goes down
autumns end.

Tr. Peipei Qiu


All along this road
not a single soul—only
autumn evening
[The Essential Basho,
Sam Hamill, Boston: Shambhala, 1998]



Not one traveller
braves this road -
autumn night.

Stryck

on this road
no one is seen to travel...
autumn's end

Susumu Takiguchi : "Go-Schichi-Go"


Along this way
No travellers -
Dusk in autumn

Alex Kerr - "Lost Japan" - 1996


This road
No travelers pass along--
Autumn dusk.

T.Saito, W.R.Nelson - "1020 Haiku in Translation" -2006


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Haruo Shirane:
"Traces of Dreams" - Stanford University Press, 1998

"In the late autumn of 1694 (...), at the end of his life, Basho wrote the following hokku, which appears in Backpack Diary (Oi nikki; 1695).

this road--
no one goes down it
autumn's end


kono / michi / ya / yuku / hito / nashi / ni / aki / no / kure
this / road / : /go / person / none / as / autumn / 's / end

This hokku, which was composed at a large haikai gathering, can be read as a straightforward description of the scene before the poet, as an expression of disappointment that, at the end of his life, in the autumn of his career - "aki no kure" can mean either "autumn's end" or "autumn evening" - he is alone, or that life is lonely, and as an expression of disappointment at the lack of sympathetic poetic partners (renju), that is, as an expression of desire for those who can engage in the poetic dialogue necessary to continue on this difficult journey.

Significantly, on Basho's last journey in the summer of 1694, from Edo to Iga, he deliberately stopped at Nagoya, to try to heal the breach with his former poetry companions, those surrounding Kakei, and then he departed for Osaka, where he would die, in attempt to mediate a territorial dispute between two disciples, Shado and Shido."

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. . . . Look at a painting HERE
MICHI, Road, by Higashiyama Kaii




Special Thanks to Larry Bole for bringing
Higashiyama Kaii and Basho together!



MORE - hokku about aki no kure by
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .


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. WKD : Kobayashi Issa 小林一茶 .


一つなくは親なし鳥よ秋の暮
hitotsu naku wa oya nashi tori yo aki no kure

alone he cries
the motherless bird...
autumn dusk



我植し松も老けり秋の暮
waga ueshi matsu mo oi keri aki no kure

even the pine tree
I planted grows old!
autumn dusk



又人にかけ抜れけり秋の暮
mata hito ni kakenukare keri aki no kure

yet another traveler
overtakes me...
autumn dusk


Read many more here:
Tr. David Lanoue


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朝顔の生れ替りや秋の暮
asagao no umare-kawari ya aki no kure

autumn twilight --
morning glories
reborn

Tr. Chris Drake

This mid-autumn hokku is from the 8th month (Sept.) of 1814, when Issa was on a trip to Edo, his first trip back after establishing himself in his hometown. His main purpose was to formally say goodbye to poet friends and students there. The hokku was probably written on 8/9 (Sept. 22), since in Issa's diary it occurs only two hokku after his bittersweet hokku about returning to the city where he painfully grew to maturity:

江戸へエドへ出れば秋の暮

Edo! Edo!
when I'm here it's just edo --
autumn twilight

Tr. Chris Drake

Though the city brings back many memories of suffering, the sky probably seems larger in Edo than in Issa's hometown, since there are no high mountains to block the sky on the horizon, and Issa seems to have been very moved by the sky on his first evening back in the city. In the Edo/Tokyo area, morning glories usually bloom until around the end of October, a month after this hokku was written, so there are no doubt many morning glories still in bloom.

By "rebirth" Issa must be referring to the daily rhythm of morning glories, which close or "die" for the day by around noon. At day's end, however, the shriveled morning glories seem to be reborn in the clear autumn sky, which opens gradually, as if it were a great flower, turning to very deep blue, then blue-purple, and then violet -- all common morning glory colors.

The image of the early evening sky becoming a great, reborn morning glory suggests that Issa himself feels a kind of rebirth going on in his relationships with people in and around Edo, many of which he wants to revive and keep alive even after moving to his hometown. If the hokku is taken as overtly self-referential and symbolic, perhaps Issa is also suggesting that the early morning-glory part of his life is gone forever but that now, at fifty-two and approaching the twilight of his life, he feels he will be reborn with a new, more autobiographical kind of blooming or style of haikai as he moves back and forth between country and city.

Chris Drake


なかなかに人と生れて秋の暮
naka-naka ni hito to umarete aki no kure

born human,
I'm able to feel it --
autumn twilight


This hokku is from the 1811 Waga haru-shū or My Year's Collection hokku anthology. It also appears in six other collections. The slightly elliptical hokku begins with a suggestive expression used in classical waka and also in a famous hokku by Buson that he might be alluding to:

because I'm alone
I'm able to make friends
with the moon


nakanaka ni hitori areba zo tsuki o tomo

You might think that being alone on the night of a full moon is not desirable, Buson suggests, but it's precisely because I'm alone that I've been able to become intimate with the moon. While stressing the value of aloneness, Buson also admits that he is human and often feels loneliness. In Issa's hokku the image is even more wide-ranging. He seems to be referring to himself, but in Japanese the hokku can also refer to all humans. Speaking only of Issa, however, the hokku suggests that if he had not been born as a human the autumn twilight surrounding him would be quite different, since it would not have any overall meaning beyond immediate physical sensations. Because he is human, the autumn dusk enables him to deeply feel the fragility of all beauty and relationships, for example, and the pathos of all things as they pass away as well as the nostalgia that their disappearance occasions.

I think Issa, like Buson, is also referring to the other side of what he experiences: sometimes autumn twilight makes him feel simply lonely and discouraged after a day of struggling to make ends meet or failing get a decent meal. If he were a bird or a ground animal, he could just continue on, following his instincts, and not worry in detail about the future or about various relationships, but he does worry, and worry teaches him things. Issa is glad he was born a human, and he seems to affirm that for him autumn twilights may sometimes be disheartening, but all are vitally important and help him learn what it means to be a human person.

Chris Drake


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autumn dusk
the sound of rooks gathering
in an old oak


 © Morden Haiku

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autumn dusk
only a crow outside
my window


 © Deborah P Kolodji / Falling Leaves 2006

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Related words

***** Autumn (aki) and related KIGO
autumn night

***** Seasons coming to an end

***** Loneliness (sabishisa)

***** . Autumn Melancholy


late autumn sunshine
© PHOTO Gabi Greve, Autumn 2006

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11/15/2007

Robin, the Bird

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO TOP . ]

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Robin

***** Location: Europe, America
***** Season: Various, see below.
***** Category: Animal


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Explanation

American Robin, click for more photos
The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is a migratory songbird of the thrush family.
kigo for spring

quote
The American Robin is the state bird of Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
It was also depicted on the 1986 Birds of Canada series Canadian $2 note, but this note has since been withdrawn. Robin's egg blue is a color named after the bird's eggs.

The Tlingit people of Northwestern North America held it to be a culture-hero created by Raven to please the people with its song.

The Robin is considered a symbol of spring.
A well-known example is a poem by Emily Dickinson, "I Dreaded That First Robin So". Among other 19th-century poems about the first robin of spring is "The First Robin" by Dr. William H. Drummond, which according to the author's wife is based on a Quebec superstition that whoever sees the first robin of spring will have good luck.

American popular songs featuring this bird include "When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along", written by Harry M. Woods and a hit for Al Jolson and others, and "Rockin' Robin", written by Roger Thomas and a hit for Bobby Day and others.

Although the comic-book superhero Robin was inspired by an N. C. Wyeth illustration of Robin Hood, a later version had his mother nicknaming him Robin because he was born on the first day of spring. His red shirt suggests the bird's red breast.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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CLICK for more European Robins

European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Robin redbreast
non-seasonal topic

Can be seen during all seasons, often in winter. It is also related to Christmas.
CLICK for more photos


Look at a ROBIN Christmas Card.


quote
The Robin has a fluting, warbling song in the breeding season, when they often sing into the evening, and sometimes into the night, leading some to confuse them with the Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos). Nocturnal singing in urban Robins occurs in places that are noisy during the day, suggesting that they sing at night because it is quieter, and their message can propagate through the environment more clearly. Daytime noise outperformed night-time light pollution as a predictor of nocturnal singing activity in urban robins in Sheffield, England.

Culture
The robin was held to be a storm-cloud bird and sacred to Thor, the god of thunder, in Norse mythology. More recently, it has become strongly associated with Christmas, taking a starring role on many a Christmas card since the mid-19th century.[28] The Robin has also appeared on many Christmas postage stamps. An old English folk tale seeks to explain the Robin's distinctive red breast. Legend has it that when Jesus was dying on the cross, the Robin, then simply brown in colour, flew to his side and sang into his ear in order to comfort him in his pain. The blood from his wounds stained the Robin's breast, and thereafter all Robins got the mark of Christ's blood upon them.

An alternate legend has it that its breast was scorched fetching water for souls in Purgatory. The association with Christmas, however, more probably arises from the fact that postmen in Victorian Britain wore red uniforms and were nicknamed "Robin"; the Robin featured on the Christmas card is an emblem of the postman delivering the card. Robins also feature in the traditional children's tale, Babes in the Wood; the birds cover the dead bodies of the children.

Britain does not have an official national bird. The Robin was the most popular bird according to readers of The Times in the early 1960s. Following this, despite some lobbying, the British government did not actively promote the concept of an official national bird. The Robin was used as a symbol of a Bird Protection Society for a few years only.

Two English professional football clubs, Bristol City and Swindon Town are nicknamed "The Robins"; the nickname is derived from both clubs' home colours being red. A small bird is an unusual choice, though is thought to symbolise agility in darting around the field.[31] In addition to the football club, the Swindon Robins is the full name of the local Speedway promotion. It is also the nickname of the English Rugby League team Hull Kingston Rovers. The nickname is derived from the club's home colours, of white with a red band, linking to the redbreast of the Robin.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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Worldwide use

Japan

CLICK for more photos !

Japanese Robin
(Erithacus akahige, formerly Luscinia akahige)
kigo for summer

Japanese Robin, red breast, komadori 駒鳥 (こまどり)


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Things found on the way



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HAIKU


Autumn sunshine -
a bird on a leafless twig,
in solitude...


D.V.Rozic


Tomislav Maretić, Croatia, 2007

Robin is a kigo for Spring, but here they are only singing birds in the Autumn.


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Related words

***** Birds of Summer Japan

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