Carpe Diem Time Travel #4 Basho's shadow diary

!! Open for your submissions next Sunday July 16th at 7.00 PM (CET) !!

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new episode of our "weekend-meditation" feature, "Carpe Diem's Time Travel, Ancient Japanese Poetry To Inspire You". This week I love to challenge you with one of the most famous haibun written "Oku no Hosomichi", "The Narrow Road Into The Deep North", by my master Matsuo Basho (1644-1694). At Carpe Diem Haiku Kai we have been on this journey with Basho, but recently I discovered that Basho had written a lot of haiku during this journey, but from all those haiku he wrote, he only selected 50 to include in "Oku no Hosomichi". I became very happy as I discovered that his travel companion, Sora (1649 - 1710), had taken notes while on his journey with Basho and noted the haiku that Basho decided not to use in "Oku no Hosomichi". By the way it took Basho five years to create and re-create his famous haibun.

For this new episode of our "weekend-meditation" feature "Carpe Diem's Time Travel", I love to share a few haiku which were not included in "Oku No Hosomichi" and were noted by Sora.

iriai no kane mo kikoe zu hare no kure

a bell at sunset
also was not heard
a spring evening

© Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)

hototogisu Urami no Taki* no ura omote

cuckoo
seen from behind the waterfall
bot sides

© Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)

* "waterfall to be seen from the back"

tsuru naku ya sono koe ni Basho yare nu beshi*

a crane calls
its voice couldn't tear
a banana leaf

© Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)

* Inspired on a painting of a banana tree with a crane which Basho looked at

samidare wa taki furi uzumu mikasa kana

early summer rains
falling so heavily they cover up
the waterfall

© Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)

Castanea sativa 

And a last one to inspire you:

This haiku is the original of a haiku that was included in "Oku no Hosomichi" in a revised version. It was, in its original form, the starting verse of a renga:

kakurega ya medatanu hana o noki no kuri

hide-a-way
unseen flowers on the chestnut
near the eaves

© Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)

A wonderful series of (not included) haiku of "Oku no Hosomichi" and I hope these will inspire you to create your own beauties.

You can find a complete version of "Oku no Hosomichi" HERE.

This episode is open for your submissions next Sunday July 16th at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until July 21st at noon (CET). Have a great weekend!