Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Carpe Diem's "Revise that haiku" #5, Shiki's "The snow has melted"


Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I love to challenge you all to 'revise' a classical haiku written by Shiki (1867-1902). I have done this earlier here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, but that's a while ago, so ... let us try this again.

One of the most extraordinary things about nature, from the scientific and intellectual point of view, is its asymmetry. Life is asymmetrical in its essential character, and it is natural for us to rejoice in it, for it is the guarantee of our spiritual freedom. Even the Great Buddha, for all the Law of Karma and the inviolable Wheel of the Law, the snow melts irregularly. On the sunny side, the snow is gone; on the other, there still remains a white mantle. To our human eye at least, it is a secretly felt confirmation of our inner conviction that 'with God all things are possible'.
Where does this lead to? Well ... it's to show you the picture which is (can be) seen in the following haiku by Shiki, which we are going to revise.

Credits: Great Buddha covered with snow

Daibutsu no katahada no yuki toki ni keri

the snow has melted
on one shoulder
of the Great Buddha


(c) Shiki

As you all know in this special feature the goal is to revise the given haiku and write/compose a new one. Not an easy task and it needs some courage to revise a haiku by one of the greatest four haiku-poets ever (Basho, Buson, Issa and Shiki), but ... well it challenges you to look in a different way to the classical haiku.

at the sunny side
the snow in the backyard has melted -
snowdrops are blooming


(c) Chèvrefeuille



What a joy. Notwithstanding the snow, the print of winter, new life conquers it. The snow is melting and the snowdrops, the first messengers of spring, are starting to bloom.

on the thin line
between day and night
both, moon and sun shine


(c) Chèvrefeuille

I hope you will take up this challenge and I love to encourage you all to 'revise' the haiku by Shiki.

This episode of 'Carpe Diem's Revise That Haiku' is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until April 30th 11.59 AM (CET). Have fun, be inspired and share your revised 'Shiki-haiku' with us all here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai.
This post you can also find at my new weblog "Ancient Haiku-poets Revisited".


2 comments:

  1. Many thanks Chèvrefeuille. I'm really enjoying this revise the haiku challenge. Is the code of its banner available for download? Thank you

    ReplyDelete