Friday, June 13, 2014

Carpe Diem Revise That Haiku #6, Basho's "The Flower of the Melon"


Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers.

It's quit a while ago that I published a Carpe Diem Revise That Haiku episode, so I thought let's go do a new Revise that Haiku episode. In this special CDHK feature the goal is to "revise" the given haiku by using the story behind the given haiku.
For this episode I have chosen a haiku by "my master" Basho (1644-1694) it's not a wellknown haiku, but I think it's a gorgeous one. First I will give you the story behind the haiku and than the haiku itself. (By the way: this is based on R.H.Blyth's series of 4 Volumes Haiku)

The morning glory belongs to the morning, and the evening glory to the evening, but the flower of the melon does not come into either category, and thus has something pathetic about it; it seems to have nothing to depend on. This verse is an example of Basho's extraordinary sensitiveness to the most trivial-seeming aspects of nature. (As we could read in the Ghost-Writer post by Basho last May). But it is poetry, it is the poetical world.

yube ni mo asa ni mo tsukazu uri no hana

it belongs
neither to morning nor to evening
the flower of the melon

© Matsuo Basho (translation by R.H.Blyth)

Credits: The Flower of the Melon
What to do with this haiku, how to revise it, can I revise it, dare I to revise it? It's a challenge and I had to try ofcourse. I hope my revision will not be shame for my master (smiles).

in her realm
the flowers of the melon blooming
at noon


© Chèvrefeuille

Well ... what do you think? Did I succeeded? Try to revise the haiku by Basho and share your revised haiku with us all ...

This episode of Carpe Diem Revise That Haiku is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until June 27th at noon. Have fun, be inspired and share your haiku with our haiku-family.


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