Carpe Diem #1173 leaving

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

As I already shared on our facebook page, next month we will dive into the classical (and maybe modern) kigo (seasonwords) for spring. As you know one of the classical "rules" for haiku is the use of a kigo, or in other words a word that refers to the season in which the haiku "plays". I am aware that we did this earlier here, but in April I love to challenge you in an other way ... you have to follow the classical rules of haiku (or tanka), so that makes it a challenging month I think.

Okay back to today's post. This month we are exploring the beauty of the Persian poetry by Rumi, Saadi and Hafiz and I think this month is already a big success, because I have read wonderful poems and ... I am almost on pace with your submissions.

Today's post is titled "leaving" and it's about a poem by Hafiz (or Hafez). As I told you in an earlier post, the Persian (Iranian) people are using his poems to get answers on their "burning" questions. I don't know if that's also with this poem, but you never know.

"Leaving" or "going away", "departure", "say goodbye" or simply "goodbye". We use it often I think in our daily lives, but what is the meaning of "leaving" at its essence? Leaving, in this word we can also find "leaf" or "leaves", so "leaving" can also mean "the movement of the leaves in the wind" or "the movement of the cherry blossoms in the wind". Leaving ... saying goodbye to someone or to the time of year. We are almost "leaving" winter and we will encounter spring, the season in which the light will grow and life is returning to nature. As I look at my backyard than I can already see a few young leaves and as I told you earlier cherry blossoms. The leaves and blossoms "wave" in the wind they are "leaving" or ... no they are welcoming spring.

Young Leaves (photo found on Shutterstock)

The poem for today is by Hafiz and it is extracted from "The Gift" and it is titled "No More leaving" and it is about the following: "You can not escape from your destiny. You cannot escape from God, Allah, Higher Self or what ever name you give that spiritual power you feel in your life. That power will always find you. If you are sad, it will find you, if you are happy it will find you, there is no escape. Maybe that's one of the questions asked by the Persian (Iranian) people ... I don't know, but if that's one of the questions they have than in this poem by Hafiz they will find their answer.

No More Leaving

At 
Some point
Your relationship
With God
Will
Become like this:

Next time you meet Him in the forest
Or on a crowded city street

There won't be anymore

"Leaving."

That is,

God will climb into
Your pocket.

You will simply just take

Yourself

Along!

© Hafiz (taken from: 'The Gift' - tr. by Daniel Ladinsky)

leaving

This is what "leaving" can mean also. Look at this photo. This man all alone on a station or an airport somewhere around the globe. He has no one, look how sad he is, head bend resting on his arms. His suitcase in front of him ... What has happened? Maybe he and his girlfriend or boyfriend broke up and now he is leaving. Maybe his boss kicked him out ... Leaving in this case is a sad emotion, but leaving as I told you above or that you have read in the poem can also bring happiness and joy ... so this guy ... well his spiritual guide will find him and lead him to his new path, towards a new life, towards happiness and love again.

I remember a post I wrote last January while we were on a pilgrimage to Santiago. That post was about "leaving all behind" (HERE) and I love to share a quote from that episode to conclude this episode:

reborn again

leaving all behind

first spring day

© Chèvrefeuille

Isn't that what we do every day again? Every day is a new day, what is in the past doesn't exist anymore in the present, don't look forward ... be there right in the moment. Isn't that what we try to accomplish with our haiku or tanka? Isn't that what we tell in our haiku and tanka? Be part of the present, be in the moment, be one with the moment ... be the moment.

Don't leave that moment, be part of it. My dad always said: "God has never said your journey will be calm and easy, but He promises you that you will bring it to the end save".

With those wise words of my dad I conclude this episode. Don't leave the moment ... be the moment.

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until March 19th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new episode, silence, later on. For now ... have fun, be inspired and share your haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form with us all.

Carpe Diem Ask Jane # 11 Male and female emotions in haiku and tanka

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It's a while ago that I published an episode of Ask Jane and this episode is about tanka. I asked Jane about tanka 'triggered' by a question of Jen (blog it or lose it).

Here is my question:

Tanka is mostly love poetry, but as I read tanka by female or male poets I sense a little difference in emotions. Those differences I also detect in haiku. Is it possible that tanka or haiku are that different in emotions comparing female and male poets?

And this is her answer on my question:

Tanka is mostly love poetry, but as I read tanka by female or male poets I sense a little difference in emotions. Those differences I also detect in haiku. Is it possible that tanka or haiku are that different in emotions comparing female and male poets?

Jane Reichhold

For a while we considered haiku as 'male' and tanka as 'female' poetry forms. It is true for Japan that all of their famous writers of tanka were women (even though some males have occasionally championed some male in their own circles) and we have only Chiyo Ni as one famous Japanese haiku writer among all those haiku masters - so that tells you something. I find it interesting that it is male writers who make the rules for tanka writing, but it IS the women who use the form best (at least in Japan). In the past 15 years, however, in English, many men have gotten in touch with their female sides (or access their emotions more easily) so this is changing. Also it used to be that haiku were mostly centered on events or things of nature but also in recent English haiku history, more and more the haiku have centered on humans and their relationship to nature - a facet of poetry that was entirely tanka-like but the division between the two forms is blurring for us due to this change. I do feel there should be a difference to haiku and tanka other than the number of lines. When I judge a haiku contest I take out all the haiku that focus on people and what they do or think or feel as much as I can as I feel this inspiration belongs in a tanka. The opposite is also true. When I read a tanka that only draws a picture (all the parts of the tanka are about the event or picture) I see it as an elongated haiku. If there is a switch from describing a fact of nature to one of persons or their feelings in  1/2 the lines, then this is tanka no matter how long or short the poem. I feel it is a misconception to think of tanka as only 'love poetry' because  tanka also includes all human emotions, excluding only hate and violence. I do think that any feeling we humans have belongs in tanka. Probably even the violent and hateful stuff although I know I do not enjoy reading poetry (which traditionally is the best of our lives) on those subjects. Also when one uses the English term 'love poetry' it usually implies the lust between lovers, but our "loves" cover many subjects and territory beyond that. The Japanese allowed themselves to handle only certain aspects of lover love poetry - like missing a lover, hoping to find one, and less about the mechanics of love-making as you well know. Let me know if I missed answering what you need to know.

Warm greetings Jane

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A wonderful answer ... Thank you Jane for answering my question. As a kind of thank you gift to you, dear Jane ... a tanka:

crystal cobweb
sparkles in the early sun
dewdrops vaporize
just a little while
I felt a rich haiku poet

© Chèvrefeuille