Carpe Diem #116, Fado (Portugal)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Well ... do you like our little musical world trip? I hope you do. I have read wonderful haiku during this little journey around the world. It's really a joy to prepare these episodes of Carpe Diem. Doing the research for them and learn a little bit more about those musical styles and dances.
Today we are leaving South America and fly towards Europe ... visiting the land of Fado, Portugal.

Fado (painting by Jose Malhoa 1920)

Fado is a music genre which can be traced to the 1820s in Portugal, but probably with much earlier origins. Fado historian and scholar Rui Vieira Nery states that "the only reliable information on the history of Fado was orally transmitted and goes back to the 1820s and 1830s at best. But even that information was frequently modified within the generational transmission process that made it reach us today." In popular belief, fado is a form of music characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor, and infused with a characteristic sentiment of resignation, fatefulness and melancholia (loosely captured by the word "saudade", or longing). However, although the origins are difficult to trace, today fado is regarded, by many, as simply a form of song which can be about anything, but must follow a certain structure. The music is usually linked to the Portuguese word saudade which symbolizes the feeling of loss (a permanent, irreparable loss and its consequent life lasting damage). Amália Rodrigues, Carlos do Carmo, Mariza, Mafalda Arnauth, and Cristina Branco are amongst the most famous individuals associated with the genre.

The word Fado comes from the Latin word fatum, from which the English word fate also originates. The word is linked to the music genre itself and, although both meanings are approximately the same in the two languages, Portuguese speakers seldom utilize the word fado referring to destiny or fate.

Fado only appeared after 1830 in Lisbon. It was introduced in the port districts like Alfama, Mouraria and Bairro Alto.

There are many theories about the origin of Fado. Some trace its origins or influences to "cantigas de amigo" (friends songs) from the Middle Ages or Moorish songs.

Fado performers in the middle of the 19th century were mainly from urban working class and sailors, who not only sang, but also danced and beat the fado. During the second half of the 19th century, the African rhythms would become less important, and the performers became merely singers.

Fado was thus generally sung by one person called a fadista, and normally accompanied by the portuguese guitar and the classical guitar.

The 19th century's most renowned fadista was Maria Severa.

More recently Amália Rodrigues, known as the "Rainha do Fado" ("Queen of Fado") was most influential in popularizing fado worldwide. Fado performances today may be accompanied by a string quartet or a full orchestra. 

It's a wonderful kind of music ... I love Fado songs, they are so full of joy, passion, sadness and so on. Was it fate? To share this with you? I don't know, but I loved writing this post.

fado singer
sings right from her heart
was it destiny?

fate re-done in fado
strong belief in music from the heart
fado singer


What a joy! I love the way these haiku came on paper, while listening to the sweet voice of Amalia Rodrigues, the Queen of Fado.

Have fun, be inspired, listen to Fado and become creative. Share your haiku on Fado with us all. Enjoy it ... and be prepared ... we are traveling further to the Far East to hear the Japanese folk music of Sakura and Taiko (Japanese Drum Music).
This prompt will stay on 'till February 9th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our next episode later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Carpe Diem #115, Tango (Argentina)

Dear haijin, visitors and travelers,


We are continuing our little musical trip around the world with a short visit to the homeland of our Crown Princess Maxima, Argentina. This long stretched land we find in South America and it's said that the Tango was born there. Today we are sharing haiku on Tango.

Tango dance originated in Río de la Plata, and spread to the rest of the world soon after.

Early tango was known as tango criollo. Today, there are different types of tango dance such as Argentine tango or Uruguayan. Popularly and among tango dancing circles, the authentic tango is considered to be the one which is closest to that originally danced in Argentina and Uruguay.

Tango is a dance that has influences from European and African culture. 

 

Credits: Candombe

Dances from the candombe ceremonies of former slave peoples helped shape the modern day Tango. The dance originated in lower-class districts of Buenos Aires and Montevideo. The music derived from the fusion of various forms of music from Europe. The word "tango" seems to have first been used in connection with the dance in the 1890s. Initially it was just one of the many dances, but it soon became popular throughout society, as theatres and street barrel organs spread it from the suburbs to the working-class slums, which were packed with hundreds of thousands of European immigrants, primarily Italians, Spanish and French.

In the early years of the 20th century, dancers and orchestras from Buenos Aires travelled to Europe, and the first European tango craze took place in Paris, soon followed by London, Berlin, and other capitals. Towards the end of 1913 it hit New York in the USA, and Finland. In the USA around 1911 the word "tango" was often applied to dances in a 2/4 or 4/4 rhythm such as the one-step. The term was fashionable and did not indicate that tango steps would be used in the dance, although they might be. Tango music was sometimes played, but at a rather fast tempo. Instructors of the period would sometimes refer to this as a "North American tango", versus the so-called "Argentine Tango". By 1914 more authentic tango stylings were soon developed, along with some variations like Albert Newman's "Minuet" tango.

When I met my wife, she was a dancer who was dancing in the highest levels of amateur dancing with her dancing partner. She is a wonderful dancer ... I am not ... I am more of a writer and poet (smiles).

Well ... enough about Tango, let's go compose a haiku (or few).

dance of deep love
she, my lovely wife, sways
dancing the Tango

dancing the Tango
passionate couple of youngsters -
dance of deep love

Not a very strong set, but I enjoyed it very much to write these. I am looking forward to your haiku on Tango. Have fun, be inspired and passionated and share your 'Tango-haiku' with Carpe Diem. Our next stop in our little musical world trip will be Portugal, land of Fado.

This prompt will stay on 'till February 8th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new episode around 10.00 PM (CET) today.

Carpe Diem #114, Mariachi (mexico)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today we start a little musical trip around the world. And we will start in Mexico were the Mariachi's are the folkloric musicians. After Mexico we will visit Argentina, Portugal and Japan. So let's go on a trip around the world with music.

Mariachi is a form of folk music from Mexico. The name refers to the music, the musicians and the band/orchestras that play it. Mariachi began as a regional folk style called “Son Jaliscience” in the center west of Mexico originally played only with string instruments and musicians dressed in the white pants and shirts of peasant farmers. From the 19th to 20th century, migrations from rural areas into cities such as Guadalajara and Mexico City, along with Mexican government’s cultural promotion gradually changed this Son style, with its alternate name of “mariachi” becoming used for the “urban” form. Modifications of the music include influences from other music such as polkas and waltzes, the addition of trumpets and the use of charro outfits by mariachi musicians. The musical style began to take on national prominence in the first half of the 20th century, with its promotion at presidential inaugurations and on the radio in the 1920s.

Isn't it wonderful music? I hope that I can write a haiku on this prompt myself. Well ... I have to try.

at the festival
the joyous sound of Mariachis -
sharing happiness

sharing happiness
on the streets of Mexico City
a Mariachi band

I love that Mariachi sound very much ... so different with our Dutch music on Wooden Shoes (smiles).

Have fun, be creative and share your haiku with us here on Carpe Diem.

This prompt will stay on 'till February 7th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will share our next stop in our musical world trip, Tango (Argentina), later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Carpe Diem #113, Joyful

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Another day in haiku paradise. Yesterday we had our first Chiyo-Ni Special and I have read wonderful haiku nspired on the one I gave by Chiyo-Ni. It was a real joy to read and comment them. Well ... a nice 'bridge' to our prompt for today (smiles).
Today we share haiku on 'Joyful' and I hope that you all enjoy this prompt. I am looking forward to your 'joyful-haiku'.

A haiku by Issa:

matsu nae ya yagate tanin no yusuzumi

pine sapling -
before long, strangers enjoy
evening's cool

Another one also by Issa:

yo suzumi no yaku soku arishi kado no tsuki

keeping her appointment
to enjoy evening's cool air -
moon at the gate

Credits: Moon at the Gate

A last one by Issa:

urestuge ya kaki no ko take mo waka-zakari

Joyful!
the fence's little bamboo
at the peak of youth

Credits: Bamboo fence

Isn't it a joy to read those haiku? I wonder if I can write my own haiku on 'Joyful'?

joyful laughter
children playing on the beach -
dragonkite flying

in the frontyard
children play hide and seek -
kookaburra laughs

Awesome! What a joy to write haiku on joyful (smiles).

Have fun, be creative and inspired. Share your 'joyful-haiku' with Carpe Diem.

This prompt will stay on 'till February 6th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new episode, Mariachi, later on today around 10.00 PM (CET). That will be our first prompt for a little musical trip around the world.

Carpe Diem Special #20, Chiyo-ni's The flowering branch of the plum

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today we start with our first Special by Chiyo-ni, our female haiku master of this month of Carpe Diem, but first I would love to introduce her to you.

Chiyo-Ni

Chiyo-Ni, her real name was Fukuda Chiyo-Ni (Kaga no Chiyo), was born in 1703 in Matto, Kaga Province (now Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefecture) as a daughter of a picture farmer. Chiyo-Ni began writing haiku poetry aged 7. By the age of 17, she had become very popular all over Japan for her poetry. Her poems, although mostly dealing with nature, work for a unity of nature with humanity. Her own life was that of the haiku poets who made their lives and the world they lived in one with themselves.
Chiyo-Ni's teachers were the students of Basho, and she stayed true to his style, although she did develop on her own as an independent figure. Today, the Morning Glory is a favorite flower for the people of her home town, because she left a number of poems on that flower. Her most known haiku about Morning Glory you can find HERE .
After becoming a nun ('ni' in her name means 'nun'), Chiyo took the Buddhist name, Soen. Chiyo-Ni died on October 3rd 1775 leaving us a lot of wonderful haiku.

Now we know a little bit more about Chiyo-Ni and with this short introduction of our Specials for this month has started.

Today I have a wonderful haiku written by her:

taoraruru hito ni kaoru ya ume no hana

the flowering branch of the plum
gives its scent
to him who broke it off

This haiku had a prescript as was common in that time, 'In regard, to requiting evil with good'.

It's a typical Chiyo-Ni haiku. She has written a lot of haiku which could have the same prescript. She lived with nature as (almost) every haiku poet does. PS.: For our new contributors I will explain the goal of this Special. The haiku by Chiyo-Ni is your source of inspiration and you may write a haiku inspired on the one by Chiyo-Ni or in the same tone and Spirit. Try to 'dive in' the scene of the haiku and feel it, touch it, smell it, see it and hear it. Become one with the haiku and feel the energy to write your own haiku.

I love to share this new haiku with you (with a romaji translation):

sore wo kowasu suikazura no kaori watashi ha enpitsu

breaking it off
the perfume of Honeysuckle
to my pencil

This one feels good and even in touch with the one by Chiyo-Ni and with her Spirit.

Have fun. Enjoy the read. Be inspired and creative. And share your haiku with Carpe Diem.

This prompt will stay on 'till February 5th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new prompt, 'joyful', later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Carpe Diem #112, Buddha (provided by Patricia)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Another day in haiku paradise Carpe Diem. Today we share haiku on 'Buddha' (provided by Patricia of High Five and Raspberries). A lovely prompt I think and to me even an everlasting love, I am somewhat of a Zen-Buddhist as a haiku poet.
I love to share some background on Buddha.

Gautama Buddha or Siddhārtha Gautama Buddha (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम बुद्ध; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent,on whose teachings Buddhism was founded.

The word Buddha is a title for the first awakened being in an era. In most Buddhist traditions, Siddhartha Gautama is regarded as the Supreme Buddha (P. sammāsambuddha, S. samyaksaṃbuddha) of our age, "Buddha" meaning "awakened one" or "the enlightened one."  Gautama Buddha may also be referred to as Śākyamuni (Sanskrit: शाक्यमुनि "Sage of the Śākyas"). Gautama taught a Middle Way compared to the severe asceticism found in the Sramana (renunciation) movement common in his region. He later taught throughout regions of eastern India such as Magadha and Kośala.

The time of Gautama's birth and death is uncertain: most historians in the early 20th century dated his lifetime as circa 563 BCE to 483 BCE] but more recent opinion dates his death to between 486 and 483 BCE or, according to some, between 411 and 400 BCE. However, at a specialist symposium on this question held in 1988 in Göttingen, the majority of those scholars who presented definite opinions gave dates within 20 years either side of 400 BCE for the Buddha's death, with others supporting earlier or later dates. These alternative chronologies, however, have not yet been accepted by all other historians.

Gautama is the primary figure in Buddhism, and accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarized after his death and memorized by his followers. Various collections of teachings attributed to him were passed down by oral tradition, and first committed to writing about 400 years later.

Credits: Buddha

The primary sources for the life of Siddhārtha Gautama are a variety of different, and sometimes conflicting, traditional biographies. These include the Buddhacarita, Lalitavistara Sūtra, Mahāvastu, and the Nidānakathā. Of these, the Buddhacarita is the earliest full biography, an epic poem written by the poet Aśvaghoṣa, and dating around the beginning of the 2nd century CE. The Lalitavistara Sūtra is the next oldest biography, a Mahāyāna/Sarvāstivāda biography dating to the 3rd century CE. The Mahāvastu from the Mahāsāṃghika Lokottaravāda tradition is another major biography, composed incrementally until perhaps the 4th century CE. The Dharmaguptaka biography of the Buddha is the most exhaustive, and is entitled the Abhiniṣkramaṇa Sūtra, and various Chinese translations of this date between the 3rd and 6th century CE. Lastly, the Nidānakathā is from the Theravāda tradition in Sri Lanka, composed in the 5th century CE by Buddhaghoṣa.

From canonical sources, the Jātaka tales, Mahapadana Sutta (DN 14), and the Achariyabhuta Sutta (MN 123) include selective accounts that may be older, but are not full biographies. The Jātaka tales retell previous lives of Gautama as a bodhisattva, and the first collection of these can be dated among the earliest Buddhist texts. The Mahāpadāna Sutta and Acchariyaabbhuta Sutta both recount miraculous events surrounding Gautama's birth, such as the bodhisattva's descent from Tuṣita Heaven into his mother's womb. 

Isn't it an awesome story? As haiku poets we all have somewhat of Buddhism in us because Zen Buddhism is part of the classical haiku tradition. Nature is one of the main ideas on which haiku is inspired. Basho was a Buddhist and Issa also was a Buddhist ... and Chiyo-Ni, our haiku master for this month, was a Buddhist Nun. So haiku and Buddhism are part of each other.

Buson, not a Buddhist (as far as I know), wrote the next haiku:

akino kure hotoke ni bakeru tanuki kana
 
autumn nightfall -
a badger has turned himself
into a Buddha 

Or what do you think of this one, also by Buson:

daibutsu no kanata miya sama semi no koe
 
This great Buddha:
Beyond it live Princes,
Amid the cicadas' song. 

Or this wonderful haiku written by Issa:

kogakure ya ônembutsu de ta wo ueru

hidden in trees
praising Amida Buddha...
rice planter 

Another one by Issa:

shirôto no nembutsu ni sae sakura chiru

even a layman
praises Amida Buddha...
cherry blossoms fall

A last example ... a haiku by Chiyo-Ni, our haiku master for this month. Not entirely on Buddha, but with a touch of Buddha in it:

kaku  tera  no  kane  no  oto  ga  kaze  ni  chigai  masu

each sound of
the temple bell is different

in the wind 

OK ... enough of other haiku poets ... let's go and compose my own haiku on Buddha. First a haiku written by me, earlier:

snow falls softly
the statue of Buddha covered
in white silk 

Or this one which I wrote almost a year ago:

Buddha
covered with fresh snow
still smiles 

OK ... a last one which I wrote earlier:

the cool breeze
stroking the lovely face

of Buddha's child

So ... back to today ... have to come with a new haiku ... here it goes:

compassionate
I feel like Buddha
as a nurse

as a nurse
full unconditional love
just like Buddha

just like Buddha
my youngest grandson smiles
compassionate

I love it ... just a wonderful series of haiku based on the base of haiku ... Buddhism.

Have fun, be inspired and share your haiku with us here on Carpe Diem. This prompt will stay on 'till February 4th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our first Carpe Diem Special of this months haiku master Chiyo-Ni later on today around 10.00 PM (CET). I haven't yet decided which haiku by Chiyo-Ni I would love to share ... so be patient ... and let the surprise catch you.

Carpe Diem #111, Staff, Walking Stick (provided by YerPirate of Tea with a Pirate

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I am so happy to see how much you all love haiku and sharing them here on Carpe Diem. It feels like a warm embrace as I see and read all of your wonderful posts. Makes me humble and thankful that I may be your host.

Today we share haiku on 'Staff, Walking Stick' provided by YerPirate of Tea with a Pirate and I am grateful that he suggested this prompt. I think it's not an easy one, but I have said that often and always succeeded in writing at least one haiku. And I hope that you all can and will share your haiku on this prompt.

Rattan a kind of palm used for walking sticks

Around the 17th or 18th century, a stout rigid stick took over from the sword as an essential part of the European gentleman's wardrobe, used primarily as a walking stick. In addition to its value as a decorative accessory, it also continued to fulfill some of the function of the sword as a weapon. The standard cane was rattan with a rounded metal grip.
 

shepherd's staff
thrown away on the heath
broken dreams

our Queen
throws away her staff -
time for a King 

(Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands will lay down her staff, in favor of her son Crown Prince Willem Alexander on April 30th. Than her reign will stop after 33 years.)

It wasn't easy to write these haiku, but I enjoyed it very much. Thank you YerPirate for providing us with this prompt.
Have fun, be creative and inspired ... share your haiku (and your comments) with Carpe Diem.

This prompt will stay on 'till February 3rd 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new episode, 'Buddha' provided by Patricia of high five and raspberries , later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).