Carpe Diem Ghost Writer #34, Kanshicho-style, a try to explain ...

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

This week's GW-post isn't really a GW-post, because I write it myself. And I have chosen to look a bit deeper into the matter of the "hoax" or "so-called" Kanshicho-style of writing haiku. Let me first explain what Kanshicho means. To explain the word "kanshicho" I have split it into three parts: "kan", "shi" , "cho" and  "Kanshi". The first three parts are the so called "onji" or sounds of the word, the last "kanshi" part is the both first "onji" together and I have tried to find their meaning, not to state my meaning, but to try to explain why Henri Kerlen (the Dutch Sinologist and Japan expert who used this Kanshicho in the preface of his "Sound of Water", haiku by Basho-Anthology) has chosen for this "Kanshicho".

Let me first reproduce here the quotes which I used in the "Ask Jane ..." episode a few days ago:

[...] "Basho himself was several years a disciple/student of Teitoku's disciple, Kitamura Kigin (1624-1705), but after a while he (Basho) became a student of Soin in 1675. Soin has different ideas about renga and one of his ideas is to write the chains by association of meaning, kokorozuke. His (Soin) poetry style means for haiku more simplification and letting go of the 5-7-5 rule. The theme's and language of Soin's poetry is of the people. [...]

[...[ "In response of this change in haiku-poetry Basho and others introduce the Kanshicho: in the tone of the Chinese verse. In Kanshicho the breaking of the 5-7-5 rule is no exception. Basho uses this Kanshicho-style during the years 1683-1685 as he lives as a recluse in Fukagawa. Basho's Kanshicho-style is prominent in an anthology compiled by Kikaku "An Empty Chestnut" (1683). The Kanshicho-style disappears after three years (1685) and Basho re-writes several Kanshicho-styled haiku into the classical way. [...]

I will look at the separate "onji" of "Kanshicho" now and than I will try to explain what Kanshicho was meant to be.

Kan -> means: perception, expression

Shi -> means extravagance, pride, poetry

Cho -> means frivolity, number, butterfly

Kanshi -> means Chinese poetry

As I place those meanings together than Kanshicho means:

A poem in the Chinese way that expresses the extravagance and pride of the poet with the frivolity of the flight of a butterfly. And than Kanshicho starts to come to life. It's an expression of something which is seen by the poet, a moment as short as the sound of a pebble thrown in to water, in which he/she sees the extravagant beauty  and pride of nature. That extravagance beauty is caught in a three lined verse with the frivolity, (in my opinion frivolity means "not strings attached, free") of the flight of a butterfly.

This explanation could have been used by Basho and his companions to bring the essence and beauty of haiku to the ordinary people (as mentioned in the first quote). Frivolity like the flight of a butterfly can not be caught in a 5-7-5 strict rule, so to bring that frivolity into the haiku, Basho, Soin and others broke the rule of 5-7-5 ...

Back to the idea of Kanshicho being a "hoax" or "Internet legend" ... that could be, but I like the style because it gives me the freedom to write my haiku as I do. I have succeeded to find Henri Kerlen and I have asked him about the Kanshicho-style haiku ... I am waiting on his response. As I have got his response I will bring it up here ...

With this GW-post I hope that I have explained the Kanshicho-style and that we all just see it as a chance to experiment with our beloved haiku ... because that's the most important of haiku ... enjoying it and feel free to give form to your feelings whether that is in the classical or in the non-classical way of haiku.

For this GW-post I have the following "challenge" ... try to write a haiku in which the meaning of Kanshicho as mentioned above can be seen or found. Just try to write a haiku that expresses the extravagance and pride of the poet with the frivolity of the flight of a butterfly.

This GW-post is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until November 21st at noon (CET). For now .... just have fun!

PS.: After this GW-post I will "close" the discussion about Kanshicho, because ... haiku has nothing to do with discussing, but just with the fun of enjoying nature and our part in it and the joy to express our feelings. This "Kanshicho-style" discussion was fun too and very challenging, but now ... back to writing and sharing our beloved haiku with the world and each other.

Carpe Diem #607, Road Side Beggar (a haiku by Nana Fredua-Agyeman)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

This day is a special day I think, because I am going to introduce to you a haiku-poet from Ghana, Nana Fredu-Agyeman. He tells us the following about himself:

I have been writing poems since 1998 and Haiku since 2005. Some of my Haiku have been published in Frogpond Haiku Journal, Simplyhaiku.com, Shamrock Journal and in many other journals and ezines. I am interested in meeting anybody of sound mind, irrespective of their background. Presently, I have completed my manuscript BLACK PATHOLOGY. I keep two blogs: HAIKU, for only my Haiku postings and IMAGENATIONS for all other literary postings including Mainstream Poetry and Book Reviews.

looking at the sun
for a silver coin -
roadside beggar

© Nana Fredua-Agyeman

On his weblog Haiku you can find even more wonderful haiku written by him. This prompt, Roadside Beggar, you can see as a "Sparkling Stars" episode ... so I challenge you to write another all new haiku inspired on Nana's haiku.

Here is my attempt to write a haiku in touch with the one by Nana:

in front of the church
a beggar sleeps in his paper-box -
empty bottle of wine

© Chèvrefeuille

I hope you all did like this episode and I hope it will inspire you all to write an all new haiku. This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until November 20th at noon (CET). I will publish our new episode, an all new GW-post, later on. For now ... have fun!

!! I haven't time to publish a Time Glass episode, so this week no time challenging episode of Time Glass ... next week I hope to have a Time Glass episode again !!

Carpe Diem #606, Guardian Angel

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I hope you did like the new episode of "Ask Jane ..." in which we discussed the Kanshicho-style. As you maybe know I walk away with that style of haiku-writing, but ... as you could have read in the mentioned "Ask Jane ..." episode, it turned out to be just a hoax, an Internet-legend ... does that change my way of haiku-ing? No ... certainly not. I love haiku and I couldn't live with it ...

Today our prompt is Guardian Angel and I think it needs no further explanation. I have written several haiku about angels and guardian angels and I love to share a few of them with you all here.

This one I wrote (and published at my wordpress-weblog) recently, it's part of a haibun:

did I see an angel

or was it just the wind
moving clouds

© Chèvrefeuille

Once I wrote a cascading haiku for Theme Thursday about my guardian angel, my brother who passed away in 1995 at the age of 35.:

a being of light

guides every step I take
my dear brother

my dear brother
he has become my guardian angel
after his dead

after his dead
I knew he would be always with me
a being of light

© Chèvrefeuille

Credits: Guardian Angel

To conclude this episode I love to share a haibun, which I wrote last August for mindlovemisery's menagerie in response on a photo shared by Georgia (Bastet & Sekhmet's Library).

My Angels

I remember him very well, how could I ever forget him? He was the most precious what I had. We were always together and we shared almost everything. He is still around me after almost 20 years. I miss him every day ... sometimes I look at his photo on the wall just right of the TV-set ... framed in a silver frame together with my grandma and our Yorkshire terrier. All are missed ... and they all watch over me and my family.

No Cardboard Angel, but real angels ... I know for sure that he, my brother, my grandma and our Yorkshire are watching over me ... I can sense their presence in so many things ... I can feel them trying to cherish and comfort me as I am sad ... they are my angels ...

no cardboard angels
cherish and comfort me when I am sad,
... real angels do

© Chèvrefeuille

Maybe you have a guardian angel too ... let him/her inspire you to write an all new haiku .... This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until November 19th at noon (CET). I will (try to) publish our next episode, Roadside Beggar (based on a haiku by:Nana Fredua-Agyeman), later on today. For now ... have fun!

Carpe Diem "Ask Jane ..." #6, Basho's Kanshicho-style (1683-1685)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It's my pleasure to publish a new episode of our "Ask Jane ..." feature and this time the question is brought up by myself. As you maybe know I am a big fan of Basho, but I am even more a big fan of his so called Kanshicho-style haiku in which he didn't use the 5-7-5 rule. I discovered this style in the preface of a haiku-anthology compiled by Henri Kerlen, a Dutch Sinologist and Japan expert, titled "Het geluid van water" or in English "the sound of water". In the preface of this anthology Kerlen describes the Kanshicho-style, a style in which Basho wrote his haiku several years as a response on the Danrin-school.
As I started my friendship with Jane Reichhold, back in 2013, I asked her about this Kanshicho-style and that same question I have asked her again several weeks ago. In this episode of "Ask Jane ..." she will respond on that question.
At first I thought I will not publish it, because in a way ... I like the Kanshicho-style ... but it turned out to be a hoax according to Jane. Jane and I have corresponded on this and for this "Ask Jane ..." episode I have chosen to re-produce our correspondence about Kanshicho-styled haiku.

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Dear Jane,

As we started our friendship back in 2013 I ask you a few questions in my first e-mail to you. I can recall that I also asked you if you were familiar with the "Kanshicho"-style of haiku writing. I remember that you told me that you had never heard of this haiku-style in which Basho wrote from 1683-1685, but that you thought it was "haiku-writing in the way of the Chinese poetry".
In this Kanshicho-style the strict sound-units count 5-7-5 isn't used.

Can you tell us what the connection is between the Chinese poetry and the Japanese (classical) haiku? I know for example that Basho would have been to China and that he was influenced by the Chinese poetry as we also can read in several of his haiku.

Looking forward to your answer.

Kristjaan

Matsuo Basho, my master

Dear Kristjaan.

Your question has taken more time to find a correct answer! Thanks for being so patient. I could not find anything in all my books on Basho about him making a trip to China nor could I find anything about the word Kanshicho in his works. So I did a web a web search and found only one place where any of this is mentioned – on a website blog run by someone named Atkins. This made me ask a Chinese friend if there was any information in Chinese of a trip by Basho to China. He said there was nothing in Chinese on the subject and that in Chinese there is no reference to the word Kanshicho.

So this brings me to the idea that this is one of those internet legends. Someone has started a story that is completely false and others, reading his work, has taken his words to be a truth. In fact, everything this Atkins fellow has written is only his fantasy. I am sorry you have been taken in by it. By carrying this information on your site, too, you are giving credit to his false theory. I think it is time to say the truth and to clear up this wrong information on the web. I am sorry to be the bearer of this bad news.

I will leave it up to you whether you use my letter answer to “Ask Jane” and what you chose to do about the situation.

Blessings on all your endeavors!

\o/ Jane

Dear Jane,

Henri Kerlen, a Dutch researcher, has written a anthology of haiku by Basho (in Dutch: Geluid van Water; Tr.: Sound of Water) and in his preface to that anthology he mentioned the Kanshicho-style. Kerlen, a Sinologist and Japan expert, studied at the university of Leiden (The Netherlands) and in Beijing tells us in that same preface that Basho used this style from 1683-1685, but returned to the classical 5-7-5 idea after those years. he even re-wrote haiku from his Kanshicho-style time to the classical style. It's in that anthology's preface that I discovered the Kanshicho-style in which I write the main part of my haiku.

Thank you by the way for your answer and I will publish it later on this week at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai.

Kristjaan

Dear Kristjaan.

I did some research on Henri Kerlen on the web. I found he was born in Minnesota in USA in 1883! Do you have any of his books written in Dutch or English? I tried to find one I could buy but they are all listed as being not available.  This is slightly suspicious. Can you correspond with him in Dutch (if he is Dutch?) Or do you have a copy of the book you got your information from? Or can you give me a web site? I still think his information is not correct, but it can be that he published one of his books with this idea in it and thus you found it in a reputable place.

I am totally mystified on the whole subject. but am very eager to find out what is going on. Any help you can give me will be greatly appreciated!

\o/ Jane

Dear Jane,

I haven't a spare copy, but I can scan the preface (in Dutch) if you want to have it? It's published by Kairos, a Dutch publisher. It's in the above mentioned preface that I read this "Kanshicho"-styled haiku by Basho.

Kristjaan

PS. Ihave found their website: http://www.amerigo.nl/uitgeverij/kairos/kairos.html The Basho haiku are now titled "Een kikker springt" or in English "A frog jumps".

Henri Kerlen has also translated haiku by Issa, Buson and Shiki into Dutch.

Dear Kristjaan,

Thanks for the offer, but my Dutch is hardly worth the effort. Knowing you have a book with this information in it is enough for me.

My problem with the whole situation is the fact that you are accepting this one book as factual when everyone else believes something else. I am not out to get you to change your mind. You can believe what you want to believe.

Do you really wish to discuss this situation with me in public? That is up to you. You can do with my answer whatever feels right to you. I am okay with you dropping the subject and my answer. Do whatever you feel is best for yourself and other haiku writers. How important is this idea that Basho went to China to helping people write good haiku 400 years later? Will understanding of the word "Kacnshicho" help any of us write better haiku?

\o/ Jane

Dear Jane,

I think I will bring this question up on our weblog. Just to open up the discussion. And ... it makes no difference to me if the Kanshicho-style isn't that clear. I like the way of the "so called" Kanshicho-style .... maybe I can bring it up as an idea of my own ... to make haiku even better ....

I will give it a thought ....

Thank you Jane for answering my question ....

Kristjaan

Jane Reichhold

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Well ... it was quit a ride on this Kanshicho-style, but I will remain writing in that style ... I recently read the earlier mentioned anthology by Henri Kerlen again and I still think that Basho has written in that Kanshicho-style, but maybe the name "Kanshicho" is an idea of Henri Kerlen.

From the preface of that anthology I have translated a few quotes:

[...] "Basho himself was several years a disciple/student of Teitoku's disciple, Kitamura Kigin (1624-1705), but after a while he (Basho) became a student of Soin in 1675. Soin has different ideas about renga and one of his ideas is to write the chains by association of meaning, kokorozuke. His (Soin) poetry style means for haiku more simplification and letting go of the 5-7-5 rule. The theme's and language of Soin's poetry is of the people. [...]

[...[ "In response of this change in haiku-poetry Basho and others introduce the Kanshicho: in the tone of the Chinese verse. In Kanshicho the breaking of the 5-7-5 rule is no exception. Basho uses this Kanshicho-style during the years 1683-1685 as he lives as a recluse in Fukagawa. Basho's Kanshicho-style is prominent in an anthology compiled by Kikaku "An Empty Chestnut" (1683). The Kanshicho-style disappears after three years (1685) and Basho re-writes several Kanshicho-styled haiku into the classical way. [...]

As is said above ... maybe Kanshicho is a hoax, but ... well I like that style nevertheless if it is a hoax or not. In a way I think that our Western haiku are all in the way of Soin's or Basho's Kanshicho-style. The Western languages aren't compatible with the 5-7-5 onji (sounds) and therefore we have chosen to use syllables, but ... is counting syllables what haiku is?

I really am glad that Jane has answered my question about Kanshicho and of course I feel sad that my beloved Kanshicho-style turned out to be a hoax, but ... well ... haiku writing/composing is fun and gives me the freedom to share my ideas, feelings and thoughts and that's the most important thing (to me) of haiku ...

To close this episode I love to share another haiku (in Kanshicho-style) which I wrote after Jane's answer:

tears fall
on an empty sheet of paper 
a new day rises

© Chèvrefeuille

PS. Do you have a question for Jane Reichhold? Please email them to our special emailaddress:

carpediemhaikukaiaskjane@gmail.com

and I will take care that your questions will forwarded to Jane. She is the best and I am glad that Jane hosts this "Ask Jane ..." feature. Jane ... thank you from the bottom of my heart that you are part of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, your work for our haiku-community is very much appreciated.

Kristjaan

Carpe Diem Special #117, Tomas Tranströmer's 3rd "a mother of stone"

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

As you all know I have changed a few things here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. No more extra features on their own, but caught in our regular (or in the Special) episodes. So for this new CD-Special, a haiku by our featured haiku-poet Tomas Tranströmer, I have chosen for the following "former extra feature" "Romancing the haiku", in which the goal was to write a "romantic" haiku ... So next to the goal of our Specials, writing in the same spirit as the featured haiku-poet, you have to write a "romantic" haiku.

I have found a few wonderful haiku written by Tranströmer while he worked in Hällby Youth Prison (1959). He published nine haiku in that time he was working at that juvenile prison.

Night—a twelve-wheeler
goes by making the dreams of
the inmates shiver

The boy drinks his milk
and sleeps cozy in his cell,
a mother of stone

© Tomas Tranströmer

Juvenile prison ... not really a romantic place I think, but in these both haiku you can hear somewhat like romance. What are the dreams of inmates? How much do they love their mother, father, sister or brother?

There must be something of romance inside prison.

ten p.m. - lights go out

the inmates dream their dreams -

a heart on the beach

© Chèvrefeuille

Hm ... I think I have caught the romance of being inside of prison. Let me try another one ...

Credits: Shower

taking a shower

furtive glances exchanged

between cell mates

© Chèvrefeuille

Maybe ... to much romance, but I think there will be a kind of love in prison in the positive way of course.

Well ... I hope you did like this episode and I hope it will inspire you all to write an all new haiku in the spirit of Tranströmer and with a touch of romance. Have fun!

This CD-Special is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 pm (CET) and will remain open until November 18th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our next episode, guardian angel, later on.

Carpe Diem Tan Renga Challenge #59, Panchali's "mystic purple flames"

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

This week I have a wonderful haiku for you as the "hokku" for the Tan Renga. It's a beautiful and very spiritual haiku written/composed by Panchali of Peach Oleander. She wrote this haiku in response on "Chinese Bellflower".

Here is her haiku:

mystic purple flames
arise from the spirit’s stalks
chill my autumn heart

© Panchali

Isn't it a wonderful haiku to work with? I think are enough possibilities to make this into a gorgeous Tan Renga. The goal is to write the second stanza (two lines, classical count 7-7 syllables, but that isn't an obligation).

Here is my attempt to continue/complete this Tan Renga started by Panchali:

mystic purple flames
arise from the spirit’s stalks
chill my autumn heart                      (© Panchali)

bringing offerings to the gods

grateful for pointing the way                 (Chèvrefeuille)

And now it's up to you my dear Haijin ...

This Tan Renga Challenge is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until next Friday November 21st at noon (CET).

Carpe Diem #605, Hantu Pisang

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Maybe you can remember our Legend, Myth, Saga and Fairytale month (May 2014) in which we explored the most wonderful stories from all over the world. In response on that month there were a few suggestions for prompts. One of them was "Japanese ghosts and spirits and so on" and that was the reason that I have brought up this prompt Hantu Pisang. The Hantu Pisang (Mah Meri) is a beautiful ghost that is supposedly formed when the heart of the banana bud is pierced with a nail attached to a thread. There is a movie with this Hantu Pisang in the lead, but I couldn't find it again.
There are also several photo's in which people see Hantu Pisang as e.g.

In the Red Circles you can see Hantu Pisang

I just had to laugh as I looked at this photo ... in my opinion it's just a banana-leaf with a few holes in it, but ... you never know.
I have sought for other pictures and I must say I have found a picture with a real Hantu Pisang on it ...

Pisang-Art: Hantu Pisang

It will be for sure a legend, saga, myth or a fairytale, but it was a joy to bring this prompt at our CDHK.

I have written a haiku inspired on this Hantu Pisang idea, but there will be no pisang in it, but the one I love, she ... the moon. A few days ago, I was in the nightshift, I was underway to my work, it became a little bit misty and as I looked to the sky I saw her, the moon clothed in a thin veil of clouds. The thin clouds looked like beams ... right on that moment I cycled through a bank of fog I felt the moist coldness of the fog and I shivered ... It felt like something carressed my skin ... a ghost?
I don't think so, but it inspired me to write the following haiku:

kiri no aki no yoru kanojo ha tsuki usui kumo no ushiro kara sekai ni yuurei wo soushin shimasu

a misty autumn night -
she, the moon, sends ghosts from behind thin clouds
back into the world

© Chèvrefeuille 

a misty autumn night

And I have another nice haiku, not written by myself, but by Yozakura, the unknown haiku-poet.

hantoumei no koucha no kappu cha no fukai himitsu goosuto wo hi hyouji ni

translucent tea cup
hides a deep secret
ghost of tea

© Yozakura

This haiku is based on a nice story about the image of a geisha appearing in a tea cup. The molded art is made, by very thin translucent porcelain also known as Lithophane.  This process can create a 3-D image.  YOU can see the image when light n' shadows are in play, when you tilt your cup of tea.   You can also set the cup in a sunny window and view it at different times during the day.  Sunlight alters the image and the Geisha Ghost will appear. It is said that this way of making porcelain goes back to the Tang-Dynasty (618-907).

Well ,,, I hope you did like this episode about Hantu Pisang and that it will inspire you to write an all new haiku ... Have fun ... be inspired and share ..

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until November 17th at noon (CET). I will (try to) publish our new episode, our third CD Special by our featured haiku-poet Tranströmer, later on.