Haiku – Yosa Buson – July 4, 2014

Today I’m going to try to write in the style of Yosa Buson … only I find he didn’t have his own particular stlye like Issa or Basho.  He was a great haiku poet but followed the style of Basho. He was also a famous artist … here is on of his portraits of Basho:

BASHO by Yosa Buson (1716 – 1784) 

Here’s what Chèvrefeulle tells us about Buson:

Buson was inspired by the work of Basho and he (Buson) didn’t create an own style, as Basho and Issa did,. Next to being a haiku-poet Buson was also a great painter. For example: Buson has illustrated one of the first printed haibun of Basho ”Oku-No-Hosomichi” or ”The Narrow Road Into The Deep North”. So in a way Buson and Basho are connected.

The haiku which I love to share here is possibly one of those verses which Buson composed through his imagination, not as the result of an experience. Buson is thinking of the water running over a ford. He sees clearly the whorl of fine sand and muddy water that rises and swirls away where something has disturbed the bed of the stream. What should have disturbed it that is in harmony with the water of spring? He thinks of the soft and weary feet of a woman traveller who is fording the stream. These are in deep accord with the spring, its gentle warmth and unintellectual activity; with the water, the female element of nature, with the turbidity of it.

ashiyowa no watarite nigoru haru no mizu

wading through it,
her feet muddied
the spring water

© Buson

Here are two other paintings done by Yosa Buson

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

§§§§§

Here’s the master’s haiku once again:

ashiyowa no watarite nigoru haru no mizu

wading through it,
her feet muddied
the spring water

© Buson

splashing water
children playing
river Sarca

© G.s.k. ’14

Here’s one of my photos of the River Sarca … just up-stream in Dro there is an old Roman bridge where during the summer months the local people go to picknic and swim with the family.  I don’t have a photo of that though unfortunately!

---

This post was written for Carpe Diem Haiku Kai – Buson