Old Haiku

Why so scrawny, cat?
starving for fat fish or mice . . .
Or backyard love?
 — Basho

THE WORD haiku (plural: haiku) comes from Japan. It is an unrhymed verse form of Japanese origin, and hokku is an alternative name. Haiku poems have only three lines and may read very much like telegrams. The lines usually contain 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively - 17 Japanese syllables in all. Being cast in this briefing form, a haiku poem generally contains a seasonal reference.

And a tanka poem, from which the haiku form first derived as its three opening lines, contains two more lines of 7 syllables each, i.e. 31 syllables in all. [Source: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary]

Compare: "In periods when the culture values artificiality, the lyric becomes stereotyped. Then, after a while, the poets revolt and, usually turning to folk origins, restore to lyric poetry at least the appearance of naturalness and spontaneity." [Ebu "literature"]

Old haiku poems help some of us to open up to certain fine and perhaps basic enough ways of seeing or presenting things. Haiku poems involves ways of looking at things. And Zen Buddhist philosophy is into parts of it.

The capacity to open up and remain receptive and perhaps advance into further possibilities through ascended inner perceptions of oneself in unison with nature; in one's circumstances of life; and among many common purposes, could bear on one's willingness to see and listen as well.

In handed-over haiku one might try to penetrate to some fundamental wisdom or axiom. To do so, it helps some to know just how a haiku poem is built up, and what are the main images or symbols made use of in similar contexts (settings).

The old poem variant can seek to describe an aspect of natural things or eternity portrayed through nature symbols and images, as paired with human scenes. What happens when the different planes of references blend, fairly often calls forth sound interest.

Most haiku poems make do with 3 lines, and the traditional, Japanese poetic form consists of 17 syllables arranged in three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables each. It should be good to feel flexible about it.
      Besides, a poem that is intended to amuse for a moment rather than last for all time, is not bad either.

The British author Reginald Horace Blyth wrote six volumes on haiku between 1963 and 1977. Here is a haiku Blyth liked:

Heh heh heh, heh heh heh.
Heh heh heh, heh heh heh.
Heh heh heh, heh heh heh.

Dorumsgaard has devoted a whole book in a series to translating Basho: "Fra duggens verden" [Fdv]. Also, Paal Helge Haugen has translated an anthology of haiku poems in a very good book, Blad frå ein austleg hage: hundre Haiku-dikt [Bfa]. These are all Norwegian works. Peter Beilenson's Japanese Haiku is an old favourite book of mine, and Japanese Verse [Jap] translated by Geoffrey Bownas and Anthony Thwaite is one more translation work I cherish. I have included many examples from these two in a series.

Originally, the [Haiku] form was restricted in subject matter to an objective description of nature suggestive of one of the seasons, evoking a definite, though unstated, emotional response. Later its subject range was broadened, but it remained an art of expressing much and suggesting more in the fewest possible words. [Ebu "haiku"]

Here are four renowned haiku poets:

1. Basho: Matsuo Basho (Matsuo Munefusa) (1644-94)
2. Buson: Taniguchi (Yosi) Buson (1716-84)
3. Issa: Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828)
4. Shiki: Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902)

Each is presented on his own page here. One may find deep meanings in some of their poem, or glimpses of moments "translated" into a few words, not unlike stenographed notes. The aim of the "the simple pattern", or poem, is to suggest a picture-formed observation.