The best Japanese haiku. Lesson “Japanese haiku (terrains)
Haiku (haiku) is a type of Japanese poetry. The original Japanese tercet consists of 17 syllables, which are written in one column. The most famous author of haiku is Matsuo Basho. However, he already has deviations from the norm of syllabic composition. With special dividing words - kireji (Japanese kireji - “cutting word”) - the haiku text is divided in a ratio of 2: 1 - either on the fifth syllable or on the twelfth.
The origins of haiku
The word "haiku" originally meant the opening stanza of another Japanese poetic form- renga (Japanese renga - “stringing stanzas”). From the beginning of the Edo period (17th century), haiku began to be considered as independent works. The term "haiku" was coined by the poet and critic Masaoka Shiki in the late 19th century to distinguish these forms. Genetically goes back to the first half-strophe of tanka (haiku literally - the initial verses), from which it differs in simplicity poetic language, a rejection of the previous canonical rules.
Haiku went through several stages in its development. The poets Arakida Moritake (1465-1549) and Yamazaki Sokan (1465-1553) imagined haiku as a miniature of a purely comic genre (such miniatures were later called senryu. The merit of turning haiku into a leading lyrical genre belongs to Matsuo Basho (1644-1694); the main content haiku became landscape lyric poetry. The name of Yosa Buson (1716-1783) is associated with the expansion of haiku themes. In parallel, in the 18th century, comic miniatures developed, which became an independent satirical and humorous genre of senryu (Japanese senryu - “river willow”). At the end of the 18th century - early XIX centuries, Kobayashi Issa introduced civic motives into haiku and democratized the themes of the genre.
At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, Masaoka Shiki applied the shasei method (Japanese shasei? - “sketches from life”), borrowed from painting, to haiku, which contributed to the development of realism in the haiku genre.
How to understand haiku
When translating haiku into Western languages, traditionally - from the very beginning of the 20th century - the place possible appearance A kireji corresponds to a line break, so a haiku is a tercets of a 5-7-5 syllable structure.
In the 1970s, the American haiku translator Hiroaki Sato proposed writing haiku translations as monostic poems as a more adequate solution; Following him, the Canadian poet and theorist Clarence Matsuo-Allard declared that original haiku created in Western languages should be one-line.
There are also two-line texts among translated and original haiku, which tend to have a syllabic proportion of 2:1. As for the syllabic composition of haiku, by now both among haiku translators and among the authors of original haiku in different languages supporters of maintaining 17-complexity (and/or the 5-7-5 scheme) remained in the minority.
The general consensus among most theorists is that a single syllabic measure for haiku in different languages is impossible because languages differ significantly from each other medium length words and, therefore, information capacity of the same number of syllables. So, in English language 17 syllables of a Japanese text on average correspond in information capacity to 12-13 syllables, and in Russian, on the contrary, about 20. Since the genre is a formal and content unity, the semantic characteristics that distinguish it are important for haiku. Classic haiku are necessarily built on the correlation of a person (his inner world, biography, etc.) with nature; in this case, nature must be defined in relation to the time of year - for this purpose kigo is used as a mandatory element of the text (Japanese kigo - “seasonal word”).
Most often, the narration is conducted in the present tense: the author presents his experiences. In haiku collections, each poem is often printed on a separate page. This is done so that the reader can thoughtfully, without rushing, penetrate the atmosphere of the poem.
To correctly understand haiku, you need to read every word, imagining it. For the Japanese, every natural phenomenon has a hidden meaning at the level of associations. For example, authors often mention sakura. This is a cherry blossom tree. A plant completely covered with white flowers appears to be something young, fresh and pristine. Such images give hockey an atmosphere of mystery and understatement.
It is not for nothing that Europeans believe that haiku awakens envy: how many Western readers have dreamed of walking through life like this with a notebook in hand, noting here and there certain “impressions”, the brevity of which would be a guarantee of perfection, and simplicity the criterion of depth (and all thanks to the myth consisting of two parts, one of which - classical - makes laconicism a dimension of art, the other - romantic - sees truthfulness in improvisation). While haiku is absolutely intelligible, it does not communicate anything, and it is precisely because of this double condition that it seems to present itself to the meaning with the helpfulness of a well-bred host who invites you to feel at home with him, accepting you with all your attachments, values and symbols; this “absence” of haiku (in the sense that is meant when they talk about abstract consciousness, and not about the departed owner) is fraught with temptation and fall - in a word, a strong desire for meaning.
On a bare branch
Raven sits alone.
Autumn evening.
poplar leaves
Before a thunderstorm of unearthly color.
Submissive to the elements.
Where are you, Universe?
Busy during the day. At night, dim stars.
The indifference of the metropolis.
Three lines, haiku Dictionary of Russian synonyms. haiku noun, number of synonyms: 3 tercets (4) ... Synonym dictionary
HAIKU- (haiku) genre of Japanese poetry. An unrhymed tercet, genetically descended from tanka; consists of 17 syllables (5+7+5). It is distinguished by the simplicity of poetic language, freedom of presentation... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Haiku- (haiku) (initial verses), a genre of Japanese poetry (which originated in the 15th century), an unrhymed tercet of 17 syllables (5+7+5) on comic, love, landscape, historical and other subjects. Genetically related to Tanka. It is distinguished by the simplicity of its poetic language... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
Haiku- This is an article about Japanese poetry, about operating system see Haiku. Monument to Matsuo Basho, one of the most famous compilers of haiku Haiku (Japanese: 俳句), Haiku (Japanese: 発句), a genre of traditional Japanese lyrical poetry waka. Contents... Wikipedia
HAIKU- (Japanese): the upper verse of the tank, highlighted in independent species poetry; consists of 17 syllables (alternating 5 – 7 – 5 syllables). Basically, haiku is a lyrical poem about nature, which certainly indicates the time of year. Cycle... ... Eurasian wisdom from A to Z. Explanatory dictionary
Haiku- (otherwise haiku) genre and form of Japanese poetry; tercet, consisting of two encircling five-syllable verses and one seven-syllable in the middle. Genetically goes back to the first half-strophe of Tanka (haiku literally the beginning verses), from which... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
HAIKU- HOKKU, haiku, genre of Japanese poetry: 17 complex tercet (5 + 7 + 5), often with a caesura after the 2nd verse. Originated in the 15th century. as the beginning of a tercet of comic rank; genetically also goes back to the first half-strophe of tanka (lit. haiku... ... Literary encyclopedic dictionary
haiku- (haiku), a genre of Japanese poetry. An unrhymed tercet, genetically dating back to tanka; consists of 17 syllables (5 + 7 + 5). It is distinguished by the simplicity of its poetic language and freedom of presentation. * * * HOKKU HOKKU (haiku), a genre of Japanese poetry. Unrhymed... encyclopedic Dictionary
haiku- genre of Japanese poetry, unrhymed tercet, lyrical miniature; as if a separated, independent first part of the tank. Rubric: Types and genres of literature + Structure of a poetic work. Synonym: haiku Genus: Solid forms Others... ... Terminological dictionary-thesaurus on literary criticism
haiku- see haiku. Literature and language. Modern illustrated encyclopedia. M.: Rosman. Edited by prof. Gorkina A.P. 2006 ... Literary encyclopedia
Hokku-OS- Haiku Desktop Haiku OS Developed by Haiku Inc. OS family Open source Latest version N/A N/A Kernel type... Wikipedia
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- Haiku. Japanese tercets, Basho Matsuo, Ransetsu, Kikaku. The Japanese lyrical poem haiku (haiku) is distinguished by its extreme brevity and unique poetics. It depicts the life of nature and the life of man in their fused, indissoluble unity on...
The tradition of writing poetry in Japan has been passed down from generation to generation for centuries. With each new century, under the influence of time and cultural development, Japanese haiku poetry underwent a number of changes, new rules for adding and writing poetry were developed and improved. Today, Japanese haiku poems have their own rules of versification, which are unshakable, cannot be adjusted, and must be strictly observed by everyone who wants to compose haiku.
Haiku is not an easy Japanese verse
It is a part of Japanese culture for which the Japanese have great respect and love.Japanese haiku, like Japanese poetry itself in general, has distinctive features from the poetry of Eastern and European schools.
Japanese poetry was formed under the influence of Zen - Buddhism,
which dictated the rules of minimalism, and the main theme was full immersion into one subject, its comprehensive consideration, contemplation and understanding. Despite the fact that haiku is the poetry of minimalism, with a minimum of words, each word carries a great meaning.
Japanese poetry that has survived to this day is represented by two types:
- Japanese haiku tercets,
- pentaverse - tanka.
In order to understand haiku, it is necessary to have a background knowledge of Japanese history and culture.
Tanka- Japanese pentaverse, over the course of its development, formed into two types - couplet and tercet. In many cases, the authorship of the tanka belonged to several poets, one composed the first stanza, the second poet supplemented the tanka with the second stanza.
In the 12th century, so-called chains of verses began to form, which consisted of tercets and couplets interconnected. The tercet was called the “initial stanza”, which was later made independent tercet - haiku. The opening stanza was the most strong point in verse.
Initially, haiku was considered the pampering of Japanese peasants, and over time, representatives of the nobility began to become interested in composing haiku. Every respected Japanese nobleman had a court poet with him. Poets were often representatives of ordinary working classes who, through the power of their talent and desire for creativity, were able to make their way.
Haiku refers to lyrical poetry that glorifies nature, palace intrigue, love and unbridled passion. The main theme of haiku is the interaction of nature and man, their complete fusion.
In the 5th – 7th centuries, haiku was used to add strict rules And 
regulations that did not give many, even very talented poets, the opportunity to become famous. The most famous Japanese poets of that time are: Issa And Basho, who devoted their lives to the creativity of composing haiku.
The main talent of haiku is to say a lot using a minimum of words.
In three lines that contain no more than 10 words you can tell a whole story.
The basic rules for adding haiku, which were formed in the 5th - 7th centuries - the 5-7-5 rule, are still applied today. Today, haiku is not just a Japanese tercet; it is a separate sphere of Japanese culture, respected and revered.
The heyday of haiku came in the 17th century.
It was during this period that haiku became a whole work of art. Famous poet of that time - Basho, brought haiku to new level, revolutionizing the world of poetry. He threw away all unnecessary elements and features of the comic from haiku, making the haiku rule 5-7-5 the main one, which is still used by Japanese poets of our time, and compliance with which is the main rule for adding haiku.
Every poet who undertakes to write haiku faces a difficult task- to instill in the reader a lyrical mood, arouse boundless interest and awaken the imagination, which paints colorful pictures when reading the tercise.
It would seem that what can be said using only 17 syllables? But they are the ones who are able to immerse the reader in another, colorful world, full of fantasy and philosophy. Haiku can change a person’s worldview by awakening in him philosophical view for everyday things.
Video: Haiku by Japanese poet Issa
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Japanese haiku (three lines)
Travel to the country rising sun.
The purpose of the lesson : introduce the haiku genre,
with poets - representatives of this genre,
be able to determine the theme and idea of a tercet,
cultivate love and respect for culture
different peoples.
Name of Japan. (Nihon - ni-sun, hon-root, base). “The path of the mountains” is one of the interpretations of the ancient name of this country - Yamato. Indeed, Japan is, first of all, a country of mountains. But the land of fire-breathing mountains is better known asLand of the rising sun.
The residents themselves write the name of their homeland in two hieroglyphs. This is where a new day is born. It is from here that the luminary begins its daily journey.
The whole world has long recognized: the Japanese have a cult of beauty. Once upon a time, the ancestors of modern Japanese believed that any element of nature had a soul and was a deity. That is why many holidays and symbols of Japan are associated with nature.
Symbol of the Japanese Imperial House are bigOgiku chrysanthemums . Dedicated to them autumn holiday Chrysanthemum.
This flower is depicted on the country's coat of arms, on coins and on the Order of the Chrysanthemum, Japan's highest award.
The symbol of the Japanese isbamboo . Bamboo bent under the weight of snow symbolizes the hardy and flexible Japanese who resists adversity and adapts to the most unexpected difficulties.
Since the end of March, the Japanese have been eagerly waiting for the Japanese cherry tree - sakura - to bloom. The Japanese have been admiring sakura for many centuries, gathering in its lush white and pink gardens. This tradition is called hanami.Cherry blossoms in Japan are considered a symbol of renewal
, because the petals do not fade: they fall to the ground fresh. 
In autumn, Japan also hosts the Moon Viewing Festival and the Maple Leaf Viewing Festival.
Every educated person in Japan should be able to write beautifully, calligraphically, and master the art of versification.One of the most widespread genres of Japanese poetry is haiku (hoku), which appeared in the 17th - 18th centuries.
Haiku (or haiku) is a lyric poem, a form of Japanese poetry.
Haiku consists of three verses: the first and last verse of the haiku are five-syllable, and the second verse of the haiku is seven-syllable. There are 17 syllables in haiku.
Contents of haiku.
This is a lyrical poem, characterized by extreme brevity and unique poetics. It depicts the life of nature and human life against the backdrop of the cycle of seasons. Many haiku are based on a technique calledco-addition : There are two objects, and haiku represents the dynamics of their relationship.
Example No. 1.
Old pond.
The frog is jumping.
Splash of water.
Subject- philosophical view of nature;
Two objects - a pond and a frog.
IN Japanese there is an expression "pine needle civilization ". It means the ability to enjoy the beauty of one needle. Just as the sun is reflected in a drop of dew, so is nature reflected in one flower, in one branch.
The masters of Japanese poetry werelaconic . They called:peer into the familiar - you will see the unexpected, peer into the ugly - you will see the beautiful, peer into the simple - you will see the complex, peer into the particles - you will see the whole, peer into the small - you will see the great!
The authors of haiku set themselves the tasknot to describe, but to convey your mood, experience this moment time.
In hockey there isunderstatement , hint, reticence. The authors hope that readers will understand and appreciate both the depiction of the real world, which does not require any other interpretation, and the subtext.
Main features of haiku:
1. Conciseness (3 lines);
2. Attention to detail;
3. Understatement, subtext.
Basho - philosopher, poet, in love with nature. He lived at the end XVII century. His life path unusual.
The son of a minor samurai, a calligraphy teacher, Matsuo Basho was a playmate of the prince's son from childhood. After the early death of his young master, Matsuo went to the city, took monastic vows, thereby freeing himself from serving his feudal lord. However, he did not become a monk; he lived in a modest house in the poor suburb of Fukagawa, near the city of Edo. This hut with its modest landscape is described by the poet. He studies the work of Chinese poets. Soon, numerous students begin to flock to him, to whom Basho passes on his teaching about poetry. After his hut burned down, he begins many years of wandering, during which he dies.
His poetry, according to the testimony of researchers of his work, was not fun or a game for the poet, but a high calling of his life. He read that it ennobles and elevates a person.
Example No. 2.
I look -fallen leaf Againtook off on the branch: Thatbutterfly was. The genre of this poem ishaiku (three lines);
Subject -
Images -leaf - butterfly ;
State -fallen - took off (death - life);
Understatement (subtext):Maybe, looking at a butterfly, the poet dreams of eternal life and the possibility of regeneration.
Example No. 3.
Night silence.
Only behind the picture on the wall
Rings -ringscricket.
The genre of this poem ishaiku (three lines);
Subject -philosophical perception of nature;
Images:night - cricket;
State:silence - ringing
Understatement (subtext):The poet does not sleep at night, something is bothering him. I wonder: are the experiences pleasant or not so pleasant?
Another famous Japanese poet -Issa Kobayashi (1763 - 1827)
The son of a peasant, Issa lost his mother early. My father's new marriage did not bring happiness to anyone. Against the backdrop of an unfavorable family situation, at the age of 13, Issa left for Edo (present-day Tokyo) to earn money. At the age of 25 he began to study poetry.
The poet's life was tragic. All his life he struggled with poverty. His beloved child died. The poet spoke about his fate in verses full of aching pain.
His poetry speaks of love for people, and not only for people, but also for all small creatures, helpless and offended.
Issa was the last major poet of feudal Japan. He left behind about 20,000 haiku.
Example No. 3.
Ourlife is a dewdrop.
Let just a drop of dew
Our life - andyet ...
Genre -haiku (three lines);
Subject -philosophical (meaning of life);
Images -life is a dewdrop;
The state is expressed through particles -let, nevertheless;
Idea -Every person's life is short compared to eternity, but it is worth living with dignity. It should be added that the poem was written in grief for the deceased child.
Example No. 4.
Quiet,crawl quietly
Snail down the slopeFuji,
Up , to the very heights!
Genre -haiku (three lines);
Subject -philosophical (through observation of nature);
Images -snail - sacred Mount Fuji;
State:quietly creeps up;
Idea:The meaning of life is in a slow and difficult approach to the truth.
What have you learned about the Japanese and Japan?
How did you understand what haiku is?
How many syllables does it have?
What are its main features?
Which Japanese poets did you recognize?
Try to compose haiku yourself. Don't be afraid, don't doubt yourself. Look around and create.
Maybe some advice will help youIlya Ehrenburg:
“Almost every educated Japanese has composed several haiku in his life. Of course, it does not follow from this that there are millions of poets in Japan... often this is just a tribute to custom; but even mechanical gestures leave their mark on a person. You can get drunk out of boredom, you can read a detective novel, you can write haiku... the author, if he did not exalt himself by writing it, then, in any case, did not diminish his human image.”
Read and analyze haiku (2-3 optional)
Matsuo Basho, Kobayashi Issa
Japanese haiku tercets for schoolchildren
Japanese haiku tercets
Japanese culture is quite often classified as a “closed” culture. Not immediately, not from the first acquaintance, the uniqueness of Japanese aesthetics, the unusual charm of Japanese
customs and beauty of Japanese art monuments. Lecturer-methodologist Svetlana Viktorovna Samykina, Samara, introduces us to one of the manifestations of the “mysterious Japanese soul” - haiku poetry.
I've barely gotten better
Exhausted, until the night...
And suddenly - wisteria flowers!
Basho
Just three lines. Few words. And the reader’s imagination has already painted a picture: a tired traveler who has been on the road for many days. He is hungry, exhausted, and finally, he has a place to sleep for the night! But our hero is in no hurry to enter, because suddenly, in an instant, he forgot about all the hardships in the world: he is admiring the wisteria flowers.
Haiku or haiku. How do you like. Homeland - Japan. Date of birth: Middle Ages. Once you open a collection of haiku, you will forever remain captive of Japanese poetry. What is the secret of this unusual genre?
From the heart of a peony
A bee slowly crawls out...
Oh, with what reluctance!
Basho
This is how the Japanese treat nature sensitively, reverently enjoy its beauty, and absorb it.
Perhaps the reason for this attitude should be sought in the ancient religion of the Japanese people - Shintoism? Shinto preaches: be grateful to nature. She can be ruthless and harsh, but more often she is generous and affectionate. It was the Shinto faith that instilled in the Japanese a sensitivity to nature and the ability to enjoy its endless changeability. Shinto was replaced by Buddhism, just as in Rus' Christianity replaced paganism. Shinto and Buddhism are a stark contrast. On the one hand, there is a sacred attitude towards nature, the veneration of ancestors, and on the other, complex Eastern philosophy. Paradoxically, these two religions coexist peacefully in the Land of the Rising Sun. A modern Japanese will admire blooming sakura, cherry trees, and autumn maples blazing with fire.
From human voices
Shudderingly in the evening
Cherry beauties.
Issa
Japan loves flowers very much, and they prefer simple, wild flowers with their timid and discreet beauty. A tiny vegetable garden or flower bed is often planted near Japanese houses. An expert on this country, V. Ovchinnikov, writes that you need to see the Japanese islands to understand why their inhabitants consider nature to be a measure of beauty.
Japan is a country of green mountains and sea bays, mosaic rice fields, gloomy volcanic lakes, picturesque pine trees on the rocks. Here you can see something unusual: bamboo bent under the weight of snow - this is a symbol of the fact that in Japan north and south are adjacent.
The Japanese subordinate the rhythm of their lives to events in nature. Family celebrations are timed to coincide with the cherry blossoms and the autumn full moon. Spring on the islands is not quite similar to ours in Europe, with melting snow, ice drifts, and floods. It begins with a violent outbreak of flowering. Pink sakura inflorescences delight the Japanese not only with their abundance, but also with their fragility. The petals are held so loosely in the inflorescences that at the slightest breath of wind a pink waterfall flows onto the ground. On days like these, everyone rushes out of town to the parks. Listen to how the lyrical hero punishes himself for breaking the branch of a flowering tree:
Throw a stone at me.
Plum blossom branch
I'm broke now.
Kikaku
The first snow is also a holiday.
It does not appear often in Japan. But when he walks, the houses become very cold, since the Japanese houses are light gazebos. And yet the first snow is a holiday. The windows open and, sitting by the small braziers, the Japanese drink sake and admire the snow flakes that fall on the paws of the pine trees and on the bushes in the garden.
First snow.
I'd put it on a tray
I would just watch and watch.
Kikaku
The maples are blazing with autumn leaves - in Japan it is a holiday to admire the crimson foliage of maples.
Oh, maple leaves.
You burn your wings
Flying birds.
Siko
All haiku is appeal. To whom?
To the leaves. Why to maple leaves does the poet address? He loves their bright colors: yellow, red - even the wings of birds burn. Let us imagine for a moment that the poetic appeal was addressed to the leaves of an oak tree. Then a completely different image would be born - an image of perseverance, endurance, because the leaves of oak trees remain firmly on the branches until winter frosts.
The classic tercet should reflect some time of year. Here is Issa talking about autumn:
Peasant in the field.
And showed me the way
Picked radish.
Issa will say about the transience of a sad winter day:
Opening his beak,
The wren did not have time to sing.
The day is over.
And here you will, without a doubt, remember the sultry summer:
Flocked together
Mosquitoes to the sleeping person.
Dinner time.
Issa
Think about who's waiting for lunch. Of course, mosquitoes. The author is ironic.
Let's see what the structure of haiku is. What are the rules of this genre? Its formula is simple: 5 7 5. What do these numbers mean? We can have children explore this problem and they will certainly find that the numbers above indicate the number of syllables in each line. If we look carefully at the haiku collection, we will notice that not all tercets have such a clear structure (5 7 5). Why? Children will answer this question themselves. The fact is that we read Japanese haiku in translation. The translator must convey the author's idea and at the same time maintain a strict form. This is not always possible, and in this case he sacrifices form.
Facilities artistic expression This genre is chosen extremely sparingly: few epithets and metaphors. There is no rhyme, no strict rhythm is observed. How does the author manage to create an image in a few words, with meager means? It turns out that the poet works a miracle: he awakens the imagination of the reader himself. The art of haiku is the ability to say a lot in a few lines. In a sense, every tercet ends with an ellipsis. After reading a poem, you imagine a picture, an image, experience it, rethink it, think it through, create it. That is why for the first time in the second grade we are working with the concept of “artistic image” using the material of Japanese tercets.
Willow is bent over and sleeping.
And it seems to me that a nightingale is on a branch -
This is her soul.
Basho
Let's discuss the poem.
Remember how we usually see willow?
This is a tree with silver-green leaves, bent near the water, near the road. All the willow branches are sadly lowered down. It is not for nothing that in poetry the willow is a symbol of sadness, melancholy, and melancholy. Remember the poem by L. Druskin “There is a willow ...” (see the textbook by V. Sviridova “ Literary reading» 1st class) or Basho:
All the excitement, all the sadness
Of your troubled heart
Give it to the flexible willow.
Sadness and melancholy are not your path, the poet tells us, give this load to the willow tree, because all of it is the personification of sadness.
What can you say about the nightingale?
This bird is inconspicuous and gray, but how it sings!
Why is the nightingale the soul of the sad willow?
Apparently, we learned about the thoughts, dreams, and hopes of the tree from the song of the nightingale. He told us about her soul, mysterious and beautiful.
In your opinion, does the nightingale sing or is silent?
There may be several correct answers to this question (as often happens in a literature lesson), because everyone has their own image. Some will say that the nightingale, of course, sings, otherwise how would we know about the soul of the willow? Others will think that the nightingale is silent, because it is night and everything in the world is sleeping. Each reader will see his own picture and create his own image.
Japanese art speaks eloquently in the language of omissions. Understatement, or yugen, is one of his principles. Beauty is in the depths of things. Be able to notice it, and this requires subtle taste. The Japanese don't like symmetry. If the vase is in the middle on the table, it will automatically be moved to the edge of the table. Why? Symmetry as completeness, as completeness, as repetition is uninteresting. So, for example, the dishes on a Japanese table (service) will necessarily have different patterns, different color.
An ellipsis often appears at the end of haiku. This is not an accident, but a tradition, a principle of Japanese art. For a resident of the Land of the Rising Sun, the thought is important and close: the world is always changing, therefore in art there cannot be completeness, there cannot be a peak - a point of balance and peace. The Japanese even have catchphrase: “The empty spaces on the scroll are filled with more meaning than the brush inscribed on it.”
The highest manifestation of the concept of “yugen” is the philosophical garden. This is a poem made of stone and sand. American tourists see it as a “tennis court” - a rectangle covered with white gravel, where stones are scattered in disarray. What does a Japanese think about while peering at these stones? V. Ovchinnikov writes that words cannot convey the philosophical meaning of a rock garden; for the Japanese it is an expression of the world in its endless variability.
But let's return to literature. The great Japanese poet Matsuo Basho raised the genre to unsurpassed heights. Every Japanese knows his poems by heart.
Basho was born into a poor samurai family in the province of Iga, which is called the cradle of old Japanese culture. These are incredibly beautiful places. The poet's relatives were educated people, and Basho himself began writing poetry as a child. His life path is unusual. He took monastic vows, but did not become a real monk. Basho settled in small house near the city of Edo. This hut is sung in his poems.
IN A REED COVERED HUT
How a banana moans in the wind,
How the drops fall into the tub,
I hear it all night long.
In 1682, a misfortune happened - Basho's hut burned down. And he began a many-year wandering around Japan. His fame grew, and many students appeared throughout Japan. Basho was a wise teacher, he did not just pass on the secrets of his skill, he encouraged those who were looking for their own path. The true style of haiku was born in controversy. These were disputes between people truly dedicated to their cause. Bonte, Kerai, Ransetsu, Shiko are students of the famous master. Each of them had his own handwriting, sometimes very different from the handwriting of the teacher.
Basho walked the roads of Japan, bringing poetry to people. His poems include peasants, fishermen, tea pickers, the entire life of Japan with its bazaars, taverns on the roads...
Left for a moment
Farmer threshing rice
Looks at the moon.
During one of his travels, Basho died. Before his death, he created the “Death Song”:
I got sick on the way,
And everything runs and circles my dream
Through scorched meadows.
Another famous name— Kobayashi Issa. His voice is often sad:
Our life is a dewdrop.
Let just a drop of dew
Our life - and yet...
This poem was written on the death of his little daughter. Buddhism teaches not to worry about the departure of loved ones, because life is a dewdrop... But listen to the poet’s voice, how much inescapable grief is in this “and yet...”
Issa wrote not only on high philosophical topics. His own life and fate were reflected in the poet’s work. Issa was born in 1763 into a peasant family. The father dreamed of his son becoming a successful merchant. To do this, he sends him to study in the city. But Issa became a poet and, like his fellow poets, he walked around the villages and made his living by writing haiku. At the age of 50, Issa got married. Beloved wife, 5 children. Happiness was fleeting. Issa loses everyone close to her.
Maybe that’s why he is sad even in the sunny season of flowering:
Sad world!
Even when the cherry blossoms...
Even then…
That's right, in a previous life
You were my sister
Sad cuckoo...
He would marry two more times, and the only child who would continue his family would be born after the poet’s death in 1827.
Issa found his way in poetry. If Basho explored the world by penetrating into its hidden depths, looking for connections between individual phenomena, then Issa in his poems sought to accurately and completely capture the reality surrounding him and his own feelings.
It's spring again.
A new stupidity is coming
The old one is replaced.
Cool wind
Bent down to the ground, he contrived
Get me too.
Shh... Just for a moment
Shut up, meadow crickets.
It's starting to rain.
Issa makes the subject of poetry everything that his predecessors studiously avoided mentioning in poetry. He connects the low and the high, arguing that every little thing, every creature in this world should be valued on an equal basis with man.
A bright pearl
The New Year has shone for this one too
A little louse.
Roofer.
His ass is wrapped around him
Spring wind.
There is still great interest in Issa's work in Japan today. The haiku genre itself is alive and dearly loved. To this day, a traditional poetry competition is held in mid-January. Tens of thousands of poems on a given topic are submitted to this competition. This championship has been held annually since the fourteenth century.
Our compatriots create their own Russian haiku on Internet sites. Sometimes these are absolutely amazing images, for example, of autumn:
New autumn
Opened its season
Toccata of rain.
And gray rains
Long fingers will weave
Long autumn...
And “Russian” haiku force the reader to speculate, build an image, and listen to the ellipsis. Sometimes these are mischievous, ironic lines. When the Russian national team lost at the football championship, the following haiku appeared on the Internet:
Even in football
You need to be able to do something.
It's a pity we didn't know...
There are also “ladies’” haiku:
There's nowhere else to go
Shorten the skirt:
Running out of legs.
I forgot who I am.
We haven't fought for so long.
Remind me, honey.
But here are more serious ones:
I'll hide it safely
Your pain and grievances.
I'll flash a smile.
Do not say anything.
Just stay with me.
Just love.
Sometimes “Russian” haiku echo well-known plots and motifs:
The barn is not on fire.
The horse sleeps quietly in the stable.
What should a woman do?
Of course, you caught the roll call with Nekrasov.
Tanya-chan lost her face,
Crying about the ball rolling into the pond.
Pull yourself together, daughter of a samurai.
Eneke and Beneke enjoyed sushi.
Whatever the child amuses himself with, as long as
Didn't drink sake.
And haiku lines are always the path to the reader’s own creativity, that is, to yours personally internal decision topic proposed to you. The poem ends, and here the poetic comprehension of the topic begins.
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This article is part of a group of manuals from the series “Thematic planning for textbooks by V.Yu. Sviridova and N.A. Churakova “Literary reading” grades 1-4.”