Page 40 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2016Q2

HAIKU POETRY

By Danilo Scursatone, Italy Translation by Danilo Scursatone and Joe Grande

n the poems of the great haiku master, Bashō, the There are two main ways of writing haiku.
whole of nature is called to express itself: the water, In the first mode, one of three lines that compose
the rocks, the flowers, the sun, the clouds and the haiku introduces a topic; the other two lines expand
Istars; the animals, the plants, the sea and the wind, and conclude it.
and with all this, the pain and the joy of man. The
poet, in contemplation of these divine elements, In the second way, a haiku is two different
reveals to us their soul through a few verses. Its arguments made in harmony or in opposition:
close relationship with nature offers us a vision free the first verse introduces the topic, the second
from the superfluous, capturing the deepest and expands it, the third is opposed to the subject of
truest aspects. the first verse, always by relating with the first; or,
the first verse introduces the topic and the other
This particular vision of Nature joins the bonsai two verses relate to the subject matter, opposing or
artist to the haiku poet. Often a masterpiece bonsai harmonizing with it.
is like a haiku poem. All that is unnecessary has
been removed and what we see is the essence, The haiku form was born in Japan in the
the soul of the tree, which takes us to a quiet seventeenth century. It comes from Tanka (short
and profound vision of nature and its continued poem of the fourth century), poem of thirty-one
evolution. Perhaps learning more about this syllables. The Tanka consists of five lines with a
haiku art form will help us clarify the concepts precise amount of syllables per line: the first line
of superfluous and essential and apply them contains five syllables, the second seven syllables,
successfully in shaping our trees so that they will the third five syllables, the fourth seven syllables,
show us their intrinsic beauty, bringing us closer the fifth seven syllables. Eliminating the last two
and closer to nature. lines formed the haiku.
The old pond, What is haiku? After reading a composition of his disciple Takarai
Kikaku, the great master Bashō said: “You have the
a frog jumps in, Haiku poetry holds an important space in the weakness of wanting to surprise. Seeking beautiful
Japanese literature and is a pillar of Japanese
culture. This type of poetry carries with it the idea verses for distant things; you should find them for
things that are close to you.” In these few lines lay the
sound of water. that language is not always adequate to witness essence and the thought process of Haiku poetry.
the truth. Zen culture is the basis of haiku poetry
—Matsuo Bashō and through it, proposes a language free from the Currently in Japan there are many groups of poets
unnecessary and the unessential. called Haijin, who gather to talk about haiku poetry.
For the great haiku masters of the past, it is the Over ten million people love to write haiku in Japan
alone, and all major Japanese newspapers and
vital energy to awaken the mind, if the mind is free magazines publish a column dedicated to haiku.
from prejudices and limitations of the rational. The Despite being a form of poetry typically oriental, it
form expresses vital energy. Haiku in its simplicity, is also reflected in Europe where poets are inspired
will allow the form to be articulated through the by Oriental poetry, writing modern haiku that are
few syllables that make up and express the need very popular and interesting.
of man to be one with nature. A haiku is never a
simple realistic description but must be interpreted Bonsai and haiku
as evidence of a vision of the world free from The haiku poet addressed the presence of nature,
constraints. free from constraints, giving us the message that
nature itself evoked in that particular moment
of deep contemplation. It is up to the reader to
understand, interpret and expand the depth of
the message. Take for example the famous haiku

38 | BCI | April/May/June 2016