(10 HAIKUs of Kyoshi Takahama, translated by Satoshi Kinoshita)
HAIKU is AI: not Artificial Intelligence, but Art of Intelligence, leading to "LOVE".
Haiku Aids Increasing Knowledge Univerally.
(91) 春潮にたとひ櫓櫂は重くとも (S22. 1947)
(shunchohni tatoirokaiwa omokutomo)
Even if the oar is heavy
against the spring tide_
(Note)
This haiku was made as a tribute to encourage Kyoshi's grand-daughter (Nakako Bohjoh: 坊城中子) when she entered a nursing school.
The Kyoshi's haikus translated herein are cited from the writings of Toshiki Bohjoh (坊城俊樹：the son of Nakako Bohjoh, that is, a great-grandson of Kyoshi Takahama).
(ranranto hirunohoshimie kinokohae)
the daylight star
looks glaring_
mushrooms grow
(Note)
This haiku was made as a farewell tribute to people in Koromo City. They gave mushrooms (=茸）to Kyoshi Takahama for a farewell present. He lived in Koromo for about three years after moving there for refuge from air raid during the war.
The word ’daylight star’ means the sun, because the word ’爛爛’ (=glaring) is used for describing it. In the case of this haiku, it is possible to express 'kinoko' by either letter of '茸' or '菌'. However, the latter was adopted. The letter '菌' can also mean 'germ' when it is read as 'kin'.
Thus, it seems that with the cited haiku, Kyoshi Takahama intended to express the whole great nature by referring to the greatest thing ’daylight star (=太陽)’ and the smallest thing 'mushroom (=菌)'.
(kozokotoshi tsuranuku bohnogotokimono)
This haiku was highly appreciated by Yasunari Kawabata (a Nobel winner for Literature).
In this haiku, metaphor as well as inversion is applied.
(Translation A)
kozokotoshi
piercing
a stick-like thing
(Translation B)
my belief in HAIKU
piercing kozokotoshi
like a stick
(Translation C)
time pierces
kozokotoshi
like a stick
(Note)
“kozokotoshi” is a kigo (= seasonal word) established by Kyoshi Takahama, referring to New Year, on which yesterday is the last year, and today is this year. Thus, the literal meaning of kozokotoshi is “last-year-this-year”.
Translation A is a word-for-word translation and can be interpreted in various ways. However, “stick-like thing” should be considered as the real subject and a metaphor. In Translations B and C, “my belief” and “time” are added, respectively replacing the word “stick-like thing”. Thus, the kigo “kozokotoshi” should grammatically be taken as the object of “pierce”. Otherwise, this haiku makes nonsense.
In Translation A, if you take “kozokotoshi” as the subject for “pierce”, and “stick-like thing” as the object for “pierce”, then what do you think the “stick-like thing” indicates? Does it make any sense?
(Ohzakura korenikasizuki ohtsubaki)
a large cherry tree_
beside it
a large camellia
(haitataki tenimochiwareni taishinashi)
having a flyswatter
in my hand
I have no great ambition
(96) 虚子一人銀河と共に西へ行く (S24. 1949)
(kyoshihitori gingatotomoni nishieyuku)
Kyoshi alone
goes toward west
with the galaxy
(97) 我のみの菊日和とはゆめ思はじ (S29. 1954)
(warenomino kikubiyoritowa yumeomowaji)
chrysanthimum-bright-day_
never
only for me
(Note)
Kyoshi Takahama made this haiku when he received a Cultural Medal (=文化勲章).
(akunareba iroakuyokere oinoharu)
if any vice,
sensual vice would be better_
spring of old age
(akeyasuya kachohfuuei namuamida)
daybreak getting earlier_
making haiku of nature
namuamida
(Note)
’kachoh-fuuei’（花鳥諷詠）, which was advocated by Kyoshi Takahama, means a typical way of composing haiku based on appriciation of nature including human affairs.
’namuamida’ （南無阿弥陀）is Buddhist chanting words of sutra, which mean ’I believe in Amitabha'.
(100) 独り句の推敲をして遅き日を (S34. 1959)
(hitori kunosuikoh-o-shite osokihio)
alone,
elaborating haikus_
lengthening days of spring
Click here to see back numbers (81~90).