Waking from summer sleep
moon gazing
on the levee
A poet who doesn't need an introduction, Kobayashi Issa (1763 – 1828) was one of Japan’s most prolific poets and is considered one of the four haiku masters in Japan, together with Bashō, Buson, and Shiki. His real name was Kobayashi Yataro, but eventually took the pen name, Issa, which means “cup of tea”.
Haiku by Kobayashi Issa
Picture by Zoltan Tasi
This haiku poem is part of the Naviar haiku music challenge, where artists are invited to make music in response to a weekly assigned haiku poem. Participation is free and there are no limitations in the songs’ length or genre.
You have seven days from the posting of this haiku to submit your track. For information on how to make a submission, visit the Naviar Haiku Music Challenge page.
Submission deadline: 1st May 2019