Thought I, the fallen flowers
Are returning to their branch;
But lo! they were butterflies.
- 落花枝にかへると見れば胡蝶哉 守武
- 落花枝にかへると見れば胡ちょかな 守武
- rakka eda ni / kaeru to mireba / kochō kana (6-7-5)
(translated by William George Aston)
A prolific writer of haikai, renga, and Waka, Arakida Moritake was born in 1473 and studied renga under Iio Sōgi. Late in his life, Arakida became head priest of the Inner Ise Shrine. The haiku I selected this week is considered his most famous.
Seven days to make music in response to the assigned haiku: to participate visit https://www.naviarrecords.com/about/naviar-haiku
Deadline: 17th June 2020
haiku by Arakida Moritake http://moderntokyotimes.com/japanese-poetry-and-shintoism-arakida-moritake-1473-1549/
picture by Wolfgang Hasselmann https://unsplash.com/@wolfgang_hasselmann