Persistently I stare
at the moon
still I cannot hear
Sugiyama Sanpu (1647-1732) suffered from severe hearing problems for his whole life.
What differentiates Sanpu from the other disciples of Matsuo Basho is that he was also a patron, helping Basho establish his school of haiku. At the end of his life, the great haiku master wrote a goodbye letter to Sanpu:
"I tell you, Sanpu, that I shall never forget the generous support I have received from you over the years, even after my body no longer exists. It is regrettable for both of us that my life is ending in an unexpected place and therefore I cannot say farewell to you in person. I hope you will keep working on your haiku and that it provides entertainment for you in your old age."
From "The History of Nihonbashi Uogashi Part 4: The Vanishing Uogashi" by Issei Tomioka
Haiku by Sugiyama Sanpu
Picture by Guzmán Barquín
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: 5th August 2020
a recent haiku on comt neowise would be fine, too 🙂
…
and one on racism kills