Only the moon remains
floating in the memory upon
Kinokawa River
by: Shinkei
There's so little information about this amazing renga poet that I decided to share another poem written by him. This one is part of a longer sequence, written in 1463:
Only the moon remains
floating in the memory upon
Kinokawa River—
pale glistening waves,
the blank wake of drowned men.
About this poem, the author said: "Among the hundreds and thousands who have drowned and perished in this river
due to the disorders in this province were those whom I knew in former days. Often
I would walk along the river, gazing at the moon."
(Heart's Flower - The Life and Poetry of Shinkei)
Shinkei (1406-75) was a renowned renga poet and critic, best known for his two-part work "Sasamegoto" (Murmured Conversations). To find out more about this interesting and largely unknown poet-priest, I recommend reading Heart's Flower - The Life and Poetry of Shinkei by Esperanza Ramirez-Christensen
Join The Naviar Haiku Music Challenge
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 2024