The figure of a man
swallowed by the world
hanafubuki
by: Natsume Soseki
I recently came across the concept of hanafubuki, which can be translated as “flower snowstorm”. It's a common theme in Japanese art and literature to represent the beauty of impermanence and cyclicity of life and nature.
One of the most influential modern Japanese writers, Natsume Soseki’s literary career started in 1903, with a series of haiku and renga published on various literary magazines.
Between 1900 and 1903 he studied at the UCL in London, but this proved to be quite a dramatic experience for the young Soseki. Despite this, when Soseki returned to Japan, he exploded into prolific writing activity.
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: 26th June 2024