Spring day—
in the garden, a sparrow
dust-bathing.
by Uejima Onitsura
Together with Basho, Uejima Onitsura (1661–1738) helped redefine the haikai no renga (linked verse) and elevated it into a literary genre in its own right. Around this time, the opening stanza of this collaborative linked poem (hokku) started appearing as an independent poem, which Masaoka Shiki would rename haiku in the 19th century.
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: 11th February 2026