Basho (1644-1694) mourned the death of his friend and teacher Tando with a beautiful sad haiku:
© Matsuo Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)
|falling to the ground
|a flower closer to the root
|bidding farewell
Chèvrefeuille presents his own beautiful variation on this sad theme in the CDHK episode
Carpe Diem Weekend-meditation #14 Revise That Haiku
and challenges readers to “revise” Basho’s haiku in the same spirit:
© Chèvrefeuille
|tears flow
|falling to the ground
|autumn leaves
My response honors Tando’s influence on Basho (and hence on countless haiku poets) with imagery like Basho’s but a change in the metaphorical correspondence between the 2 people and some parts of flowering plants. As he weeps, Basho also resolves to carry on.
Elegy for Tando
|Flowers fall,
|but seeds will ripen.
|Some will sprout.
