First day of Summer

To commemorate this year's summer solstice I will post two poems about summer - one written by me and another by a poet of the late T'ang written about 1200 years ago:




 
Sitting outside as summer arrives

The sky - a deep azure blue
and not a single cloud in sight

A symphony of birds perform their lovely music
as honeybees dance through cool air

I sit peacefully aware
as thoughts of Heaven and Earth enter my mind

A woodpecker in the distance
wakes me from my daydream

Felix Gervits

The pool behind Ch'i-an

Pond-chestnuts poke through floating chickweed on the green brocade pool:

A thousand summer orioles sing as they play among the roses.

I watch the fine rain, alone all day

While side by side the ducks and drakes bathe in their crimson coats

Tu Mu
(A.C. Graham translation)
 

Some of my Haiku

Recently, I dug up an old notebook of mine and found some haiku that I wrote about two years ago. As many people know, a typical Japanese haiku is written in the 5-7-5 syllable rhythm. However, this comes off as too wordy in English, so a different structure has to be adopted. Some common English-language variants include 3-5-3 or even 2-3-2. My haiku are all written in the 4-3-4 structure. This may seem odd since usually the second line is the longest, but I've found this style to work well at capturing the essence of haiku, while being short enough to be expressed in a single breath.

As usual, the essence of haiku includes the juxtaposition of two elements, oftentimes with a kireji, or "cutting word" separating the two images or ideas. In English, this kireji is usually marked by punctuation, but sometimes it is simply implied by the structure of the verse. It's purpose is to bridge the thematic elements in the poem, linking observation with experience. Most haiku deal with an observation of some fleeting experience in nature.

Another key element is the kijo, or "seasonal word." this is used to subtly express the time of year in which the poem takes place. For example, in Japan, cherry blossoms are a common Spring kigo as they represent the blossoming of the cherry tree in early spring. Sometimes these kijo are very subtle, or embedded in cultural references but I try to include them in every poem.

Here is a selection of haiku that I wrote on October 22, 2012:


won't sleep tonight -
shooting stars
in autumn sky

...

summer musings -
waking drunk
two moons tonight

...

yellow leaf falls
silently
onto cool grass

...

summer longings
fade away -
days get shorter

...

autumn evening -
sipping wine
as night comes on

...

golden treeline -
showered by
the western sun


...

why are you out
so early,
autumn crescent?

...

what is that sound?
cicadas
startle my cat

...

waiting for stars -
geese call out
in autumn night

...

the storm passed through,
turning fall
into winter

...

singing cricket,
where is your
sense of humor?

...

returning home,
first snowfall
of the season

...

hearing good news -
suddenly
the clouds vanish

...

frozen teardrops,
as I gaze
into bleak skies

...

February -
long lost dreams
follow me home

...

January
twenty-fifth -
childhood ends

Felix Gervits

Earth Day - three poems by Saigyō

 Happy Earth Day!

Today I would like to share three of my favorite poems by the legendary Japanese poet Saigyō. Though usually portrayed in a romantic way, Saigyō's life was far from peaceful and carefree. He lived in the 12th century Japan - a turbulent period of time in which numerous civil wars were fought for dominance of the country. Saigyō was born into a warrior clan and spent much of his early life training in martial arts and combat. He was employed as a warrior in the service of the emperor, and was responsible for many civil and political duties. Despite this, in his early 20's, Saigyō made the choice to leave the civilized world and become a reclusive monk. During this period of time he made frequent journeys throughout the country and lived for long periods of times isolated in the mountains and forests. Saigyō saw the transient nature of life and captured this mindset in his poetry. His love of nature and Buddhism made his poems eternal, and he was the inspiration for many of Japan's most famous poets.

Saigyō's poems are mainly written in the Tanka ("short poem") style of the more general Waka form. This style consists of 5-line poems with a syllable count of 5-7-5-7-7. These short poems, in their simplicity and power, were thought to best capture the essence of the Zen mindset.

...

Since the "real world" seems

My cherry tree in bloom

to be less than truly real,
why need I suppose
the world of dreams is nothing
other than a world of dreams?

...

An ancient field
and in the sole tree starkly
rising to its side
sits a dove, calling to its mate:
the awesome nightfall.

...

When stung by the world,
man's tears spill drop by drop
like the cherry tree
whose petals scatter down when
whipped by cold winds.

Saigyō

Spring Equinox

Today is the first day of Spring, and also the beginning of my blog. My plan for this blog is to post some of my favorite poems from China and Japan, in order to share these beautiful verses with the world. I think that poems, like all art, should be read and experienced by each person individually, so I will not provide an in-depth analysis about each verse. Instead, I will try to limit my comments to a short passage providing either background information about the poet, or a description of obvious symbolism.

I have been reading Eastern poetry for several years now and have accumulated a sizable collection of works. My interest started with the writings of Buddhist monks, in a little book I picked up called "The Poetry of Zen". I was moved by how these humble people were able to capture the essence of their spirituality and philosophy through very short verses. Many of the Japanese poets in this blog were either Zen Buddhists or were inspired by them in some way or another. The Chinese poets were motivated by Taoist and Confucian principles, which were also heavily influenced by Ch'an (Zen). Thus, all Eastern poets share this one fundamental principle: capturing the essence of Zen mind.

Out of all the poets I've read my favorites include: Li Po, Ryōkan, Saigyō, Bashō, Chia Tao, Issa, Hanshan, Tu Fu, Buson, Wang Wei, Li Shang-yin, Meng Chiao, Han Yü, Po Chu-i, Ki no Tsurayuki and many others.

The first poem I'll start with comes from the legendary Li Po (or Li Bai), who lived 1200 years ago in the Tang dynasty of China. This period was a highpoint in Chinese cultural history, widely regarded as a Golden Age for artists and scholars. During this time, Li Po wandered the countryside living a detached, carefree existence. He was known as the "Banished Immortal" during his time, due mostly to his rejection of social norms, which frequently got him in trouble. Instead, he preferred to wander the mountains and rivers of China, drinking heavily and scribbling poems. He later became known as one of the "Eight immortals of the wine cup" - a group of Tang dynasty poets known for their excessive drinking. The verses of Li Po perfectly express the freedom with which he lived his life, and they are among my favorite from any poet. Here is one in particular that is appropriate for the Spring Equinox.


Waking from drunkenness on a Spring day

Life in the world is but a big dream,
I will not spoil it by any labor or care.
So saying, I was drunk all day,
A shambles of sleep on the front porch.
Coming to, I look into the courtyard.
A lonely bird is singing amid the blossoms,
And when I ask what season this is,
An oriole's voice drifts on Spring winds.
Moved by its song I soon begin to sigh,
And as wine is there I fill my own cup.
Wildly singing, I await the bright moon,
And when the song is over, all my senses are gone.

Li Po