蔵焼けて
kura yakete
障るものなき
sawaru mono naki
月見哉
tsuki mi kana
Translator’s Glossary
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CHARACTER
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RŌMAJI
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DEFINITION
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POSSIBLE SYNONYMS
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|---|---|---|---|
| 蔵 | kura (n.) | building where things are | storehouse, storage room, warehouse, barn |
| なき | naki (prep.) | in the absence of | without, lacking, minus, sans |
| 障るも の | sawaru mono (n.) | something that prevents access or movement | obstruction, barrier, interference, hindrance, impediment, block |
| 月見哉 | tsuki mi kana (n.) | the act of observing the only natural satellite of earth | moon viewing, viewing the moon, moon watching, beholding the moon, moon beholding |
| 焼けて | yakete (v.) | to be destroyed by fire | has burned down, burnt, is |
Artistic Elements
I. About Haiku
• Haiku is a Japanese poem traditionally comprised of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five
syllables that create a single, memorable image. For many, haiku is more than poetry; it is a way of
life. Deceptively simple, in three short lines it sets a scene and then delivers a surprise. This surprise
is usually an insight, image, or comment that casts a new light on the previous lines.
• Essential to the structure of haiku is the “cutting word,” or kireji, which divides the poem in two. It
acts as a disruption and implies a relationship between what comes before it and what comes after,
oftentimes juxtaposing the two. Ya (や) is one of seven common kireji used in Japanese haiku. Ya
(や) is derived from a Chinese character meaning “this.”
• The roots of haiku can be traced as far back as the Heian period (794–1185) when nobles at court
played at creating long-linked poems, or renga, in a group. A single poet began a “link” with a
particular theme, and others improvised responses, one by one, in short verses that altered and
expanded upon the theme. In the courts of the day, there was an acute fascination with verse that
was concise in description, full of understatement rich with suggestion, and composed by more than
one poet. Typical topics included love, youth, life, vanished summers, and explorations of nature.
Haiku came about as poets began to compose the opening verses of renga as stand-alone poems.
• Writing haiku involves acute attention to the rhythm and sound of poetry, and requires a vast store
of synonyms in order to be as concise and precise as possible. The translation and composition of
this form teaches students to manipulate words and syntax, moving beyond basic sentences to
more sophisticated, thoughtful, and succinct modes of expression.
Bio
Mizuta Masahide was a celebrated poet who also made his living as a samurai, a merchant, and later, as a physician. Due to a lack of consistent information, there is not much known about his early life. However, it is clear that from an early age Masahide was deeply interested in, and practiced, waka, a form of classical Japanese poetry. He also studied with the great haiku master Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694). To honor their teacher during his stay in the Omi province, Masahide and a group of poets built him a small hut, called the Nameless Hermitage (Mumyooan 無名庵). The poets studied with, and assisted, Bashō in any way the master required. This
particular haiku remains Masahide’s most famous poem. Coincidently, or not, it was also Bashō’s favorite.