The Japanese love the delicacy of the blossoming trees of Cherry and Plum. There is a lot of poetical energy spent in wishing that the wind that blows down the petals will stay away. I can feel the pain which the Japanese felt when the Spring wind is blowing as all the flowering trees are in full bloom. I have in my backyard a wonderful Cherry tree and when it's in full bloom I myself pray that the wind will stay away. It's such a pity when those delicate blossoms are torn apart by the wind. This one Basho wrote in Spring 1667:
hano no kao ni hare ute shite ya oboro zuki
in full bloom may the plum not be touched by the wind's hand
A wonderful haiku I think. One can vision the sight of the plum in full bloom and the anxiety that the wind will damage the delicate blossoms.
in the Spring breeze the Cherry blossoms move a few petals fall
Not completely in the same sense as Basho's, but on the other hand so completely the same. Just a few petals fall by the hand of the Spring breeze. |