What are haikus?
Japanese literature has given the world some of the most beautiful and interesting texts ever written, not for nothing, the country has two Nobel Prize winners to date. Strongly influenced by Chinese culture - in addition to their own folklore, religion and natural landscapes - the Japanese began to document their existence through the kojiki or memories.
Since the adoption of the kanji —recorded before 538— a series of political and social factors occurred that encouraged the evolution of art, theater and poetry, starting a wave of artistic expressions. It was like this, At the beginning of the 17th century, a Buddhist monk named Matsuo Bashō ventured into what is now known as haiku.
What are haikus?
A haiku or haiku is a style of Japanese poetry. It is characterized by its brevity, having only three verses of five, seven and five syllables., respectively. The Japanese usually refer to the dividing linguistic unit as “moras”, which represent a lower range than the aforementioned syllables, so a haiku – in Japanese phonology – can be made up of 16, 17 or 23 moras.
Haiku is related to Taoism and Zen. However, its origin is much older. Already in the 8th century, the Man'yōshū, a classic work that exposed the fundamental structure of this poetic style, starting with the intrinsic value of nature, not as a metaphor for man's feelings, but for his amazement at it.
5 haiku books to read
In addition to exposing themes such as the beginning of the seasons or the contemplation of a landscape, within the preparation of a haiku it is expected that the presence of the haijin —or haikist, in Spanish— is relegated to the background, that his ego does not persist to give way to the aware, the strictest and most reflective present. To give a broader idea, here are 5 recommended haikus books.
A tomb facing the water (2021)
This book has 130 haikus extracted from the extensive work of the itinerant monk and Japanese author Taneda Santôka (1882-1940), creator of more than 8.400 poems. The volume was translated into Spanish directly from Japanese by Francisco Ramos and Haruka Ôta. In this 152-page compendium, it is stated that any event is worthy of a haiku, and that this is an art that has not been left behind.
The naked monk (2006)
Taneda Santôka appears again on this list. The book encompasses 100 haikus that deal with topics as diverse and complex as alcoholism and poverty. As one progresses in reading it, it is possible to find the author completely naked, both in body and soul. Santôka is one of the few poets who has broken out of the strict standards of Japanese literature and has triumphed in the process.
haiku (2023)
Kobayashi Issa (1763-1827) is considered one of the four great Japanese poets, and is extremely beloved in his homeland. In this compilation, 75 original poems are gathered, as well as many others by authors such as Yosa Buson and Masaoka Shiki.. The text also begins Buddha Project, belonging to the collection The nirvana effect, which aims to influence readers spiritually.
words of light (2009)
In addition to Matsuo Bashō, there was another author called by professors as “the father of haiku”, and this is none other than Ueshima Onitsura (1661-1738). The work, first edition outside Japanese borders, was translated by Vicente Haya in collaboration with Professor Yoshihiko Uchida and Akiko Yamada. This presents 90 of the writer's most relevant poems.
Haiku-dô, haiku as a spiritual path (2008)
Vicente Haya is the only poet on this list who is not Japanese. However, his research and works have been so significant for understanding haiku in the West that his name cannot be missing from the article. In this sense, his book exhibits 70 haikus that combine poetic style with an intricate spiritual search. At the same time, each piece is treated as a mystery that must be solved.
5 great Japanese poets
Matsuo Basho
Born Matsuo Kinsaku on November 28, 1694, He is defined as one of the most important poets of the Edo period, as well as one of the four haiku masters. He began to develop poetry from a very early age, later consolidating himself as a celerity, to the point that his texts managed to decorate monuments and public places of Japan.
Yosa buson
Born Taniguchi Buson on January 16 or 17, 1784, He is known for being one of the masters of haiku, and a very famous painter of Bunjinga. During his youth he moved to Edo to learn about Japanese poetry under the tutelage of the teacher Hayano Haijin. After the death of his mentor, he decided to travel to northern Honshū. It is there where he knows the natural landscapes that inspired them to write The Travel Diary of Bashō Oku no Hosomichi.
Kobayashi issa
This author was born on January 5, 1827. He lived as an abused child during his childhood, after his father remarried after the death of his mother. When the author was fourteen years old he traveled to Edo—now Tokyo—where he began working in a Buddhist temple., while practicing the haiku poetic style with Mizoguchi Sogan and Norokuan Chikua.
Masaoka shiki
He was a poet, literary critic and journalist from the Meiji period. Born under the name Masaoka Tsunenori, he closes the group of the four great haiku authors. During his literary career he also wrote essays and diaries, where he left his strong opinions about the style of other writers and various dilemmas of existence. His most famous haikus are jisei that he created before he died.
Taneda Santoka
He was born on December 3, 1882, and He is best remembered for the inspiring freestyle his haikus enjoyed. As a child, he witnessed his mother being pulled out of the family well after committing suicide. This vision forever marked his relationship with women. His tutor was Ogiwara Seisensui, a reformer of the traditional haiku style, from whom Santôka is said to have learned about prose.