Haiku - Basho, pg. 35, Lips too Chilled

 

Futami friends, farewell –

Clam torn from shell,

I follow autumn.





Pg. 35, Lips too Chilled



Interpretation 1

Very heavy emotional feeling. Firstly, the overall feeling of ultimate displacement. Clam torn from shell, they stick to their shells very well..it takes a lot of effort to rip them, let alone open up to get inside. This phrase really pins the feeling of Basho being forcefully cast from comfort.

Where is he being ripped from? Futami, one translation of it, is an adjective that describes something forked, like a split road or path, a cross roads maybe. So Basho is thinking like, forked path friends, or pals he’s at a cross roads with, a separation of friendship really. Doesn’t seem to be due to personal conflict, more like friends drifting in different directions due to life circumstances. There are no heavy feelings of anger, rather a wistful parting and ripple of nostalgia.

The final line about following autumn makes the assumption he is nearing autumn. It’s probably late August. The word follow implies a moving forward, moving on, overcoming an emotional obstacle type of scene.

Despite being severely severed from his ancient amigos in a butcherish kind of way, Basho walks towards the future bringing with him dejection, longing for the past, and bittersweet farewells to a time once passed.



Interpretation 2:



Interestingly enough, according to Wikipedia, Futami was the name of 2 towns that became absorbed into a larger town in the early 2000’s. Obviously Basho lived and wrote his Haiku way before this happened, but the dissolving of a town is a reason to feel like a clam torn from its shell. So futami could be an adjective to describe a divided path and needing to make a choice forward, or it could literally be the name of a town, and Basho is referring to his friends as being from that town. It would be like me saying, “West Chester Friends”. Basho is addressing his friends that way. He must leave his home town and he is regretful about losing his pals.

More generally, this poem could be about anybody having to leave their home town and friends behind. And trying to make peace with the parting friends of the past.

Could be that it is a coming of age story and a young boy leaves his town to become an adult.

Could just be Basho stayed a while at some town during his wanders and is now exiting.

Regardless, the last 2/3 of the poem remain the same with feelings.



Side notes:

*The second line about the clam, ocean reference yea? Further implication of poem being set in summer/autumn transition and suggests a sea side, port town, or ocean type of town, taking place in maybe a backwater town on the coast, not a big bustling city.

*And if it DOES take place in a backwater seaside town, then it absolutely rings true about a person leaving behind their town and their old friends. What is the reason for the person’s leaving? If it were a modern day poem – hick town country boy/girl did well in school and got a city slicker high class job? Is that why they’re leaving their Futami Friends? Are they leaving because they got drafted to the military? This is very likely, since those sorts of things happening a lot back in the time period this was written (I’m assuming). In this way, the poem is timeless.

*On second thought, if the metaphor is a clam being ripped from its shell, it’s likely the reason for the person leaving the town is involuntary, like a war draft. Most definitely, this is it. A beautiful nature infused poem about the dread of being drafted to war by the government.

*Also the person is likening himself to a clam because there was no chance of dodging that bullet. Clams can’t move quickly like by running.

*This poem is basically the reverse of “Dodged THAT bullet!!”

*Goddamn, “following autumn” well autumn is considered the seasons of DEATH…FALL, things are dying and going towards winter. So I think it is a poem about being drafted to war. The person is being taken from their home and forced into a situation that likely leads to death and dying.

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Haiku - Basho, pg. 25 Lips too Chilled

 

Cherry Blossoms –

lights

of years past.



Pg. 25, Lips to Chilled



Interpretation 1:

Are the cherry blossoms metaphorically “lights of years past”, each petal containing the refraction of light caught in that moment in time, absorbing and retaining a snippet movie of fossilized existence? Is this an ancient Chinese multi-verse theory?

One person (man or woman, who knows?) is reflecting on their life, using this tree as a mental tool for visualizing their past years, perhaps also incorporation of a routined life and living in the same home town all his life. Ex: The cherry blossoms, the spectator has seen for years and years each year, continuously. Maybe this implies a scene of an old person reminiscing at the end of their lives, we get a feeling of nostalgia and the insight to a full life of a singular person.

There is a feeling of life and its memories as brief as the bloom of the cherry blossoms. The very Japanese lament of life’s transience.



Interpretation 2:

Is this more literally just a scene depiction of a Spring Time Japanese Festival, and the poem should be read as, “Cherry blossoms, AND lights of years past”? The focus on tradition, festivities, spring time aura. To be noted, this implies the setting is at NIGHT TIME. Lights are lit, probably paper lanterns, and the cherry blossom trees fray and swoah to a soft breeze. Perhaps there is a subtle innocent touch of romance.

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Haiku - Basho, pg. 37 Lips too Chilled

Poor boy – leaves

moon-viewing

for rice-grinding.



Pg. 37, Lips too Chilled



Interpretation 1:

“Poor boy” a youngster who is poverty stricken and given the arduous task of grinding rice. He is burdened with such duty late at night, “moon-viewing”. He is likely in tattered clothing. “Leaves”, the scene takes place in Autumn and attention is drawn to rust colored crinkly folliage; “moon-viewing” could very well be an Autumn activity. With little leaves remaining on trees and low humidity in the sky, the moon is perfectly available for gazing in the Fall.

Yet no matter the boys rugged placement in the world, he finds relief and joy in the moon-viewing. “Moon-viewing for rice-grinding”. Though he labors he is witness to a majestic show of nature and Tao itself.

He is likely a boy who although is in poverty, he finds pleasure from more simple things in life. He is grateful, did he learn these mannerisms from his family who are also likely impoverished but abundant with inner wealth: love, warmth, and appreciation?

Overall, the scene is endearing, bitter sweet maybe.



Interpretation 2:

“Poor boy” as if spoken by an upper class elderly woman. Not a comment on his wealth statue, rather he is pitied. Entire poem read as,

“Poor boy, he has to leave the moon-viewing part to attend to his rice-grinding. What a shame.”

Contrary to the previous interpretation, this reading could imply the opposite class status on the boy. He is a regal young gentleman out enjoying a royal moon-viewing. But he has to “leave” it, exit the party, to start his chores of grinding the rice.

This kind of scene implies the boy’s dismay at having to work, while some other party viewing boy, probably much older, views his upsettance as a growing pain.





Side Notes:

*I think rice grinding is a process that traditionally happened in the Autumn since it happened after the rice was harvested, which tended to be end of summer. (If my Sakuna memory serves me). This is when they pound the rice with the pestle and mortar?

*Would an upper class person be tasked with work late at night?