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.