Yosa Buson and Shunkeikosho
In the haiku by Yosa Buson, described in “Reading Haiku from the Perspective of Haiku History and Communication“.
Harukaze no tsumekaeshita shunshosho (Harukaze no tsumekaeshita shunshosho).
This is a haiku in which Harukaze is a woman’s dress. This is a vividly composed haiku with a momentary change of scene, in which the author almost intends to say that the spring breeze gently blew back the skirt of a woman’s kimono, but in fact the spring breeze gently blew back the edge of the booklet of Haru-kaze no tsukaesho (Haru-sho).
Yosa Buson perfected haiku as a highly artistic form of literature and is considered one of the three great masters of haikai in the Edo period, along with Matsuo Basho, who wrote about scenes from his travels as described in “Oi no Kobun to Kaido yuku – Akashi Kaikyo / Awaji Michi” and “Kaido yuku Akita Stroll and Matsuo Basho to Sugae Masumi“, and Kobayashi Issa, who wrote about his ego with three elements: comedy, satire and compassion. Kabuson’s haikai are described as picturesque haiku in which the scene comes to life, expressed with a realistic technique and a rich sense of colour.
The haiku in this section, Haruakei-sho, refers to the Pillow Book Shunkei-sho, a commentary on the Pillow Book written by Kitamura Seigin in the Edo period (1603-1868), which has been read by unique modern literary figures such as Yosano Akiko, Higuchi Ichiyo, Shirasu Masako and Mori Mari, connecting the world of the Pillow Book created around 1000AD to the present day. The Makura no Zoshi is a modern-day link to the world of the Makura no Zoshi, which was written in 1000 AD.
In addition to Shunkeikosho, Kitamura Sigin also wrote many commentaries on classics of the Heian and Kamakura periods, including The Tale of Genji, Tosa Diary, Ise Monogatari and Tsurezuregusa, which became widely known and recognised as classics because they were widely read during the Edo period.
Yoshida Kanayoshi and the Tsurezuregusa
The Tsurezuregusa is one of Japan’s three great literary works, along with the Hojoki and the Pillow Book, as described in “Doubt the value of the richness of the Hojoki“, and was written by Yoshida Kaneyoshi, who lived from the Kamakura to Muromachi periods. These three writings are characterised as follows: Sei Shonagon, who wrote The Pillow Book, is a person who looks around as one of the ants; Kamo no Chomei, who wrote Hojoki, is a person who abandoned interest in ants; and Yoshida Kenko, who wrote Tsurezuregusa, is a person who looks at ants from a high place. Yoshida Ken’yoshi’s height is not so high, but he stands at a moderate distance and angle, looking down on human society.
The Tsurezuregusa begins as follows.
I am at my wit’s end, living in the day, facing the inkstone, and writing about whatever is going on in my mind.
This means: “If I sit at the inkstone all day long, writing down the trivial things that come and go in and out of my mind, I feel strangely insane. This is the meaning of the phrase “I feel strangely insane”.
Another expression that expresses Kenko’s view of the world is as follows.
They gather like ants, rushing from east to west and running from north to south. Some are high, some are low. Some are old, some are young. There are places to go and homes to return to. They sleep in the evening and wake up in the morning. What is the place where you live? They devour life and never stop seeking gain.
Nourish yourself and wait for something. The only thing to look forward to is old age and death. What pleasure is there in waiting for them to come, if they come quickly and do not stop at nothing? Those who are not aware do not fear this. He who is blinded by fame and profit, and does not look to the nearness of the road ahead. The foolish also grieve for this. They think that they must live forever, but they do not know the truth of change.
This means: “They gather together like ants, rushing from east to west and running from north to south. There are those of high rank and those of low. Some are old, some are young. There is a place to go and a home to return to. They sleep at night and wake up in the morning. What is the life of people? They wish for longevity and seek profit.
What are we waiting for by nourishing ourselves? All we ask for is old age and death. They come quickly and do not stay from moment to moment. What pleasure is there in waiting for this? Those who are worldly-minded do not fear this. For they are so absorbed in fame and fortune that they do not consider the nearness of death, which is the final destination.
The fool also grieves for this. For they think that they are immortal, and do not know the reason of things, that all things in the world change.” In other words, it expresses the view of impermanence of what it means to live a secoseko life in this narrow society.
The period in which Tsurezuregusa was written was a time of a major shift in values, from the aristocrat-centred Heian period to the samurai-centred Kamakura period. This viewpoint was shared by the Edo period more than 600 years later, when values were changing with the shift from the samurai to the townspeople, and had a profound influence on the culture of the Edo period.
The Pillow Book and Shunkei Sho
In writing Tsurezuregusa, Yoshida Kaneyoshi was strongly aware of the Pillow Book, and some parts of Tsurezuregusa consciously imitate its style.
The famous preface to the Pillow Book is as follows.
Spring is at its dawn. The mountains are becoming white, and the purple clouds are thinly trailing.
Summer is night. The moon is still light. It is dark, and many fireflies are flying overhead. It is also beautiful to see the faint glow of a firefly or two. It is also strange when it rains.
Autumn is dusk. The sun is setting and the mountains are getting closer, and the crows are rushing to their sleeping places. It is a sight to behold the flocks of wild geese, which are so delicate. The sun is setting, and the sound of the wind and insects is too faint to be heard.
Winter at least. The snow is falling, and it is too cold to mention, but the snow is white, and even though it is light, it is still cold, and it is very cold. When daylight comes, the fire in the vat is white with ashes.
This is a reference to the fact that spring is good at dawn. The sky at the edge of the mountains gradually becomes whiter and whiter, and it becomes a little brighter, and purplish clouds are thin and fluttering.
Summer is good at night. It goes without saying when there is a moon. Even on moonless dark nights and in the miyos, it is good to see many fireflies flying about. However, it is also interesting to see them flying little by little, one or two at a time. It is also interesting when it rains.
Dusk is good in autumn. When the sun is setting and it is close to the edge of the mountains, three, four or even two or three crows fly away to return to their roosts, which is also very touching. It is also very poignant to see them forming a line of birds (flying far away) and looking small. Needless to say, it’s also very romantic when the sun goes down and you can hear the sound of the wind and insects (needless to say, it’s very romantic).
In winter, early mornings are good. It goes without saying that the snowy mornings are the best. It is also very nice to walk across the corridor with a charcoal fire on a very cold morning. （But when daylight comes, and the cold gradually slackens, it is not very pretty to see the ashes of the fire in the fire pit turning white. In other words, it is a song about the interesting scenery of the four seasons.
In the traditional Japanese waka world, as described in “The Beauty of the Japanese Language – On the Imperial Poetry Anthology”, spring and autumn were predominant, summer and winter were rare, and there was a standardised image of the seasons in the waka world. In contrast, the Pillow Book treats the four seasons – spring, summer, autumn and winter – on an equal footing, and is characterised by the fact that it creates a new image of the seasons in the world of waka poetry.
These are the perspectives of observing everyday life in more detail, as described above in the viewpoint that “Sei Shonagon, who wrote The Pillow Book, was a person who looked around as one of the ants”.
In contrast, in Tsurezuregusa, the following sentence is written with a strong awareness of the preface to the Pillow Book
The changing of the seasons is what makes things so beautiful. The autumn is the best time for things to change,” people say, but that is not true, and what makes my heart flutter at the moment is the feeling of spring. The birdsong is also more spring-like than ever, and in the gentle shadows of the sun, the grass is starting to sprout on the fence, spring has become a little hazy and the flowers have become more cheerful, but the rain and wind are still continuing, and the hearts of the people are warmly sad. Until they turn into green leaves, they will continue to trouble the mind in all ways. The smell of the plum blossoms makes me think of the past and how I miss them. The beauty of the wildflowers and the dusky wisteria are all things that are hard to forget.
This is a poem that says: “The changing of the seasons is what makes everything worthwhile. Everyone seems to say that the beauty of things is greater in autumn, and while that is true, it is the springtime scenery that is particularly moving. The birdsong is exceptionally spring-like, and in the tranquil light of day, from the time the grass on the hedges starts to sprout, spring gradually deepens, a haze hangs over everything, and the flowers gradually change colour. Until they turn into green leaves, they haunt people’s hearts in every way. The flowering orchids are famous as a reminder of the past, but it is the smell of the Japanese apricot that brings back memories of the past. The clear blooming of yamabuki (wild cherry blossoms) and the hazy appearance of wisteria clusters are all things that are often hard to forget,” in other words, the description of the changes of the four seasons as described in the Makura no Kusoshi.
Shunkeikosho, mentioned at the beginning of this article, is a beautiful revival of the literary space of the Pillow Book.
Reference Book
Tsurezuregusa Beginner’s Classics Japanese classics.
Pillow grass (1), Pillow grass (2)
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