柿もぎの金玉寒し秋の風
kakimogi no kintama samushi aki no kaze
picking persimmons
my balls are cold
in this autumn wind
—Ryōkan
(trans. David LaSpina[1])
Picking Persimmons by Kitagawa Utamaro
You probably might not expect a haiku to casually refer to one's private area, but such a thing wouldn't have been considered out of the ordinary. Ryōkan wasn't trying to be provocative or shocking, just honest. The entire haikai movement from which haiku sprang was in part to be more real, more honest and raw, and this fits with that.
In those days the kimono would have been the common way of dressing. I'm sure you have all seen kimono before, but for those who haven't, it is basically like a robe. We might assume he had a loincloth on underneath, but even so, you can imagine how chilly that can be when the wind whips by and goes under and into your kimono. Brrr!
There are two kigo (season words) here. Autumn wind and persimmon. These days we are told to only use one kigo in a haiku, but prior to Takahama Kyoshi (1874-1959) it was fairly common to use more than one.
Persimmons are everywhere in Japan. They are tasty and healthy and grow easily, making them almost the perfect fruit. Many families even have persimmon trees in their home gardens. Seeing trees full of the orange fruits set against the dark blue autumn sky is a very common image in any Japanese neighborhood. Going persimmon picking in autumn is still a common activity for friends and families. A few of my students have multiple persimmon trees on their property and they present me with multiple bags of the fruit every year, so I haven't had to buy any in a long time.
Ryōkan was a fairly reclusive Sōtō Zen monk, living most of his life as a hermit. Most of his poetry was fairly simple and usually about nature.
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| David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. |
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That is, me! If you like this translation, feel free to use it. Just credit me. Also link here if you can. ↩