RESOURCE PAPER - 7

The Fragrance of Haiku

byMs. Geethanjali Rajan

This Policy Paper is on Haiku. Of late the Haiku community is on theincrease. Haiku in many languages, portraying the minds and hearts ofauthors, makes the readers feel happy and live close to the poets - pastand present. We dedicate this Resource Paper to great Haiku poets. Our
efforts, with all humility, is:a small stone
creating ripplesin haiku river
We are happy to present the 'The Fragrance of Haiku', written by
Ms. Geethanjali Rajan, a language consultant and a senior Japanese
language teacher at the Language School of Indo-Japan Chamber ofCommerce and Industry.
Ms. Geethanjali's journey into haiku started in 2003; her English
language haiku and senryu have appeared in many places - World Haiku
Review, Chrysanthemum, Notes from the Gean, A Hundred Gourds,
Mainichi, Asahi, Creatrix, Prune Juice and some others. She is therecipient of a few awards - Redleaf Poetry India Award 2013 for haiku,
an Honourable mention in the Genjuan International haibun
Competition 2014 and 2016, the second place (haiku) at the Tata Lit
Live, 2014 and a second place in The Sonic Boom International Senryu
Competition 2016.
Hope the readers will enjoy the content of this Resource Paper.

Suguna Ramamoorthy
June 2016

Secretary-General IJCCIThe Fragrance of Haiku

Haiku - Vignettes about Japan
Japan's contribution to world literature is as important as thecontribution by any other major country. How can it be not so,when the land itself is pristine, well-endowed by nature, thecountry gifted with four seasons, and its people possessed by deep
beliefs and a rich culture? Japan has always had a rich and diverse
literary tradition that has evolved through the ages, though
accessible to the majority of the world only through translation.
Both poetry and prose date back several centuries in the Japanesetradition and many noted works of literature have been
contributed by this island nation. In the arena of fiction novels,
The Genji Monogatari or The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu,
a noblewoman and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial Court, iscredited to be the world's first full length novel and this was
written as early as the 11th century (Heian period). Manyoushu(Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves) is believed to be the oldest
poetry collection of Japan and is a wealth of short and longer
poems. This contains poems dated between 350 to 759 A.D. In
the field of poetry, Japan has given the world waka, haiku, tanka
and many of its related literary forms, of which this paper will
explore the beautiful poetry form of haiku.
What is haiku?
Haiku is a short Japanese poem containing 17 syllables or morae('on' in Japanese), in the format of 5-7-5 syllables. It is mostly anunrhymed poem that is based on nature and traditionally, almost
5always has a seasonal reference word (kigo) contained in it. The
essence of haiku is also often dependent on the juxtaposition of
two images, resulting in a cut (kire) in the verse, along with a
cutting word or kireji. In short, haiku captures a moment much
like a photograph or painting.
furu ike ya kawazu tobikomu mizu no oto- Matsuo Basho
old pond…
a frog leaps inwater's sound- translated by William J Higginson
Evolution from hokku to haiku
Haiku has existed in Japan for many centuries as the art of haikaino renga or collaborative (and sometimes, competitive) poetry
conferences were a form of entertainment in feudal Japan. Thiscan be likened to India's own court poetry in ancient periods,
where poets vied with each other during poetic endeavours, tocreate poems that surpassed the others' wit. However, thevulgarity or base humour of the form of haikai in Japan, when it
was a pastime in the court or houses of rich merchants was notappreciated by all.
The evolution of haiku itself, as a standalone art form, is seen tohave come from the opening verse of the linked poems of verse orrenga, which was called the 'hokku'. The opening verse or hokku
always had a traditional tone to set the season, time and literally,
the stage for the rest of the verses that would be written by many
poets collaboratively, to form the long chain of poems or renga.
By the 17th century, the hokku is said to have become a standalone verse. Much of the seriousness and aesthetic fineness of
haiku is a result of the poet traveler, Matsuo Basho's life and6journey in Japan and also, into his own self. He is said to havelifted the form of hokku to a sublime level and is considered bymany as Japan's greatest poet.
natsukusa ya tsuwamono domo ga yume no ato- Matsuo Basho
The summer grass!
'Tis all that's left
Of ancient warriors' dreams- translated by Prof. Inazo Nitobe, 1893
Basho's tradition of poetry was admired by many and his making
poetry from the lives of plants, animals, insects, beggars and thedestitute captivated many in Japan. No subject was too low, base or
insignificant for his poems. His students were many and they
carried the tradition of sublime haikai forward. Matsuo Basho isconsidered by many as 'haisei' or the poet saint. The contributions ofYosa Buson, Kobayashi Issa and Masaoka Shiki to haiku poetry inJapan have enshrined them as the great Masters of the Art. The name'haiku' itself was a name given later to the art, by the efforts of
Masaoka Shiki. He also introduced many concepts into haiku thatwere a result of western influence and possibly, visual art.
Understanding Japan through the aesthetic of haiku
Haiku is an art form that has captured the imaginations and minds
of many across the world. But what aspect of this poetry form is itthat essentially brings Japan to us? This is a question that leads tovarious facets of Japan - its natural beauty, the four seasons,culture and society. And in all of these areas, is the common
thread of grace and beauty that one finds amidst an overwhelming
need for structure.

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Onji or syllable countTraditional Japanese haiku always have 17 sound units (onji).
This, as earlier mentioned, is in the format of 5-7-5. While many
poets of other languages, including English, earlier tried to stickto this, it must be understood that each language has its own metre
and rhythm. In India itself, writing a sentence in one's native
language is very different from writing in English and a syllable
to syllable correspondence is impossible, not just difficult.
Japanese language finds its metre in the 5-7-5 pattern and that is
why haiku has that rhythm and not vice versa, as commonly
believed. Hence, when haiku travelled to various other languages,
the count of syllables varied widely. This is a necessary deviation,
based on the characteristic of each language. However, haiku inJapanese (except for free format modern haiku) consists of 17
morae and this makes the poet (be it an elementary school student
or a professional) restrict the verse to 17 sound units. What one
wants to say has to be short, precise, devoid of adjectival
adornment and yet, beautiful. This definitely brings minimalist
writing and perhaps a way of life that is stripped of decoration, tothe fore. This also points one to the Japanese quality of therequirement of structure in all walks of life and society.
Nature and seasons - kigo
A very important aspect of haiku is its rootedness in the moment.
Early poets believed that one had to experience the moment towrite it and not just sit at a desk and create flowery verse. This
tradition leads one to nature and required that one observes its
life-force or zouka. The ephemerality or transience of nature is acore value in haiku. This too is seen in life in Japan, where one
faces the ire of nature quite frequently and utmost care is taken
when looking after the surroundings. Food, clothes, customs,
flower arrangements and traditions change with the seasons and8each brings its own joy! Kigo or the season word found in all
traditional haiku, is proof that the Japanese as a race, are very
aware of nature and its manifestations in their everyday life. Of
course, to the credit of the Japanese is that they have kigo
dictionaries and Saijiki, an almanac of season words that haiku
poets use. This is probably a necessity as Japan adopted theGregorian calendar that left many flowers and insects confused
about the season they belonged in!
shi ni jitaku itase itase to sakura kana
- Kobayashi Issa
Falling cherry petals say
Hurry, hurry
Thy preparedness for death- translated by Ian Mutsu
The ephemerality of things and the poignancy thereof, 'mono noaware', is something that is best captured by sakura blossoms.
They arrive in spring, provide joy and entertainment and after justa few days, are seen no more till the next year. What better
metaphor can capture life's pathos?
The cut or kireSo much can be said in 17 syllables, and yet, much of the beauty ofhaiku lies in what is not said! Haiku uses the technique ofjuxtaposition of images using a word to cut the single sentence.
This cut also creates a gap in the verse, a space or 'ma'. The cut
also allows for a change in viewpoint or a turn. Ma is a gap in time,
space or in the poem's imagery that lets the reader step in and bepart of the poet's image. A small space is all that is created, andthat is the invitation into the poem. This space can even be in the9reader's mind. This compares to Japan itself as it values its space,and houses that are compact and minimalist in furnishing, are thenorm. Ma is an essential quality in haiku where it suggests what isleft unsaid and that leads to a resonance in the readers.
chouchou ya nani o yume mite hanezukai- Chiyo-ni
Oh! butterfly
what are you dreaming
fluttering your wings?
Beauty in starkness
Each culture has their own aesthetic framework that is seen in theirvisual art, performing art, architecture and literature. Think of our
Chola temples and bronzes and Moghul forts of yore. Much is to besaid about the Japanese aesthetic appeal of wabi-sabi. Translated,wabi refers to beauty in simplicity or poverty and sabi is the serenity
or even, loneliness that comes along. Put together, it takes us to an
aesthetic value that the Japanese uphold in all aspects of art andtraditional life. To seek and find beauty in imperfection, in fading
leaves, chipped vases or a rust- covered garden bowl would be
wabi-sabi. True haiku finds beauty in the transience of nature, in aworld devoid of trappings, in simple or rustic settings. It alsosuggests a loneliness or perhaps, a meditativeness in these
conditions. Sample this haiku by Basho set in a simple hedge.
yoku mireba nazuna hana saku kakine kana
- Matsuo Basho
Looking closely
I find a shepherd's purse blooming
under the hedge.
- translated by Soichi Furuta
10Other Japanese art forms too reflect this wabi-sabi style of beauty.
Japanese Pottery, which is famous world over for its elegance andminimalist style is a reflection of this aesthetic, where imperfections
are appreciated, rather than condemned. Many a time, tea cups
(chawan) are chipped deliberately at the bottom to incorporate theaesthetic. Kintsugi, an art of repairing pottery with a lacquer mixed
with gold or silver, enhances the flaws and draws attention to it.
Such is the reach of wabi-sabi on the art field.
kono aki wa hiza ni ko no nai tsukimi kana
- Uejima Onitsura
this autumn
I will be watching the moonwith no child on my lap
Onitsura's haiku depicts the loss of a child at an early age. Veryoften, the acceptance of a condition itself, is the cause of peaceand calm; however painful or desperate the situation. This too canbe beauty in literature.
The mysterious - yuugen
Yuugen is another concept that one encounters in haiku that gives it avitality that the reader cannot ignore. It is a very difficult concept totranslate into English. Roughly put, it means mysterious, secluded or
subtle, hidden beauty. After all, when one stands in Tenryuuji in Kyoto
and faces the mountains, the beauty is awe-inspiring, to say the least.
umi kurete kamo no koe honoka ni shiroshi- Matsuo Basho
The waters fadeand the wild ducks' cries
are faintly white- translated by Janine Beichman
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Lightness
While haiku are nature poems, filled with subtlety andsuggestion, it isn't always a grave or serious verse. In fact, many
Japanese haijin promote the quality of karumi or lightness.
Popularised by Matsuo Basho, karumi is probably best explained
as looking at the beauty of the world in wonderment, much like achild. It counters the sad, loneliness in nature and helps put thingsin better perspective. It also means that one is in tune with thesurroundings and is able to relate to the object that is being written
about, in the simplest, yet purest way.
kore hodo no botan to shikata suru ko kana
- Kobayashi Issa
“The peony was as big as this,”
Says the little girlOpening her arms
- translated by R.H.Blyth
The poet and the poem
When a haijin (poet writing haiku) writes a verse, he or she
probably is filled with many emotions, like all other poets. But
haiku, unlike free verse, is not about conveying one's complex
emotions to the reader in concrete terms. Haiku is a poetry form
that calls for subtlety and refinement. The poet is in the moment
but not completely consumed by the moment. He or she feels but
is not overwhelmed by the emotion. The poet is part of the
moment but so also, a little detached. Haiku does not encourage
author intrusion, though it does seem that the Great Masters ofJapanese Haiku did allow their observations and emotion to bepresented in a gentle manner. This very relationship of the poet tothe subject or object of haiku can be likened to what the holy

12book, The Bagavad Geeta suggests, “detached attachment”. Thisis also the case in many of the religious practices associated with
Buddhism, where one overcomes the confines of bondage, but is
not totally cut off from the realities of life. Along with thisconstruct, finding divinity in living and nonliving objects(animism), which is a part of Japan's Shinto religion, is an
inseparable part of the haiku tradition. Eventually, the Japanese
ideal of sincerity to one's job comes through in haiku too, where
makoto or sincerity in connecting to the moment being written
about is the ultimate requirement.
odoroku ya yuugao ochishi yowa no oto- Masaoka Shiki
surprise!
a moonflower fellmidnight sound- translated by Janine Beichman
Haiku in the world
From the islands of Japan, the rest of the world adopted andreceived many things - technology, preciseness, martial art, thelist goes on. Add to this, the short form of poetry, haiku. It is notuncommon to come across Americans, Europeans, Asians orAfricans writing haiku in their own native languages. There aremany languages where the syllable count does not fit the Japanese
17. Many poets still try to stick to the 17 syllables as they try toadapt their languages and poems and fit it into the Nihongo
framework. Yet others have rightly discarded the syllable count,as it is but a minor detail in structuring the poem. As long as theaesthetic and other parameters are met, the syllables are notcompletely adhered to. This has led to the development andspread of haiku far and wide.
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India and haiku
India's relationship with haiku is very old. Poets like
Rabindranath Tagore and Subramania Bharathi were smitten by
the art and wrote about haiku. In Letters from Japan (Japan Jatri),
Tagore writes about haiku and the need for control over not only
language, but also control over the self in order to 'remain silent'
to express the depth of beauty. In Stray Birds, he writes one-line
thought like poems, which are haikuesque in nature.
If you shed tears when you miss the sun, you also miss the stars- Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds
The butterfly does not count years but moments,
and therefore has time.
- Rabindranath Tagore, Fireflies
As was common with Tagore, he wrote both in Bengali andEnglish, and translated with ease.
Subramania Bharathy is credited with having translated somehaiku into Tamil and having popularized the existence of the art.
More recently, many Tamil poets like Sujatha, Amudhabharathi
and Kannikkovil Raja have contributed to haiku. In Tamil, thegenre is called Thulippa and there are journals that are devoted tothe art (example, minmini haiku).
Many poets write haiku in Punjabi, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarathi,
Malayalam and almost every state has practitioners of haiku. As isthe case, syllable counts matter little when transposed into otherlanguages and what matters is the heart of haiku.
A very encouraging trend in India is the growing numbers of poets
who write haiku in English (English Language Haiku or ELH).
What has to be said here is that while it is an encouraging
movement with many discussions leading to evolution of the14

form, much of the literature and knowledge of haiku is fromEnglish haiku and not Japanese haiku. As Japanese language is notaccessible to many, most people read haiku and its criticism
from different parts of the world in English, and gather theirperception of haiku and its characteristics and essence fromthe West. This is not without its own problems, if we look at itfrom a Japanese view point. However, many senior haijin in
India have imbibed the spirit of haikai and distilled it to a finedegree, carrying forward Basho's legacy in English. Today,
most international journals find many poets publishing theirwork and almost every competition in haiku and its related
genres has an Indian name in the winners' list!
For haiku to be carried forward in its essence, an ideal situationof Japanese poetry books being available in translation in Indian
languages or English is desirable. Translation projects can betaken up with the help of academia here. After all, India has alarge consumer base in any field and so is the case with books.
Hence, Japanese and Indian publishers will gain by looking at
this opportunity. India is close to Japan in many ways and isgetting closer still, as both the countries share many ideals
including socio-culture and religious ideals. India has a verystrong leaning towards spirituality, meditativeness and its
villages are still very tied to nature. However the situation inlarge metropolises is unfortunate, where nature and man are atloggerheads. Popularizing haiku as vignettes of nature will help
to increase awareness about our environment, absorb with all
our five senses and bring us closer to nature, which is the need of
the hour! Under the people to people exchange declared by thePrime Ministers of Japan and India, cultural ties are expected toget a fillip. This may well be the time for exchanges in the fieldof Art and Culture between the two countries. Perhaps haiku
will after all, be the one to benefit.

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nao mitashi hana ni ake yuku kami no kao- Matsuo Basho
all the more I wish to seein those blossoms at dawn
the face of god- translated by Makoto Ueda
Author's note:
All translations of Japanese haiku into English have been sourced
from The Classic Tradition of Haiku - An Anthology, edited by
Faubion Bowers, Dover Publications, 1996.
The author wishes to acknowledge and thank all the haijin (poets)and translators she has read in many languages in the last 15 years.
It has been a magical and enriching journey.
Many online and print resources of haiku are available for further
reading.
livinghaikuanthology.com is a repository of haiku from all over
the world.
- Geethanjali Rajan

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