the fixed boulder
makes great shelter;
rolling boulders
make monkey paste:
how do baby monkeys know?
Baby Monkey Wisdom [Kyōka]
1
Category Archives: Kyōka
Disappointed Sparrow [Kyōka]
birdbath grows from
fungus on a dead log;
flitting sparrow
is disappointed to find
no water remains within.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
False Heralds [Tanka]
city landscapers
find year-round blooms for planters,
but I'll await
the wildflowers that grow
way up on the hillside.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
Stump Gator [Kyōka]
Gator rests on stump.
but my mind cannot rest.
it's not "gator"
and "stump" in the same place,
but in the same sentence.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
Pristine Garden [Kyōka]
Even in the
pristine palace garden,
gardeners refuse
to chase one stray, wind-blown leaf
that tumblers over pavers.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
Chill Induced Memory [Tanka]
the memory
of an outdoor cafe
at city center
comes to me out of the blue,
on a frigid Winter day.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
Calabash Time [Kyōka]
bowl in the right
calabash in the left:
drunkard empties
& then fills his cup --
amid missing time.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
Dragonhead [Tanka]
dragonhead
rises up out of a cloud,
over the city.
how many see the cloud,
but not the dragon?
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
BOOK: “The Poetry of Zen” Ed. / Trans. Sam Hamill & J.P. Seaton
The Poetry of Zen by Sam HamillMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Publisher Site – Shambhala
This poetry anthology consists of translations of Chinese and Japanese poetry that play in the Zen aesthetic. They are not Zen Buddhist poetry in the sense of being sutras or sutra-like expositions on Buddhist philosophy or theology (at least, not mostly.) And while there are many monks and Buddhist layperson poets represented, not all of those included were Buddhists. (In fact, there is even some verse from the Daodejing included, though Taoism is certainly philosophically related to Zen.)
About half the book is Chinese poetry, including pieces from Han Shan, Li Bai, Bai Juyi, Wang Wei, Du Fu, and many other greats of Chinese poetry. (Note: my spellings of author names varies from those used in the book because Hamill and Seaton use Wade-Giles spellings.) The other half of the book consists of works by Japanese poets, including: Saigyo, Dogen, Basho, Ryokan, Buson, Issa, and others. The Japanese part includes a few haibun (prose poems interspersed with haiku,) adaptations of Chinese-style poems, as well as the various Japanese fixed form styles (i.e.. haiku, tanka, etc.)
The two translators, Sam Hamill and J.P. Seaton, initial the poems that each translated (some were dually translated and others singularly.) I enjoyed the translations and felt they were fine reading in their own right. With haiku and tanka, the translators stuck fairly close to the traditional form (in as much as the aesthetic could be maintained doing so,) but with Chinese lyric styles they often took a freer approach to form.
If you’re interested in poetry that conveys Zen sentiment, this book is worth investigating.
View all my reviews
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
Lanterns [Kyōka]
rows of lanterns —
a jack-o-lantern patch —
lights the temple
on a dark, rainy night;
rain splats on a tin roof.
Tiger Riding for Beginners 