Spring is a magical time in Japan. During the brief period from late March to late April, millions of cherry (sakura) trees blossom in the country. Across the land, small and big parties are held underneath them, sake is drunk, songs are sung, and the beauty of the blossoms is enjoyed, with the knowledge that nature will take back their beauty at a moment’s notice.
The full cherry bloom is reached within a week after the first blossoms open, and the peak is over within another week. By mid-April, the blossoms will start to fall, a poignant reminder that all earthly things we cherish never last. Even in death, however, cherry blossoms exhibit a poetic kind of beauty as the next photo shows.
Haiku, Japan’s succinct literary gem, is known for packing a wealth of meaning into just 17 syllables and for its intrinsic ties to the seasons. It is a brief poetic capsule that tries to convey essence of a moment in time. References to spring and cherry blossoms abound in the Japanese literary tradition and below are two spring haiku by the master poet, Matsuo Basho, translated in English
How many things
they call to mind
these cherry-blossoms!
And
Very brief –
Gleam of blossoms in the treetops
On a moonlit night.
~ Matsuo Basho (1644 – 1694)
