Japanese culture – from the tea ceremony to poetry and paintings – is intimately tied to seasonal changes. Autumn has always inspired Japanese poets because of its rich mix of natural beauty, harvest abundance, and the quiet transition toward winter. It is a time for reflection, a time to express gratitude for the harvest and a time for mono no aware— the bittersweet awareness of the transience of all things as beauty fades into winter. Below are some classic works of Japanese poets who invoked autumn to convey these poignant feelings.

As I Dig for Wild Orchids
Izumi Shikibu (974-1034)

As I dig for wild orchids
in the autumn fields,
it is the deeply bedded root
that I desire,
not the flower.

This famous waka (31-syllable) poem was written by the Heian-period court poet Izumi Shibuku. The poem is translated here by Jane Hirschfield and Mariko Aratani and appears in the classic collection, The Ink Dark Moon. Much of Izumi Shibuku’s poetry explores emotional authenticity, the unseen and the profound. Here, she looks past the temporary beauty of the flowers, which will soon fade in the fall, to seek the hidden, enduring life beneath the soil.

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Autumnal Clarity
Sentoka Tenada (1882-1940)

Autumnal clarity, pleasant beyond description.
More and more I keenly feel
the gravity of the times

~ Excerpts from Sumita Oyama, The Life and Zen Haiku Poetry of Santoka Taneda, translated by William Scott Wilson, Tuttle Publishing, 2021.

Santoka Tenada (1882-1940) was a Japanese poet who lived during the early Shōwa period. He is considered one of the leading figures of free-form haiku in Japan. Departing from the traditional 5-7-5 syllable structure, his haiku are known for their simple, direct language that contemplates on the natural world, and itinerant lifestyle he embraced.

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Here are two poems by Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), considered to be Japan’s finest haiku poet. The first haiku evokes the heavy feeling of growing old alongside acceptance that we are a part of nature.

In this autumntime,
why do I so feel the years?
In the clouds – a bird.

The next piece, which beautifully captures tranquility of autumn, is one of my favorites.

Autumn moonlight–
a worm digs silently
into the chestnut.

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Japanese writers often use autumn as a metaphor for solitude and longing. These feelings are magnificently captured by this haiku by the Meiji poet, Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902) where a lone bird is set against the vast expanse of the sky.

Autumn evening sky –
a single crow returning
to its distant pine.

Finally, we are back to Santōka with this autumnal haiku:

Drifting with dry leaves,
my pilgrim feet find the road
soft as yesterday.

In this haiku, the dry leaves symbolize decay and the natural passage of time. By linking his pilgrim feet alongside them, Santoka removes the ego, presenting himself as a mere sojourner on this earth.