INVITATION TO THE WORKS OF KYOSHI

From "One Hundred Haiku of Kyoshi"
selected by Ms. Inahata Teiko.
Translated by Nagayama Aya

(12) -2001.5.5-

草摘みし今日の野いたみ夜雨来たる

Kusa tsumishi kyoh no no itami yau kitaru

Literal translation:
　　To cure fields where
　　We gathered greens in daylight
　　It rains at night.

　　Seasonal word; kusatsumi, gathering spring herbs, gathering greens.
　　This haiku was written in 1913, when Kyoshi was 38 years old.

In an essay about this haiku Kyoshi writes: "On that day we had gathered young greens in a field in Kamakura, and in the night I awoke to the sound of rain. Listening to the soft sound, I could imagine that the heavens had sent the rain to cure the fields we had inadvertently damaged by our gathering. Consoled by this thought, I fell back to sleep. This haiku was born at that moment."

Reading the poet's explanation, we can well understand what was meant. There are no difficult words in this poem, and it has a light rhythm that easily enters our hearts. We can feel Kyoshi's sensitive warmth toward nature and can sense that this haiku shows the animism still hidden in his heart.

We understand that it is the heavens who feel compassion for the spoiled field, but we also find ourselves becoming more relieved and comforted as if we were listening to the healing rain.

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