H3031 Haiku by Basho – As the temple bell fades …
by Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase
As the temple bell fades
The ringing lingers in the blossom scent
Evening [1]
| kane kiete hana no ka wa tsuku yuube kana |
鐘消えて 花の香は撞く 夕べ哉 |
| bashou | 芭蕉 |
Robin D. Gill suggests the translations:
as the sound dies
the scent of the bloom strikes:
the evening bell [2]
the evening bell
fades away leaving only
the bloom scent [2]
the peal fades
and the scent strikes us:
it is the dusk! [2]
Daniel C. Buchanan suggests the translation:
Temple bells die out.
The fragrant blossoms remain.
A perfect evening! [3]
Buchanan points out, “One can almost hear the deep toll of the huge bell, see the white and pink blossoms of the cherry trees, and smell their delicate fragrance. In Japanese literature, whenever blossoms or flowers are mentioned, with no other designation, the reader is given to understand that cherry blossoms are meant.”
References:
[1] Translation by Timothy L. Jackowski, Takase Studios, LLC.
