Autumn Clouds :: Haiku of Japan #54

上行くと下来る雲や秋の空
ue yuku to shita kuru kumo ya aki no sora


clouds floating above
and floating below
autumn's sky
—Boncho


(Tr. David LaSpina)

(Autumn Clouds by Hideo Hagiwara.)

The autumn sky in Japan is somewhat confusing, as Boncho describes in this haiku. The Japanese actually tells us "Clouds going above / clouds coming below". That doesn't make a great deal of sense on it's own, which is why I simplified it to "floating" for both lines above, but in this explanation we can use it. The autumn sky has layers of clouds move in different directions as the seasonal winds blow to and fro. This is typhoon season in Japan. These confusing winds always bring at least a handful of the powerful storms to the islands.

There are two proverbs in Japanese dealing with this autumn sky. They say "A man's heart is like the autumn sky" and "The mind of a woman is the autumn sky". I suppose these days either proverb could be taken as offensive, so no comment from me, but the old Japanese saw some kernel of truth in each.

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Don't miss other great haiku in the Haiku of Japan series!

#1–10 — Haiku of Japan :: Collection #1
#11–20 — Haiku of Japan :: Collection #2
#21–30 — Haiku of Japan :: Collection #3
#31—40 — Haiku of Japan :: Collection #4
#41 — Falling Camellia
#42 — Snow Falling
#43 — Morning Glory Shack
#44 — My Father's Face
#45 — Dragonfly Hunter
#46 — Fallen Butterfly
#47 — Fading Dreams of Ancient Warriors
#48 — Battleground Pear Tree
#49 — Showing My Hidden Side
#50 — Ambitious Snail
#51 — Dewdrop World
#52 — A Fleeting Life
#53 — The Only Sound

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I post one photo everyday, as well as a haiku and as time allows, videos, more Japanese history, and so on. Let me know if there is anything about Japan you would like to know more about or would like to see.

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	David LaSpina is an American photographer lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time.