It's October now, and the summer heat is still lingering during the day, but we can look forward to autumn arriving soon.
When you're walking outside after the sun has set, you can suddenly sense its presence in the breeze that blows by.
The autumn wind has a somewhat sad and sentimental air about it. The wind that blows in autumn, a season that could be considered fleeting, has captivated the hearts of Japanese people since ancient times.
In "Oku no Hosomichi" (The Narrow Road to the Deep North) by Matsuo Basho, who was said to be a crazy traveler, there are several haiku poems that describe the autumn wind.
"The grave must be moved. My crying voice is like the autumn wind." (Kanazawa section)
"Please move, you immovable mound. My sorrowful voice blends with the cruel autumn wind, which blows over the mound, carrying my broken heart."
Although he never met Basho himself, he deeply mourns the death of someone who had admired him for so long.
(Shosatsu: the lonely feeling of autumn)
"The sun is bright and the autumn wind is cold" (Kanazawa section)
"It's already autumn, but the setting sun seems unaware of this as I travel, shining a merciless red light upon me. The lingering heat is harsh, but I can still feel the autumn breeze approaching with the invisible wind."
"What a dignified name the small pine blows on the thin bush clover" (Kanazawa section)
"What a modest name (for the place we stopped at, Komatsu)! The winds that blow in Komatsu gently blow the bush clover and grass in the wind."
In Komatsu, a place with a gentle name, the fatigue of travel seems to be soothed as you watch the bush clover and pampas grass swaying in the wind.
"All night long I hear the autumn wind in the mountains behind" (Zenshoji Temple section)
"I couldn't fall asleep all night, listening to the sound of the desolate autumn wind blowing over the trees on the mountain behind my house."
It captures the feelings of a lonely traveller on an autumn night.
(Shosho: Feeling lonely)
The impression of the autumn wind changes depending on whether it is early or late autumn, but no matter when it blows, it always evokes an emotion that evokes feelings of loneliness and warmth.
The wind sometimes conveys scents, sometimes sounds, sometimes touches our skin, and in many other ways tells us something. What it tells us will be different for each person who feels the wind, such as the change of seasons or emotions.
The four haiku poems featured this time each depict a different time and place. Try to imagine that scene. Or, if you are present in a similar scene, you may be able to recall Basho's elegant spirit of living. Try to sense what the wind is telling you.
