Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Carpe Diem's Tan Renga Challenge #10,



Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Time flies when you have fun. So a new Tan Renga Challenge is at hand. The last Tan Renga Challenge was really a joy to read all your wonderful completions of the Tan Renga. For this week I have chosen a haiku written by Shirao (1735-1792), a not so wellknown haiku poet. R.H. Blyth comments on this haiku in his Haiku Vol. 3 (summer and partlaly autumn) the following:

[...] On either side of the road are ranged temples of various sects. Rain falls slowly through the dusk, dripping down from the long, leafy branches of the willow trees that stand in the courtyards and along the street. The leafy willow trees have some deep relation to the temples round them. Not only the rain and the gloom are in accord with them but the green leaves also. It is the rain that brings and refreshes the greenness. It is the grief and woe of life that makes us live. In the gloom of the temples there are lights here and there. [...]


Credits: Rokkakudo Temple Kyoto

OK ... this is the haiku written by Shirao:

passing under the leafy willows
of a street of temples
an evening of rain
                                                    (Shirao)

???????????????
???????????????


What was the goal of this challenge? Copy and paste the first stanza (the haiku by Shirao) into your post and write your second stanza (7-7) to complete the Tan Renga.


My attempt:

first stanza (5-7-5):

passing under the leafy willows
of a street of temples
an evening of rain
                                                (Shirao)


second stanza (7-7):

monks rush to the temple hall
to honor Buddha with their mantra
                      (Chèvrefeuille)


Well ... enjoy this new Tan Renga Challenge and share your Tan Renga with us all here on Carpe Diem. This Carpe Diem Tan Renga Challenge will stay on 'till August 21th 11.59 AM (CET).



1 comment:

  1. I was so tempted to use R.H. Blythe's commentary to complete the tan renga:

    In the gloom of the temples there are lights here and there

    Those words are pretty, are they not?

    ReplyDelete