Faint Footprints ~ Haiku of Japan

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Faint Footprints ~ Haiku of Japan
dbooster (67)in Blockchain Poets • 5 days ago

みじか夜や足跡浅き由比ヶ浜　蕪村
mijika yo ya ashiato asaki yui-ga-hama

short summer night
faint footprints on the sand
Yui-ga-hama
—Buson

(trans. David LaSpina[

Faint Footprints ~ Haiku of Japan
dbooster (67)in Blockchain Poets • 5 days ago

みじか夜や足跡浅き由比ヶ浜　蕪村
mijika yo ya ashiato asaki yui-ga-hama

short summer night
faint footprints on the sand
Yui-ga-hama
—Buson

(trans. David LaSpina[1])

full1.jpg
(Print by Arai Yoshimura)
The last line—Yui-ga-hama—refers to a beach in Kamakura. I have read that at this beach the hot spring water wells up through the sand, making walking on the beach a very pleasant and relaxing experience.

This is a simple verse, with him simply painting the picture of a peaceful night walking on the beach. He is also making a subtle Buddhist comment on the transience of life and legacy: like the footprints, we will also grow faint soon enough and eventually fade away.

Luckily for us, his faint footprints haven't yet vanished from our world.

❦