209Haiku 俳句
夏草や兵どもが夢の跡
なつくさやつわものどもがゆめのあとNatsukusa ya tsuwamono-domo ga yume no ato
“Summer grasses — all that remains of warriors' dreams.”
The meaning
On the field of old battles, only grasses grow. The most burning ambitions pass; the poem draws no sadness from it, but a right measure of things.
At the origin
Composed by Bashō at Hiraizumi (1689), before the site of the fallen glories of the Fujiwara clan.
The characters
- 夏草 natsukusasummer grasses
- や yacutting word
- 兵 tsuwamonowarriors
- ども
- が
- 夢
- の
- 跡
やParticle“And” of an open list: among others. In a haiku it is the cut — a silence that parts the verse.
In practice
Facing a devouring ambition, ask what will remain of it — and what truly deserves your summer.
Themes
Similar proverbs
- 226 夏河を越すうれしさよ手に草履 What happiness, crossing the summer river, sandals in hand!
- 212 山路来て何やらゆかしすみれ草 Mountain path — something quietly moving: a wild violet.
- 233 夏嵐机上の白紙飛び尽す Summer gale — every blank page on the desk blown away.
- 101 月に叢雲、花に風 Over the moon, gathering clouds; over blossoms, wind.
- 106 秋の日は釣瓶落とし The autumn sun drops like a well bucket.