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- Misofluent Postcard #8: Snow upon snow, December evening, Oh man, the moon.
Misofluent Postcard #8: Snow upon snow, December evening, Oh man, the moon.
雪と雪 今宵師走の 名月か
Takumi Hayashi
December 27, 2023
雪と雪 snow and snow 今宵師走の 名月か |  |
Sn雪w and Sn雪w Th今s Ev宵ning of F名mous M月月n, か | Snow and Snow This evening of Priest’s Run (aka December) I reckon this is the moon we all celebrate |
か [ka] is a kire-ji meaning slicing-term or cutting-word that twists a haiku, adjusts or alters its flow, and textures the haiku with fresh sentiment. In this case [ka] means “Filled with contemplative wonder.”
雪と雪 今宵師走の 名月か | yuki to yuki koyoi no shiwasu meigetsu ka |
Snow upon snow,
December evening,
Oh man, the moon.
Shiwasu is a poetic term for December that literally is the kanji for Priests+Run and suggests that holy men are busy this time of year.
Snow upon snow,
December evening,
Oh man, the moon.
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We really appreciate you being a part of the Japanese Complete experience. If the way the haiku was presented to you this time appeals to you, consider getting a 7 day premium trial and see if you like how it goes. We use a method called “kanji masking” to illustrate the principle of how kanji cover up certain mora (~syllables) in Japanese. This principle is something worth mastering and we will continue to employ it in the haiku newsletter episodes going forward.
Happy Winter Solstice!
May the new year bring all forms of blessings and wealth your way!