Autumn Haiku

Autumn is coming! There is a slight chill in the air just before sunrise so...Hunting season is on the horizon!

Haiku is one of the classical styles of Japanese poetry. Haiku typically are 5-7-5 syllable works that contain a Kigo or word that indicates or implies the season. There are some excellent Haiku written or translated in English that compliment our Yabanjin Lifestyle. I have taken the liberty of posting my favorite from Gabi Greve, penned in 2004. Enjoy:

Japanese:

牡丹鍋　

畑嵐の

罰のかな

Romanized Text:

botan nabe -　

hatake arashi no　

batsu no kana

Translation:

wild boar stew -

devastating the fields

you end up here!…

Botan is the word for Peonia flowers, since the thinly sliced meat of the wild boar is arranged to look like such a flower on a big plate. I wonder how real peonia stew would taste.

Botan Nabe, wild boar stew by Gabi Greve, 2004

During the Edo period, (1603 to 1868), poor country people started eating the meat of this "whale of the forest" and called the meat peony (botan). The meat of deer was maple leaf (momiji) and that of the horses was called cherry blossoms (sakura). Thus the pious Buddhists could pretend to eat vegetarian. The raw meat is arranged on the plate to look like a peony flower. It is then put in a broth and boiled together with vegetables.

For more of Gabi's great works, and an excellent resource for Haiku, please check out this link to a great website: http://worldkigo2005.blogspot.com/

See you in the Yama!

SK-1 OUT !