2013年6月7日金曜日

in a garden of deity




とほき世のかりょうびんがのわたくし児田螺はぬるきみづ恋ひにけり 
                     
                     斉藤 茂吉(1882~1953)
A water snail,
a come-by-chance
of  a heavenly bird
in her previous life,
is longing for lukewarm water
Mokichi Saitō

I visited the garden of Ume-no- Miya shrine in Kyoto 
as this garden of deity is famous for seasonal flowers. 

Now, the beginning of rainy season, is the time of flowering of sweet flag
( sort of iris), and we can see some water lilies on the pond, and some
azaleas are still blooming at the edge.

When I read the tanka poem I wrote above, I  imagined something
but I didn't understand it well.

Mokichi is one of the most famous tanka poets who gave traction
to the tanka field before and after the second World War, and in this one it seems that not only  he himself feels like a water snail but also he gives equivalent characteristics to the both, the bird living in Heaven according to Buddhism and such common creature as water snail which I used to find often in paddy fields especially in this season. 

Viewing Shoubu(菖蒲)or sweet flags which look like some imaginary birds I walked around the garden.

At the back yard it looks a little wilder and different aspect can be observed.

In the shadow we can also see a sort of hydrangea, 草アジサイ.

I think the English name shows the character of this species of flower quite well because hydrangeas fancy some moist place being necessity of a lot of hydrogen as if they are longing for water.

アジサイ is written as 紫陽花 that signifies purple sunny flower.
I like the Japanese name but they are not always purple nor sunny.


Appreciating these different flowers I felt closer to them and somehow got familiar to the former tanka poem by Mokichi and then I left the garden.  

19 件のコメント:

Tomoko さんのコメント...

華やかなバラが真っ盛りの今の時期とは対照的な、まるで時間が止まったようにすら見える、のんびりした美しい風景の神社ですね。私もたまにはカタツムリのようにのんびり時を過ごしたらどうなるかしら....また違った風景が見えてくるかもしれないと思って楽しい気分になりました。
雨の少ない梅雨ですね。良い週末を!
Tomoko

unrosetoinviacerreto さんのコメント...

What a beautiful place and cheering.
In life it would be nice to see for yourself
similar beauties.
Ciao
Loretta

In My Wild Eden さんのコメント...

Oh such lovely flowers. A visual feast. I hope all is well and you have a beautiful day.

cosmos さんのコメント...

最初全く意味が分からなかったのですが、迦陵頻伽と言うのをグーグルで見て、やっと意味がわかりました。すばらしい発想ですね。花菖蒲のショット、まさしく捉えていますね。極楽に住む鳥にも、地上の沼地に住む田螺にも同じ仏性を見られたのですね。
すべてがDreamyでHeavenlyです。

Varla Lee さんのコメント...

Wonderful garden, a relly lovely paradise!

Dave King さんのコメント...

I must look up your Mokichi! I love the imagery and symbolism of your bird and snail -- and, of course, adore your, as always, beautiful photographs.

stardust さんのコメント...

咲き誇る紫陽花や花菖蒲は梅雨時の風物詩ですね。「あじさい」は小さな青い花の集まりを意味するようですが、晴れた日にはやつれてみえるあじさいをなぜ「紫陽花」と書くのか不思議に思っていました。どうやら「紫陽花」は中国のライラックに似た花のことだったようです。Haricotさんのお写真ではたくさんの極楽の鳥が羽を休めていますね。このまま空梅雨が続くと夏の水不足が心配です。

Jen さんのコメント...

That is such an intriguing poem--I am going to copy it down and keep it.

What a lovely garden--those iris are lovely.

haricot さんのコメント...

Red Rose

コメントでお書きのようにのんびりする時間は大切にしたいと、時に急かされることが多いほど思います。若いときは歩くのは平気でしたが(走るのは苦手でも)最近はそれも努力だと感じます。
良い一週間を!

Loretta
Thank you very much for visiting here.
Have a nice week!

Lisa

Thank you for your comment.
have a lovely day for you, too.

cosmos

最近立て続けにこの短歌に出会いました。かなり有名な歌らしいです。
少しこじつけのようですが、菖蒲は見ようによって鳥のよう。
このような庭も手入れが大変だろうと思いました。

Varla
Thank you very much.
It was lucky that there was few people and many flowers in the garden on that day.

Dave

I'm glad to hear your idea about Mokichi.
Thank you very much.

stardust

アジサイが小花の集まりからきているとブログに書いておられたのを思い出しました。
中国のライラックですか、、、花の姿でしょうね、香りはあまり紫陽花には感じませんものね。

Jen

You had a good weekend, I suppose.
And happy to know that you like this poem.

sarah さんのコメント...

ヘッダーの菖蒲が見事ですね。一色でなくて、きれいな紫のハーモニーが楽しませてくれます。コスモスさんのコメントでなるほどと思いました。花菖蒲の群生、ぴったりですね。
Have a nice day!

haricot さんのコメント...

sarah
私も雰囲気で捉えていたところがあるので、cosmosさんのコメントでもう一度この短歌の意味を捉えなおせました。

Susan ~ Southern Fascinations さんのコメント...

Very beautiful... The colors so lovely and vibrant! I can feel the peacefulness through your wonderful photos. Poor water snail in this life... Imagine being a bird in one life and then coming back as a snail.... Definitely a change in your point of view! Take care...Susan

haricot さんのコメント...

Susan

Your point of reincarnation is very interesting. Thank you for this, Susan, and have a nice weekend.

匿名 さんのコメント...

The close-up of the iris looks like a dancer with both her arms raised above her head! Sweet.

haricot さんのコメント...

Natural designs sometimes surprise us.
Thank you for your interesting comment.

GABRIELA さんのコメント...

How lucky you are to have access to such a poetic garden! From all corners...poems seem to be calling, asking to be brought to life by words on a piece of paper! I love the Japanese irises! They look like birds in flight OR butterflies OR all-veiled princesses. No chance to see them this year. I'll get all I can from the beauty of hydrangeas, we have plenty of them in the neighbourhood. And after these rains...I hope they'll look HAPPY!

haricot さんのコメント...

Gabriela

I know that you love roses, hydrangeas, and happy to come to know you love Japanese iris. I suppose that the flowers inspire your imagination and poetic words.
For me, too!
Have a good week.

Magia da Inês さんのコメント...

╮✿ °•.¸

Muito lindo... como um sonho!
Bom domingo!
Boa semana!
°º✿♫ Beijinhos.
°º✿

haricot さんのコメント...

Magia

Thank you very much. I love your happy song.