Today’s Haiku (June 22, 2009)

禁男の園の夏至光紺また黄　　　　平畑静塔

kindan no sono no geshikô kon mata ki

in the male-forbidden school

the summer solstice light is

deep blue and yellow

Seitoh Hirahata

 

from “Nihon Dai-Saijiki (Natsu)”  (Japan Comprehensive Saijiki, Summer Volume), edited by Shuoshi Mizuhara, Shuson Kao, Kenkichi Yamamoto, Kodansha, 1982, Tokyo

 

Fay’s Note:  The poet plays with the letter “dan.” Usually,  “ 断” (dan: forbid) is used for the word, but he uses “男” (dan: male) instead.  With a character meaning “forbid,”  the word “kindan-no-sono”  is “a garden with the forbidden fruits”.   Japanese school uniform is usually in deep-blue color.  Is “yellow” he saw the color of ribbons on the female students?  Or does he want us think about the young girls’ high-pitched voices , “kiiroi koe” (literally translation:  yellow voice)?

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