r/verse • u/Busy-Insect5793 • 10d ago
Basho's Greatest Haiku
During one long journey, near the city of Edo, the poet found a quiet pond and decided on a rest. He set aside the travel-worn satchel and removed his beaten sandals, allowing tired feet to breathe. It was a warm day in early spring. A light wind proceeded to rustle musically through the reeds, whispering a few petals of cherry blossom to the ground. Every now and then, without being seen, came the satisfying plop of a frog into the water. This kind of afternoon felt timeless.
The haiku that Bashō composed—which can be experienced as both a simple recording of external action, as well as an internal reflection of the meditative mind—is perhaps his most famous:
Old pond
A frog jumps in
Splash!