Snow Poems for Risshun (Lunar calendar spring)

risshun - start of spring

Woodblock of snowman

30 January 2012

There is only an occasional and temporary dusting of snow in Kyoto, but from where we live we can see snow up in the surrounding hills.  Though it definitely feels like winter, February 3 is Risshun or the change from winter to spring according to the lunar calendar, celebrated in Japan by festivities called Setsubun, which I will describe in the next entry. In the meantime, while it is still winter (and I imagine it will be for some weeks to come in spite of the celebrations), I will copy out a couple of Japanese winter poems just for enjoyment:

you make the fire
and I'll show you something wonderful:
a big ball of snow!

          -Basho


Fresh morning snow in front of the shrine.
The trees!  Are they white with peach blossoms
Or white with snow?
The children and I joyfully throw snowballs

           -Zen monk Ryokan (1758-1831)