Chiyo-ni (1703-1775) was a Japanese poet of the Edo period, widely regarded as one of the greatest female haiku poets.
Born in Matto, Kaga Province (now Ishikawa Prefecture) as a daughter of a picture framer, she began writing haiku poetry aged 7. At age 12, she was introduced to the poetry of Matsuo Bashō, and by the age of 17, she had become very popular all over Japan for her poetry.
She married in 1720 into the family of Fukuoka 福岡某 in Kanazawa, but her husband died in 1722, so she returned to her own family.
Her poems, although mostly dealing with nature, work for a unity of nature with humanity. Her own life was that of the haikai poets who made their lives and the world they lived in one with themselves.
Chiyo-ni's teachers were the students of Basho, and she stayed true to his style, although she did develop on her own as an independent figure. Today, the morning glory is chosen as a recommended flower to people in Matto 松任市 （まつとうし） (now Hakusan), Ishikawa because she left a number of poems about the flower.
Haiku (hokku) By Chiyo-ni
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
釣竿の糸にさはるや夏の月
tsurizao no ito ni sawaru ya natsu no tsuki
it touches the line
of my fishing pole -
this summer moon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
my well bucket
taken by the morning glory—
this borrowed water
--Tr. Ueda Makoto
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ともかくも風にまかせてかれ尾花
tomokaku mo kaze ni makasete kare-obana
anyway
it is at the mercy of the wind -
withered pampas grass
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
the moon's shadow
also pauses -
cherry blossom dawn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
何となき物のいさみやほととぎす
nan to naki mono no isami ya hototogisu
loneliness
lies within the listener---
a cuckoo's call
--Tr. Patricia Donegan
[Text from the World Kigo Database, used with permission]
