It’s spring, a wonderful time to enjoy the myriad blossoms, especially the beloved cherry blossoms. That’s the highlight. One point, however, that is less than good for many people is the increased wind in this season. Not only does it spread pollen, triggering allergies for many, and colder temperatures every few days, but it also just generally annoys.
A scene similar to one you may have witnessed or even experienced yourself:
春風におさるる美女のいかりかな
harukaze ni osaruru bijo no ikari kana[1]
the spring wind
attacking a beautiful lady—
her rage!
—Kyōtai[2]
Maybe you can imagine a young woman with her best makeup on, hair all arranged, wearing her best clothes, going off to some event such as hanami (cherry blossom viewing), but then the wind attacks! She holds up her parasol to fend it off, but the battle leaves her in disarray: hair and clothes a mess.
We can imagine old Kyōtai seated somewhere, perhaps drinking some sake (as people often do at hanami), watching the scene with some amusement.
The spring wind is normally thought of a gentle wind, inviting the birds to sing and the flowers to bud, not to mention spreading their delightful fragrance far and wide. At the same time, the spring wind can be strong and cold. It calls to mind the Japanese saying sankan shion (三寒四温), “three days cold, four days warm”, which is always a pretty good description of the spring weather. The warm days are filled with the more gentle of the winds, but then when the cold rushes back it is brought by a much stronger and harsher wind. It is this second, strong and chilly wind that we might imagine is attacking the young lady in this haiku.
Kyōtai was born a samurai of Owari Province,[3] but later wandered for twenty years before returning to the area and building a hermitage in Nagoya where he devoted himself to haiku.
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Modern day Aichi Prefecture. ↩