Unfinished Thoughts For Endless Possibilities

Unfinished Thoughts For Endless Possibilities

Posted by Momoko Kagamizu on 24th Jul 2011

Into an old pond
a frog leaps
sound of the water

( furu ike ya / kawazu tobikomu / mizu no oto)

a haiku, which every Japanese knows and loves

Which pond? What kind of sound? The haiku sounds unfinished, but that is the point — a snapshot of reality in broad strokes, devoid of interpretations and conclusions, almost like an impressionist painting which does not bore you with the details. Feel free to imagine and fill in the details, in any way you wish.

Every Japanese knows and loves this haiku. It was written nearly four centuries ago by the great haiku master,  Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694).