Mumyo-an Renkukai

Fifteen poets assembled at the Nameless Hut within the grounds of Gichuji Temple in Zeze, Shiga Pref. on the last Saturday in July - a hot, sunny day. The meeting - an attempt to compose a han-kasen (18-stanza linked-verse) and dedicate it to the master haijin, Matsuo Basho, whose grave is at the temple - was lead by Nobuyuki Yuasa. He had invited Eiko Yachimoto of the Association of International Renku to assist him in the process of selection and translation into Japanese. This was a bilingual effort. The hokku itself was by Basho (まず頼む椎の木もあり夏木立）; thereafter, 10 verses (by 9 different poets) were compiled before we broke up to visit the nearby Tatsugaoka Haijin Cemetery. The renku is at present being completed using email. Periodically, Nobuyuki sends out a call for candidates for the next stanza, then selects from what he gets. Once finished, the original English version will be put up on the Hotspot for you to evaluate. We should remember that Basho was first and foremost a renga master. While being an act of homage to him, all participants will probably agree that it was a valuable insight into the production of the type of multi-seasonal imagined verse that was so popular in Basho's day. Our thanks to Nobuyuki and Eiko for their hard work.