Article written by Gary English and published on this website with kind permission of The Gardener magazine.
© Gary English gary@cybersmith.co.za
© The Gardener Magazine SA - Editor: Tanya Visser tanya@thegardener.co.za
Wabi Sabi and Haiku
Continuing on from last month’s article on Japanese bonsai terminology, this month we delve a little deeper into Japanese bonsai culture.
The Japanese consider bonsai to be a marriage between natural phenomenon and human intervention. The tree itself obviously is the natural element and the pot the human element. How we combine these two elements is the thing that distinguishes an artist from a mere gardener. This marriage relates to the sense of shibui, the aesthetic of tastefulness and austerity in art and movement, and is reflected in the dual concepts of Wabi and Sabi.
Wabi is the idea of beauty in the plain, natural and healthy aspect of form and is related to what we humans do, and contains the principle that humans can achieve perfection.
Sabi is the sense of beauty that comes from great age and includes natural processes like wear, rust, patina and also decay. Sabi reflects the influences of nature and represents those elements that are not influenced by man.
Wabi Sabi together refers to the balance and appreciation of both aspects of the world, the combination of humans and nature.
The term Shibui itself is very difficult to translate directly into English, but the concept incorporates all of the things that we as westerners have come to regard as typical of Japanese design, minimalism with flat plains and basic geometric shapes, simplicity and austerity. A bonsai that has been styled according to shibui principles is not a “pretty” tree, but rather a living sculpture that has dignity and generally a somber atmosphere. It is a tree that tells a story of long life with many perils and hardships overcome.
Japanese Garden design utilizes the same concepts as bonsai design. Nothing is by accident. What look like randomly positioned rocks are symbolic objects placed with extreme care to look as if they have been there forever. The garden path (roji) leads the viewer away from the humdrum of everyday life toward the tranquility of nature. It never leads directly to the destination, but instead meanders through the ground with specific places to stop and view the scenery. The path symbolizes our lives which are never direct, but also meander, with places to pause and reflect. Japanese gardens, like bonsai, reflect the five prime elements of life, Fire is represented by a stone or iron lantern, Earth is represented by stone, Water, Air, Plant and Animal by their true forms. There is always water present, either in the form of a pond or dripping from basins or water features.
Stones form the foundation of the garden, jagged rocks represent mountains, round stones are used to represent shorelines and river beds. This is also true for bonsai. A small island in the middle of water is particularly significant as it represents the island of everlasting life Nirvana, and place of ultimate peace and tranquility. Different tree species also have symbolic meanings. The shochikubai is a symbol of happiness and consists of a group planting of pine, bamboo and plum. It is also known as the Three Friends of New Year.
Flowers are almost sacred elements and the use of flowers is governed by quite strict rules. Flower arrangements are NEVER simply placed in a house in arbitrary places. The only place in a house where one will find flowers is the tokonoma, the area that is specifically set aside to display bonsai. Flowers are never worn as corsages or used at funerals or weddings. Flowers are never used as borders or boundaries in the garden, and quite often the gardener trims camellias, azaleas and other flowering shrubs to reduce the number of flowers. This is done to increase the sense of shibui. Japanese gardens are enjoyed as much in winter when the trees are bare as they are in spring and summer.
Haiku is a specific style of Japanese poetry that bonsai artists in Japan have been composing for many centuries. Originally called Hokku, it was given the name Haiku in the 19 Century by Masaoka Shiki a prominent Japanese author, poet and literary critic (thank heavens for the internet). Haiku has specific rules much like a Shakespearean sonnet. A haiku consists of three lines. It should only be seventeen syllables long, five on the first line, seven on the second and five on the last. A haiku should tell a complete story almost always relating to natural phenomena, most often (but not always) the seasons and the weather. Sound easy? Try and write a whole story in just seventeen syllables!
Those racing black clouds,
A scattering of raindrops,
The scent of dry earth…
By Doug Hall (Bonsai in South Africa)
Bare limbs stretch skyward
Bright summer rainment lying
At her feet in drifts.
By Peg Semmler
The traditional haiku has an implied break or pause at the end of either of the first two lines. This is called kireji, but there are various free-form haiku that ignore this break. Also, in traditional Japanese the haiku is actually written in one line, only in English are haiku written as three lines. Senryu is a similar form of poetry where humor and human foibles are emphasized rather than the seasons.