Winter Camellias

Camellias in the morning.

Camellias at dusk.


Two mornings ago I opened the curtains and was amazed to see my camellias in full bloom. I wondered why they blossomed profusely on such a cold day. It was as if they were fed by the winter cold.

霜降りの ..........(shimofuri no)
朝を肥やしに ....（asa wo koyashi ni）
寒椿 .................(kan-tsubaki)

Translating this haiku into an English version was difficult, but here is an approximation.

Winter Camellias,
Why do you burst in full bloom
In the frosty air?

The above translation emphasizes the beauty of the blooms. If I were to emphasize the force of nature (which was my original intent), the following would be the translation:

Frosty morning air,
Did you feed my Camellias
To burst in full bloom?

Here is another haiku from another perspective:

霜降りて ................ (shimo orite)
今日がためにと .... （kyou ga tamenito）
咲く椿 ................... (saku tsubaki)

Having experienced the severe morning, the camellias may have thought that there may not be a tomorrow and burst into full bloom.


Copyright 2009