18th century

Black Dog and Boat

Ike Taiga

Japanese, 1723 - 1776

This pair of haiku poems describes scenes that Taiga could have observed directly from nature. The first poem pictures a winter scene: a black dog appears even blacker as it passes a glittering white, snow-laden fence. The second poem is more abstract and describes a rainy spring day at the Fushimi harbor, a station along the busy river route that connected Kyoto with Osaka. The boat for hire, it seems, is so drenched by the rain that it becomes a rain boat:

The black dog becomes
     Even more black:
A snowy fence

At Spring; Leaving Fushimi

Leaving the spring behind
     Now, let's rent
A boat of rain!