Ogawa Shūshiki (1669– 1725)
mishi yume no / samete mo iro no / kakitsubata
Even after waking
From the dream
I’ll see the colors of irises.
-- Translated by Alex Kerr
"This was Shūshiki’s death poem, meaning that when she awakens from “life’s dream” she will see radiant irises. Kakitsubata or rabbit-eared iris, is another five-syllable word favored in haiku. The intensely purple petals were used as dye-stuff, their color being associated with young girls. Bashō’s contemporary Ogata Kōrin (1661– 1716) painted a screen of irises that became as internationally famous as Monet’s water lilies."
From
The Classic Tradition of Haiku AN ANTHOLOGY EDITED BY FAUBION BOWERS
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