Chapter 3.2.3.
Haibun
Description
A piece of prose text (ranging from 1 sentence to a whole paragraph – occasionally even a couple of them) describing a situation. The poet rounds the text off or gives the final touch to it (actually commenting on it) with one or more haiku/senryū. A haibun can contain several such pairings.
Three examples of haibun:
**1**
A meteor abandoned its free wanderings through the Universe and, attracted by the Earth’s gravity, entered its atmosphere. This made the meteor briefly incandescent, thus leaving a mark on the night sky. Should it not completely burn out, it will hit the ground and break into a thousand pieces.
Dry leaves are falling
from the tired, wet branches
headlong to their doom…
**2**
It rained the whole afternoon from leaden clouds. A sudden change of weather brought a chill into the air, reminding us of the inevitable onset of autumn. The rain has stopped, and the soothing evening comes, easing the outburst of outrage from the skies.
Sky full of red clouds—
watercolors of nature.
See the rainbow die
**3**
Scene I
Next to the richly decorated Christmas tree (I mean, the ornaments are of pure gold, but the impression of decoration is up for debate), a wicked wealthy gentleman from high society held an expensive fur coat made of the skin of some dead animal who didn’t have chance to realize that this very fur became the reason of its existence, for his wife (it stands so in the documents, at least), herself a wicked wealthy high-society-lady. Yeah, stretching his arms (for God’s sake, a certain distance must be maintained!), he held the fur for her and wrapped himself in the equally warm & expensive robe. Thus warmed up, they somehow managed to settle their rather huge bottoms into their chauffeured limo (wicked expensive) and drove to the City (where the stores are the most expensive).
He would like it green,
she insists it be scarlet –
a blue kitchen…
Scene II
When they arrived in the City, they spent big money on gifts (why, it’s Christmas, for God’s sake! „In a barn, you say? Now, who would have thought? Poor thing!“), including, of course, the most expensive toy car and a doll for their children (presumably, they are a boy and a girl; they have to check their names in the papers)!
Disappointed face
of the boy ‘fore Christmas tree—
a toy car again!
Disappointed face
of the girl ‘fore Christmas tree—
it’s a doll again!
Scene III
A tiny yet brave sparrow boldly decided to test his strength; so naked as he was, he cast off into a cloud of extreme chill. He’s almost done it, but the winter nonetheless got the better of him! His dead body crashed into the middle of a grey, unsightly yard so that everybody could see him as a reminder.
A hazy window—
the shade is to be seen of
the Always Ready one