June 21, 2013

Poetry Friday--Fūrin

Looking through some old poems, I discovered that three years ago yesterday, I wrote a tanka, about Japanese wind chimes, or wind bells, called fūrin. Now that it is officially summer, there's no better time to share this tanka:

gift from Japan--
porcelain wind chime
twists in the wind
ringing a knell for souls or
simply singing of summer?

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

It is thought that hearing the wind bells is cooling during hot weather, or, if nothing else, is a distraction from the heat!

Fūrin is a kigo (seasonal word), used by writers of haiku, to denote summer without coming right out and saying "summer." In Kawasaki, there is a wind chimes festival held each July. I can only imagine how musically colorful it must be! And inspirational for a writer of haiku! Maybe one day...

Wind chimes of bamboo, glass, and other materials are found all over Japan. You'll even find kūrin hanging in a train station! In 1996, in an effort to combat noise pollution, 100 notable sounds worthy of conservation were designated by the Ministry of Environment as "Soundscapes of Japan." The kūrin at Mizusawa train station in Ūshū is on the list. The video below will give you an idea of the station's sounds.



See you over at Carol's Corner for the Poetry Friday Round-Up. Happy summer, everyone!
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19 comments:

  1. KeriJune 21, 2013 at 9:06 AM

    What a brilliant idea, to harness the wind generated by the train to create such lovely music. Thanks for sharing the video, and hurray for your thought-provoking poem! I like the juxtaposition of the somber and the lighthearted.

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  2. Michelle Heidenrich BarnesJune 21, 2013 at 9:18 AM

    How cool is that? ...literally?! I love windchimes-- such a simple way to put you in a happy mood. Also love the idea of sounds being worthy of conservation. Thanks for the eye- (and ear-) opening post!

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  3. KURIOUS KITTYJune 21, 2013 at 9:54 AM

    Thanks, Keri and Michelle! Have you ever caught any of the soundscapes on PRI's "Living on Earth"? To listen to a segment about an "acoustic adventurer," click here.

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  4. Mary LeeJune 21, 2013 at 10:48 AM

    Thanks for the field trip to Japan! I used to have 30+ windchimes hanging in my classroom (until the fire marshall intervened), and yet their chiming in the out-of-doors generally is annoying to me! It's a love/hate relationship!

    Happy Summer!

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    1. KURIOUS KITTYJune 21, 2013 at 4:53 PM

      What was the fire marshall's objection? Did it impede the operation of the alarm system?

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  5. Margaret SimonJune 21, 2013 at 11:33 AM

    Love your little wind chime tanka. We have a wind chime that makes such a longing, soothing sound. Always makes me want to write poetry.

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  6. RuthJune 21, 2013 at 3:51 PM

    Wonderful!

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  7. KURIOUS KITTYJune 21, 2013 at 4:54 PM

    Thank you Margaret and Ruth!

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  8. CathyJune 21, 2013 at 8:12 PM

    Beautiful haiku. I especially enjoyed the contrast in meaning of the last two lines.

    Thanks for sharing so much information about wind chimes in Japan. I am imagining the variety of sounds when wind chimes are created by so many different materials.

    Cathy

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  9. Diane MayrJune 21, 2013 at 10:05 PM

    I'm most intrigued by bamboo, Cathy. I should go look at YouTube!

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  10. Violet N.June 21, 2013 at 10:35 PM

    Thank you for this interesting post. I like the thought that hearing wind bells is cooling during summer. Hmmm, maybe I should hang my wind chimes again, though I'm afraid my neighbours on the balcony a few feet away may feel like Mary!

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  11. Diane MayrJune 22, 2013 at 8:44 AM

    Sometimes the incessant tinkling can get on one's nerves, that's for sure.

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  12. DoraineJune 22, 2013 at 1:34 PM

    Magical! What a great idea for a train station. And I like the tanka and the way you tie the chimes to both life and death. Lovely.

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    1. Diane MayrJune 22, 2013 at 2:03 PM

      I can't say what I was thinking three years ago, but, there have long been trees strung with bottles, primarily in the south. Evil spirits (lost souls) will be enticed into the bottles and be trapped there. In my imagination, I see these bottles hanging, and ringing, like wind chimes.

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  13. Linda BJune 22, 2013 at 11:14 PM

    What a lovely idea, Diane, as an answer to the train's big rush. I have a few wind chimes, but my favorite is one of those triangular bells that go dong, dong. I do love the bamboo sounds, too. I so admire the simplicity of your poems-beautiful.

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  14. TabathaJune 23, 2013 at 6:36 AM

    Thanks for the furin, Diane! If we had sound conservation locally, I wonder which sounds people would choose to conserve?

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  15. Diane MayrJune 23, 2013 at 9:17 AM

    Thanks Linda and Tabatha! As for conserving sounds, that's a good question. Here in NH I'd have to nominate the merry-go-round at Canobie Lake; it was built in 1905, and has a Wurlitzer military band organ from the 20s that plays music rolls. I haven't been to the park in a few years, but I suspect the merry-go-round hasn't changed--the music can't be beat!

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  16. BJ LeeJune 23, 2013 at 7:10 PM

    loved your tanka, Diane

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