Spring Twilight

Yosa Buson:

“The light of a candle

is transferred to another candle

-spring twilight”

It is my strong conviction that at first one ought to seek the comprehension of this profound haiku, since its verses possess something truly meaningful and pithy. The entirety of the structure is  two mere lines, nonetheless, one might have trouble establishing the range of eclectic meanings that one candle’s light transferring to another one could possess.

The poet suggests a sense of continuity and interconnectedness between various candles, as the metaphoric flame of one travels to another, producing a so-called chain reaction. Such incandescence could be perceived as a symbol of the human soul, and blaze as potential knowledge, enlightenment or experience. The vivid image of the spring twilight also appends to the overall perception of alteration as the seasons morph into one another, from deep winter to rejuvenating spring. It all but conveys to the consciousness that death is a perennial companion to life, similar to light, being the counterpart of darkness. These short, laconic verses evoke complex themes of gentle and intricate transformation, the fleeting and quiet nature of partaking in another’s wisdom. They indicate how small acts of kindness and connection might establish a profound influence upon the receiver’s end.  

Although this haiku was fashioned almost three hundred years ago, it is my conviction that its meaning has never been more pertinent than to the times in which we dwell. Humanity has gradually been ravaging its own habitat as well as itself, and somehow it fails to become aware of it. Wars are erupting around us as we speak, forests, species are evanescing, while our own offspring are forced to cope in such awfully polluted areas where the overabundance of waste is smothering the wildlife. Humans have come perilously close to extinguishing their own metaphorical flames.

Most might have even contemplated altering their behaviour, since they were cognizant of the appalling process that has been occurring around them, however, they may have just found it too arduous or they didn’t possess enough prowess to even attempt such a feat. They just convinced themselves that more proficient parties would make an attempt at their salvation. Nevertheless, as the haiku envisages, a light must already be burning in order to foster another one, therefore, one must always make the proverbial first step, even if an almost nonviable one, if one wishes one’s peers to follow and light their own candles.

I consider this the ripe moment for humanity to come of age and assume responsibility, so that the next generation would be able evolve in safer domestic environments and a healthier planet to boost, in this particular situation the candle being us, every single intelligence native to Earth, and the light being in turn our planet itself as an inheritance, a single, indivisible entity. So that the world we will relinquish to our offspring would be better than the one we were once bestowed. So that the light we will transfer from our candle to that of our descendants would truly be a worthy one, with a plethora of shades of incandescence.

I hope a light has been conveyed from my small, humble candle to each and every one of you. Thank you.

Sándor Emma IX. R