Arakida Moritake Explained

was a Japanese poet who excelled in the fields of waka, renga, and in particular haikai. He studied renga with Sōgi.^[1] He was the son of Negi Morihide, and a Shintoist. At the age of 69, he became head priest of the Inner Ise Shrine.

Moritake's most famous poem:

A fallen blossom

returning to the bough, I thought --

But no, a butterfly.

(Translation by Steven D. Carter)^[2]

External links

• • A history of Japanese literature

Notes and References

1. Carter, Steven D. Traditional Japanese Poetry: An Anthology. Stanford University Press, 1991. p338
2. Carter, 1991. p340