181Haiku 俳句
秋深き隣は何をする人ぞ
あきふかきとなりはなにをするひとぞAki fukaki tonari wa nani o suru hito zo
“Deep autumn — my neighbor, how does he live?”
The meaning
In autumn's withdrawal, a gentle curiosity for the other awakens. The poem speaks of solitude — and the quiet thread that ties us to those next door.
At the origin
One of Bashō's last haiku (1694), written in illness, shortly before his death.
The characters
- 秋 akiautumn
- 深き fukakideep
- 隣 tonarineighbor
- は
- 何
- を
- する
- 人
- ぞ
In practice
Sincerely ask after someone near and quiet.