
Frog Sumi-e: Basho's Poetic Leap White Mug
Enjoy the serene world of Basho's poetic frog, rendered in stunning sumi-e ink style. This one-of-a-kind design captures the ephemeral beauty of nature and the deep traditions of Japanese haiku. 古池や、蛙飛びこむ、水の音 furuike ya, kawazu tobikomu, mizu no oto.Old pond / A frog jumps in / Splash! / Silence again.This may be Basho's most well-known poem. The poet wanted to emphasize the stillness of the air before and after the frog's splash. Hence the “silence again." 古池(ふるいけ) old pond [This sets the tranquil, timeless scene] や a particle indicating exclamation or emphasis [commonly used in poetry and classical texts] 蛙(かわず) frog [かわず is an archaic reading for “frog”. In modern Japanese, “frog” is かえる] 飛(と)びこむ to jump in; to leap into [This is the act that disrupts the tranquility; it is made of 飛ぶ (to fly; to jump) and こむ (into; to go into)] 水(みず) water [part of the setting] の modifying particle [links the water to its sound; it isn’t just any “sound” but the “sound of water”] 音(おと) sound [The