Harvest moon: around the pond I wander and the night is gone.
Matsuo BashoRead
Sadly, I part from you; Like a clam torn from its shell, I go, and autumn too.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses sorrow and separation, drawing a poignant comparison between a clam and the deep emotions felt in parting.
In this quote by Matsuo Basho, the speaker conveys a profound sense of loss and melancholy that accompanies separation from a loved one. The imagery of a clam being torn from its shell poignantly illustrates the pain of leaving someone behind, while the mention of autumn adds a sense of inevitable change and the fleeting nature of life and relationships.
Themes
SeparationLossLoveMelancholyChange
In practice
Example use cases
A poignant moment during a farewell speech.
More from Matsuo Basho
All quotes βNow the swinging bridge Is quieted with creepers ... Like our tendrilled life.
Matsuo BashoRead
Winter solitude- in a world of one colour the sound of the wind.
Matsuo BashoRead
The moon and sun are travelers through eternity. Even the years wander on. Whether drifting through life on a boat or climbing toward old age leading a horse, each day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.
Matsuo BashoRead
Ballet in the air... Twin butterflies until, twice white They Meet, they mate
Matsuo BashoRead
Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.
Matsuo BashoRead
Similar quotes
Every soul is to be cherished, every flower is to bloom.
Alice WalkerRead
My judges preach against free love openly, practice it secretly.
Victoria WoodhullRead
Yet come to me in dreams, that I may live My very life again though cold in death; Come back to me in dreams, that I may give Pulse for pulse, breath for breath: Speak low, lean low, As long ago, my love, how long ago
Christina RossettiRead
The moon is setand the Pleiades; Middle ofthe night, time passes by,I lie alone.
SapphoRead
As he looked up at the clouds or down at the precipice, he realized that this woman was the most important thing in his life; that she was the explanation, the sole reason for the existence of those rocks, that sky, that winter. If she were not there with him, it wouldn't matter if all the angels of heaven came flying down to comfort him--Paradise would make no sense.
Paulo CoelhoRead
The time has come to tell the truth. Again. There is no love without justice. Men and women who cannot be just deny themselves and everyone they choose to be intimate with the freedom to know mutual love. If we remain unable to imagine a world where love can be recognized as a unifying principle that can lead us to seek and use power wisely, then we will remain wedded to a culture of domination that requires us to choose power over love.
Bell HooksRead