Such stillness. The cicada's cry sinks into the rocks.

What it means

The cicada is loud, yet the mountain is so still the sound seems to soak into stone. Real quiet is not the absence of noise but a mind that takes it in. Find that stillness in a noisy place.

The source

"Such stillness. The cicada's cry sinks into the rocks." Matsuo Basho said it in Haiku, Risshakuji (1689). Translated from the original Japanese by Spartan Surfers.

"閑さや岩にしみ入るせみの聲"

Original Japanese, Haiku, Risshakuji (1689). Text read at ja.wikisource.org.

Who said it

Matsuo Basho (1644-1694). The master of Japanese haiku, who spent his last years walking the roads of Japan. His travel diary Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Deep North) is a classic of the form.

Questions

What does "Such stillness. The cicada's cry sinks into the rocks." mean?

The cicada is loud, yet the mountain is so still the sound seems to soak into stone. Real quiet is not the absence of noise but a mind that takes it in. Find that stillness in a noisy place.

Who said "Such stillness. The cicada's cry sinks into the rocks."?

Matsuo Basho (1644-1694). Source: Haiku, Risshakuji (1689).

What is the original Japanese?

閑さや岩にしみ入るせみの聲. Translated from the original Japanese by Spartan Surfers.

Is "Such stillness. The cicada's cry sinks into the rocks." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"Such stillness. The cicada's cry sinks into the rocks." (Matsuo Basho, Haiku, Risshakuji (1689), translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/such-stillness-the-cicadas-cry-sinks-into-the