Buddhabird (buppoosoo)

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Buddhabird (buppoosoo)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: All Summer
***** Category: Animal

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Explanation

仏法僧 literally means: Buddha, Teaching and Priests, the three treasures of Buddhism, so the bird is also called: sanpoodori 三宝鳥, bird of the three treasures, another kigo.

To be correct, there are two birds, that is why I have chosen the translation of "Buddhabird". (New Kenkyusha Dictionary states only the Dollarbird.)

In Japanese we have the proverb "To use one stone to kill two birds, for short: one stone two birds" (isseki nichoo　一石二鳥), but in this context we could say with a smile "One word, two birds".



http://www.koyasan.or.jp/sanrin/koya/


The dollarbird lives in the deep forests of remote mountain areas, where the old holy mountain retreats like Mt. Koya (Koya San in Wakayama), Nikko, Kiso and others were located. It is very shy. Its voice was heard at night in the far-away woods as the sound of: bupp poo soo, bupp poo soo, hence the name in Japanse.

Only during the beginning of the Showa period did it suddenly become clear that the voice of this bird is in fact different, like gyaa gyaa. And the originator of the sound bupp poo soo was in fact a kind of owl, see below.

To solve this mysterious mixup, the dollarbird is now called
the "form of the bird" (sugata no buppoosoo　姿の仏法僧) and
the owl the "voice of the bird" (koe no buppoosoo　声の仏法僧).

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The dollarbird, Eurystomus orientalis (family Coraciidae) , is a dark roller with blue on its wings, tail and throat and a red bill. It has bluish-white windows or "dollars" on its wings which are visible in flight.


http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/2970/dollar.htm



The owl, konohazuku 木の葉菟、木の葉木莵、小葉木菟 コノハズク　
(Otus scops japonicus)
is believed to be the smallest of all Japanese owls. It is only as large as a pigeon. It belongs to the family of Eurasian Scops-Owls.
Also called "owl in green leaves" aobazuku　青葉木莵.
The spelling "aobaduku" is problematic.


http://www.horaiji-h.aichi-c.ed.jp/bupouso.htm


青葉木菟　　月ありといへる　声の後　　
水原秋桜子

青葉木菟　　死者へ反目　ながかりし　　
溝口青男

Japanese list with haiku about this bird


Click HERE to see more photos of this bird. 　　　　　　　　　　

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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way

A souvenir toy and mascot of the town of Horai.
Made from a kind of reed.


http://www.town.hourai.aichi.jp/nougyou/yamabiko/taiken/bupposo/


Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World
http://www.bsc-eoc.org/avibase/avibase.jsp?pg=home&lang=EN

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HAIKU

From a long list of haiku about owls:
http://www24.big.or.jp/~kyusoku/owl_haiku.htm

木葉木菟　酔ふて寐て子に　いたはられ　　
林一九楼

konoha-zuku yotte nete ko ni itawarare
Hayashi Ikuroo

Buddhabird -
drunk over and slept
children care for me

.. .. ..

仏法僧　山の夜霧に　誰か咳き　　 福田紀伊
bupoosoo yama no yogiri ni dareka seki
Fukuda Kii

Buddhabird -
in the night mist of mountains
someone coughs

.. .. ..

仏法僧　谷うつりして　今遠し　　
buppoosoo tani utsuri shite ima tooshii
Asai Igai 浅井意外

Buddhabird -
flew to another valley
now the sound so far

Translations by Nakamura Sakuo

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More Japanese Haiku from the above link:

仏法僧　八日の月の　山に入る　　 箕山

仏法僧　鳴くべき月の　明るさよ　　中川宋淵

仏法僧　聞え月より　巒気降る　　 西村公鳳

仏法僧　星の中より　雨こぼれ　 白川友幸

仏法僧　鳴くと相寄る　煙草の火 滝春一

仏法僧　樹の根が作る　坂光る　　 加藤知世子

仏法僧　闇の唇　微光して　　 井口砥子

仏法僧　鳴きぬ密林の　蛾うごめき　　加藤かけい

仏法僧　啼くと案内僧　耳に手を　　 森白象

仏法僧　聞かまく今宵　坊泊まり　　楠部南崖

仏法僧　たなぐもに日の　落ちしより　　 木津柳芽

仏法僧　ちかき潤声　道に絶え　　 木津柳芽

仏法僧　近きたぎちを　夜目に越ゆ　　加藤かけい

仏法僧　鳴きやまざるに　露むすぶ　　 加藤かけい




Paper Doll


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aobazuku 青葉木菟 The Brown Hawk-Owl
Ninox scutulata

夫恋へば吾に死ねよと青葉木菟
tsuma koeba ware ni shineyo to aobazuku

I long for my husband -
"You should die!"
orders the owl in the leaves

. Hashimoto Takako .


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Related words

***** Saijiki for Buddhist Events


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. Buddha Bird at Mount Kashozan, Gunma .


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