Matsuo Bashō wrote “The sea darkens; the voices of the wild ducks are faintly white,” a haiku celebrated for blending sound and sight.
The Japanese poem begins “Umi kurete,” meaning “the sea darkens,” and describes the faint calls of wild ducks at dusk. Calling voices “white” creates synesthesia: an auditory experience is expressed through a visual quality. The unusual image makes the calls seem to fade into the darkening seascape while also sharpening the stillness of the moment.
The poem was written during Bashō’s first major journey and is associated with his travel writing, including The Records of a Weather-Exposed Skeleton. Its Japanese syllabic pattern is unusual for classical haiku, commonly represented as 5–5–7 rather than the more familiar 5–7–5 pattern.
A frequent misconception is that “white” must refer literally to the ducks, waves, or mist. Translators and commentators have proposed several readings, but the most distinctive feature is the deliberate connection between the ducks’ voices and whiteness. The poem is therefore remembered as a compact example of Bashō’s experimental sensory imagination.