also: はしばのけぶり
cremation smoke
Archaic term referring to the smoke rising from a cremation, specifically at a bridge-side cremation ground (橋場). Used in classical literature.
In classical literature, 'hashiba no kemuri' is sometimes used as a scene expressing the transience of life.
Archaic term; the kanji spelling is the standard representation.
Alternate reading けぶり, which is an older pronunciation of 煙.
Compound of 橋場 (hashiba, a place name often associated with cremation grounds near bridges) and 煙 (kemuri, smoke). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is firmly rooted in classical Japanese imagery.