Japanese Haiku: Part 1
IN THESE DARK WATERS RINGAI STANDING STILL AT DUSK BUSON I DREAMED OF BATTLES KIKAKU IN SILENT MID-NIGHT BON CHO WOMEN PLANTING RICE... RAIZAN WILD GEESE WRITE A LINE SOIN DEAD MY OLD FINE HOPES SHUSHIRI IN THIS WINDY NEST ISSA BALLET IN THE AIR ... BASHO ON THE DEATH OF HIS CHILD ISSA BLACK CLOUDBANK BROKEN BASHO SEEK ON HIGH BARE TRAILS BASHO FOR A LOVELY BOWL BASHO NOW THAT EYES OF HAWKS BASHO MY TWO PLUM TREES ARE BUSON ONE FALLEN FLOWER MORITAKE CLOUDBANK CURLING LOW? RYOTA FIE! THIS FICKLE WORLD! RYOTA HANGING THE LANTERN SHIKI APRIL'S AIR STIRS IN BASHO IN THE SEA-SURF EDGE BASHO THE RIVER BASHO A GATE MADE ALL OF TWIGS ISSA WIND-BLOWN, RAINED ON ... JOSO ARISE FROM SLEEP, OLD CAT, ISSA WHITE CLOUD OF MIST BASHO HI! MY LITTLE HUT ISSA IN THE CITY FIELDS ISSA SEE, SEE, SEE! OH SEE! TEISHITSU GREEN SHADOW-DANCES ... SHIKI DON'T TOUCH MY PLUMTREE! TAIGI TWILIGHT WHIPPOORWILL ... BASHO
DRAWN UP FROM
MY FROZEN WELL ...
GLITTERING OF SPRING
LISTEN ... IN FAR
DISTANCES
THE SONG OF FROGLINGS!
AND WAS SLAIN...
OH SAVAGE SAMURAI!
INSATIABLE FLEAS!
OUR OLD SCARECROW
TOPPLES DOWN...
WEIRD HOLLOW ECHO
UGLY EVERY BIT
ABOUT THEM...
BUT THEIR ANCIENT SONG
FLAP-FLAPPING
ACROSS THE SKY ...
COMICAL DUTCH SCRIPT
AND DRY MY DREAMING
BUT STILL...
IRIS, BLUE EACH SPRING
OPEN YOUR HUNGRY
MOUTH IN VAIN...
ISSA, STEPCHILD BIRD
TWIN BUTTERFLIES
UNTIL, TWICE WHITE
THEY MEET, THEY MATE
DEW EVAPORATES
AND ALL OUR WORLD
IS DEW ... SO DEAR,
SO FRESH, SO FLEETING
SCATTERS IN THE
NIGHT ... NOW SEE
MOON-LIGHTED MOUNTAINS!
SKY-REFLECTING
VIOLETS...
MOUNTAIN-TOP JEWELS
LET US ARRANGE THESE
FLOWERS...
SINCE THERE IS NO RICE
IN DUSKY NIGHT
ARE DARKENED...
CHIRPING OF THE QUAILS
SO GRACIOUS ...
SEE, THEY FLOWER
ONE NOW, ONE LATER
RETURNING TO THE
BRANCH? ... OH NO!
A WHITE BUTTERFLY
AH! THE MOUNTAIN
YOSHINO ...
CHERRY CUMULUS!
THREE DAYS, NEGLECTED
CHERRY-BRANCH ...
AND YOU ARE BARE
ON THAT FULL WHITE
BLOOMING BOUGH...
EXQUISITE YOUR CARE!
WILLOW-LEAVES ...
A BUTTERFLY
FLOATS AND BALANCES
MINGLING WITH
BRIGHT SMALL SHELLS ..
BUSH-CLOVER PETALS
GATHERING MAY RAINS
FROM COLD STREAMLETS
FOR THE SEA ...
MURMURING MOGAMI
WITH WOVEN GRASS
FOR HINGES ...
FOR A LOCK ... THIS SNAIL
BENT BARLEY-GRASS
YOU MAKE ME
NARROW PATH INDEED
AND WITH GREAT YAWNS
AND STRETCHINGS ...
AMBLE OUT FOR LOVE
ABOVE WHITE
CHERRY-BLOSSOMS ...
DAWN-SHINING MOUNTAINS
IS NEWLY-THATCHED
I SEE...
BLUE MORNING-GLORIES
CONTEMPLATING
CHERRY-TREES ...
STRANGERS ARE LIKE FRIENDS
OH WHAT TO SAY?
AH YOSHINO ...
MOUNTAIN-ALL-ABLOOM!
SEE OUR YOUNG
BANANA-TREE
PATTERING THE SCREEN
SAID MY FRIEND
AND SAYING SO ...
BROKE THE BRANCH FOR ME
WHISTLE ON,
SWEET DEEPENER
OF DARK LONELINESS
