JAPANESE HAIKU

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2 min read 527 wordsCompare

Sacred Texts Japan

Japanese Haiku, by Peter Beilenson, [1955], at sacred-texts.com

p. 6 p. 7

IN THESE DARK WATERS DRAWN UP FROM MY FROZEN WELL ... GLITTERING OF SPRING
RINGAI

STANDING STILL AT DUSK LISTEN ... IN FAR DISTANCES THE SONG OF FROGLINGS!
BUSON

I DREAMED OF BATTLES AND WAS SLAIN... OH SAVAGE SAMURAI! INSATIABLE FLEAS!
KIKAKU

IN SILENT MID-NIGHT OUR OLD SCARECROW TOPPLES DOWN... WEIRD HOLLOW ECHO
BON CHO

p. 8

WOMEN PLANTING RICE... UGLY EVERY BIT ABOUT THEM... BUT THEIR ANCIENT SONG
RAIZAN

WILD GEESE WRITE A LINE FLAP-FLAPPING ACROSS THE SKY ... COMICAL DUTCH SCRIPT
SOIN

DEAD MY OLD FINE HOPES AND DRY MY DREAMING BUT STILL... IRIS, BLUE EACH SPRING
SHUSHIRI

IN THIS WINDY NEST OPEN YOUR HUNGRY MOUTH IN VAIN... ISSA, STEPCHILD BIRD
ISSA

p. 9

BALLET IN THE AIR ... TWIN BUTTERFLIES UNTIL, TWICE WHITE THEY MEET, THEY MATE
BASHO

ON THE DEATH OF HIS CHILD DEW EVAPORATES AND ALL OUR WORLD IS DEW ... SO DEAR, SO FRESH, SO FLEETING
ISSA

BLACK CLOUDBANK BROKEN SCATTERS IN THE NIGHT ... NOW SEE MOON-LIGHTED MOUNTAINS!
BASHO

SEEK ON HIGH BARE TRAILS SKY-REFLECTING VIOLETS... MOUNTAIN-TOP JEWELS
BASHO

p. 10

FOR A LOVELY BOWL LET US ARRANGE THESE FLOWERS... SINCE THERE IS NO RICE
BASHO

NOW THAT EYES OF HAWKS IN DUSKY NIGHT ARE DARKENED... CHIRPING OF THE QUAILS
BASHO

MY TWO PLUM TREES ARE SO GRACIOUS ... SEE, THEY FLOWER ONE NOW, ONE LATER
BUSON

ONE FALLEN FLOWER RETURNING TO THE BRANCH? ... OH NO! A WHITE BUTTERFLY
MORITAKE

p. 11

CLOUDBANK CURLING LOW? AH! THE MOUNTAIN YOSHINO ... CHERRY CUMULUS!
RYOTA

FIE! THIS FICKLE WORLD! THREE DAYS, NEGLECTED CHERRY-BRANCH ... AND YOU ARE BARE
RYOTA

HANGING THE LANTERN ON THAT FULL WHITE BLOOMING BOUGH... EXQUISITE YOUR CARE!
SHIKI

APRIL'S AIR STIRS IN WILLOW-LEAVES ... A BUTTERFLY FLOATS AND BALANCES
BASHO

p. 12

IN THE SEA-SURF EDGE MINGLING WITH BRIGHT SMALL SHELLS .. BUSH-CLOVER PETALS
BASHO

THE RIVER GATHERING MAY RAINS FROM COLD STREAMLETS FOR THE SEA ... MURMURING MOGAMI
BASHO

A GATE MADE ALL OF TWIGS WITH WOVEN GRASS FOR HINGES ... FOR A LOCK ... THIS SNAIL
ISSA

WIND-BLOWN, RAINED ON ... BENT BARLEY-GRASS YOU MAKE ME NARROW PATH INDEED
JOSO

p. 13

ARISE FROM SLEEP, OLD CAT, AND WITH GREAT YAWNS AND STRETCHINGS ... AMBLE OUT FOR LOVE
ISSA

WHITE CLOUD OF MIST ABOVE WHITE CHERRY-BLOSSOMS ... DAWN-SHINING MOUNTAINS
BASHO

HI! MY LITTLE HUT IS NEWLY-THATCHED I SEE... BLUE MORNING-GLORIES
ISSA

IN THE CITY FIELDS CONTEMPLATING CHERRY-TREES ... STRANGERS ARE LIKE FRIENDS
ISSA

p. 14

SEE, SEE, SEE! OH SEE! OH WHAT TO SAY? AH YOSHINO ... MOUNTAIN-ALL-ABLOOM!
TEISHITSU

GREEN SHADOW-DANCES ... SEE OUR YOUNG BANANA-TREE PATTERING THE SCREEN
SHIKI

DON'T TOUCH MY PLUMTREE! SAID MY FRIEND AND SAYING SO ... BROKE THE BRANCH FOR ME
TAIGI

TWILIGHT WHIPPOORWILL ... WHISTLE ON, SWEET DEEPENER OF DARK LONELINESS
BASHO

p. 15

RECITING SCRIPTURES... STRANGE THE WONDROUS BLUE I FIND IN MORNING-GLORIES
KYOROKU

MANY SOLEMN NIGHTS BLOND MOON, WE STAND AND MARVEL... SLEEPING OUR NOONS AWAY
TEITOKU

MOUNTAIN-ROSE PETALS FALLING, FALLING, FALLING NOW ... WATERFALL MUSIC
BASHO

AMOROUS CAT, ALAS YOU TOO MUST YOWL WITH YOUR LOVE... OR EVEN WORSE, WITHOUT!
YAHA

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