Haiku (4 page)

Illustration 12

The bat

circling the moon

would not leave it

—K
YŌTAI

Give me back my dream!

a crow has wakened me

to misty moonlight

—O
NITSURA

Dyeing his body

autumn—

the dragonfly

—B
AKUSUI

Distant mountains

reflecting in its eyes—

a dragonfly

—I
SSA

A floating sandal—

an object of scorn

to the plovers

—A
NONYMOUS

The pine wind

circling around the eaves—

autumn deepens

—B
ASHŌ

Cool breeze

filling the empty sky—

pine voices

—O
NITSURA

To the mountain quietude

the quiet

rain

—S
ANTŌKA

The old dog

is leading the way—

visiting family graves

—I
SSA

Typhoons ended,

the rat swims across

flowing waters

—B
USON

Calling three times,

then no more to be heard—

the deer in the rain

—B
USON

Running across the shelf

hoisting a chrysanthemum—

a temple mouse

—T
AKAMASA

On a withered branch

lingers the evanescent memory

of a cicada's voice

—K
AGAI

Singing as it goes,

an insect floats down the stream

on a broken bough

—I
SSA

“The eyes of the hawks

are now dimmed,”

quails sing

—B
ASHŌ

A grasshopper

chirps in the sleeve

of the scarecrow

—C
HIGETSU

The fields have withered—

no need for the crane

to stretch out its neck

—S
HIKŌ

The first goose

seeking its own sky

in the dusk

—S
HIRŌ

When they fall,

just as they fall—

garden grasses

—R
YŌKAN

Mountains darken—

robbing the scarlet

from maple leaves

—B
USON

The moon speeds on—

the treetops

still holding rain

—B
ASHŌ

A rock

against the moon

sits big

—S
EISENSUI

The bright moon—

out from the sleeve

of the scarecrow

—I
SSA

Fallen leaves

fall on each other—

rain beats on the rain

—K
YŌTAI

Blown from the west

collecting in the east—

falling leaves

—B
USON

The old pond's

frog also growing old—

fallen leaves

—B
USON

Sweeping

and then not sweeping

the fallen leaves

—T
AIGI

Very squarely

setting its buttocks down—

the pumpkin

—S
ŌSEKI

The autumn wind

takes the shape

of pampas grass

—K
IGIN

To passing autumn

the pampas grass waves

goodbye goodbye

—S
HIRAO

Autumn rains—

a spider encased in

a clump of fallen grass

—S
EKITEI

Evening fog—

my horse has learned

the holes on the bridge

—I
SSA

The sound

of the raindrops

also grown older

—S
ANTŌKA

In the harvest moonlight

standing nonchalantly—

the scarecrow

—I
SSA

Its hat fallen off

and embarrassed—

the scarecrow

—B
USON

A rinse of vermilion poured

from the setting sun, and then

autumn dusk

—T
AIGI

The bitter persimmons

spending their autumn

quietly

—R
ITŌ

Garden gate

slamming and thwacking—

autumn wind

—H
ARITSU

Just like people

the monkey clasps its hands—

autumn wind

—S
HADŌ

One edge

hanging over the mountain—

the Milky Way

—S
HIKI

The moon in the water

turns somersaults

and flows away

—S
ANO
R
YŌTA

Whiter than

the stones of Stone Mountain—

the autumn wind

—B
ASHŌ

The autumn wind

at the sliding door—

a piercing voice

—B
ASHŌ

The huge setting sun—

little remains of

its power

—K
YOSHI

All in calmness—

the earth with half-opened eyes

moves into winter

—D
AKOTSU

New garden

stones settling down—

first winter rain

—S
HADŌ

Red berries—

just one has fallen

frosty garden

—S
HIKI

Without a companion,

abandoned in the fields

winter moon

—R
OSEKI

Camphor-tree roots

silently soak in

the early winter rain

—B
USON

How amusing,

it may change into snow—

the winter rain

—B
ASHŌ

Crescent moon warped

coldness

keen and clear

—I
SSA

First snow—

just enough to bend

the narcissus leaves

—B
ASHŌ

On the mandarin duck's wings

a dust of snow—

such stillness!

—S
HIKI

Cold moon—

the gateless temple's

endless sky

—B
USON

Unable to wrap it

and dropping the moon—

the winter rain

—T
OKOKU

How warm—

the shadows of withered trees

stretching out their arms

—T
EI-JO

There's nothing

he doesn't know—

the cat on the stove

—F
ŪSEI

On a mandarin duck

its beauty is exhausted—

winter grove

—B
USON

The sea grows dark

the voice of the duck

faintly whitens

—B
ASHŌ

Cold moon—

among the withered trees

three stalks of bamboo

—B
USON

Its saddle taken off

how cold it looks—

the horse's rump

—H
EKIGODŌ

Snow

falls on snow—

and remains silent

—S
ANTŌKA

Wolves

are keening in harmony—

snowy evening

—J
ŌSŌ

If it had no voice

the heron might disappear—

this morning's snow

—C
HIYO-JO

Dawn—

the storm is buried

in snow

—S
HIRŌ

Withered by winter

one-colored world—

the sound of wind

—B
ASHŌ

The winter moon

trailing its white glow

leaves the mountain

—D
AKOTSU

The salted sea bream's

teeth are also chilly—

fish-market shelf

—B
ASHŌ

Bleakly, bleakly

the sun enters into the rocks—

a withered field

—B
USON

Blistering wind—

splintered by rocks

the voice of the water

—B
USON

Today is also ending—

at the bottom of the snowstorm

a gigantic sun

—A
RŌ

Wintry blasts—

blown off into the ocean

the evening sun

—S
ŌSEKI

Sad stories

whispered to the jellyfish

by the sea slug

—S
HŌHA

Frozen together,

what are they dreaming?

sea slugs

—S
EISEI

In the eyes of the hawk

over the withered fields

sits the winter storm

—J
ŌSŌ

Coming to the sea

the winter wind has no place

to return

—S
EISHI

In the abandoned boat

dashing and sliding—

hail

—S
HIKI

Flowing down

ice crushes

ice

—G
OMEI

The winter storm

hides in the bamboo

and becomes silent

—B
ASHŌ

Dearly, dearly

embracing the sun—

the fallen garden leaves

—R
ITŌ

Each plum blossom

brings a single blossom's

warmth

—B
ASHŌ

The warbler

sings upside-down

his first note

—K
IKAKU

Human Voices

 

Illustration 13

The tiny child—

shown even a flower

opens its mouth

—S
EIFU-JO

Flea bites—

while counting them, she nurses

her baby

—I
SSA

Shielding an infant

from the wind—

a scarecrow

—I
SSA

Garden butterfly—

as the baby crawls, it flies

crawls—flies—

—I
SSA

A child on my back

I picked a bracken shoot

and let him hold it

—K
YŌTAI

Her mother eats

the bitter parts—

mountain persimmons

—I
SSA

The harvest moon—

“Get it for me!”

cries the child

—I
SSA

“It's this big!”

forming a peony with her arms—

a child

—I
SSA

Today too!

today too! kites caught

by the nettle tree

—I
SSA

Spring rains—

a child teaches the cat

a dance

—I
SSA

Worse than tears—

the smile of the

abandoned child

—A
NONYMOUS

The season's first melon

clutched in its arms

sleeps the child

—I
SSA

Blazing sun—

whose barefoot child

is running free?

—K
ŌYŌ

At the ticket window

our child becomes

one year younger

—S
EIUN

The youngest child

visiting family graves

carries the broom

—B
USON

First love—

coming close to a lantern

face-to-face

—T
AIGI

Secret night rendezvous—

a mosquito was swatted

and died quietly

—A
NONYMOUS

Heaven knows,

earth knows, every neighbor knows—

parents don't know

—S
HISHŌSHI

Sharing one umbrella—

the person more in love

gets wet

—K
EISANJIN

Catching up

and looking at her—

nothing special

—A
NONYMOUS

Hearing footsteps

splitting in two

the shadow

—A
NONYMOUS

Waving umbrellas

“goodbye” . . . “goodbye” . . .

gossamer haze

—I
SSA

Having children,

you understand—

but too late

—A
NONYMOUS