Sacred Texts  Japan  Index  Previous  Next 

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


p. 46

AT FURUE IN RAIN
  GRAY WATER AND
  GRAY SAND...
PICTURE WITHOUT LINES

BUSON

 

 

OH SORRY TOM-CAT
  BIGGER BLACKER
  KNIGHTS OF LOVE
HAVE KNOCKED YOU OUT!

SHIKO

 

 

THE OLD FISHERMAN
  UNALTERABLY
  INTENT...
COLD EVENING RAIN

BUSON

 

 

WHILE I TURNED MY HEAD
  THAT TRAVELER
  I'D JUST PASSED ...
MELTED INTO MIST

SHIKI

 

 

p. 47

VISITING THE GRAVES ...
  TROTTING ON TO SHOW
  THE WAY ...
OLD FAMILY DOG

ISSA

 

 

WILL WE MEET AGAIN
  HERE AT YOUR
  FLOWERING GRAVE...
TWO WHITE BUTTERFLIES?

BASHO

 

 

SO ENVIABLE...
  MAPLE-LEAVES
  MOST GLORIOUS
CONTEMPLATING DEATH

SHIKO

 

 

SHOCKING ... THE RED OF
  LACQUERED FINGERNAILS
  AGAINST
A WHITE CHRYSANTHEMUM

CHIYO-NI

 

 

p. 48

DRY CHEERFUL CRICKET
  CHIRPING, KEEPS
  THE AUTUMN GAY ...
CONTEMPTUOUS OF FROST

BASHO

 

 

DEEPEN, DROP, AND DIE
  MANY-HUED
  CHRYSANTHEMUMS...
ONE BLACK EARTH FOR ALL

RYUSUI

 

 

BEFORE BOILED CHESTNUTS
  CROSS-LEGGED LAD
  IS SQUATTING...
CARVED WOODEN BUDDHA

ISSA

 

 

DEFEATED IN THE FRAY
  BY BIGGER BATTLERS
  FOR LOVE...
TOM-CAT SEEKS A MOUSE

SHIKO

 

 

p. 49

ASKING THEIR ROAD...
  SEVEN YELLOW
  BAMBOO HATS
ALL TURNED TOGETHER

ANON.

 

 

TORCHES! COME AND SEE
  THE BURGLAR I HAVE
  CAPTURED...
OH! MY ELDEST SON!

SOKAN

 

 

AUTUMN MOSQUITOES
  BUZZ ME, BITE ME ...
  SEE, I AM
LONG PREPARED FOR DEATH

SHIKI

 

 

NICE: WILD PERSIMMONS...
  AND NOTICE HOW
  THE MOTHER
EATS THE BITTER PARTS

ISSA

 

 

p. 50

GRAY MARSH, BLACK CLOUD
  FLAPPING AWAY
  IN AUTUMN RAIN
LAST OLD SLOW HERON

ANON.

 

 

FIRST WHITE SNOW OF FALL
  JUST ENOUGH TO BEND
  THE LEAVES
OF FADED DAFFODILS

BASHO

 

 

WHAT A GORGEOUS ONE
  THAT FAT SLEEK HUGE
  OLD CHESTNUT
I COULD NOT GET AT ...

ISSA

 

 

NONE BROKE THE SILENCE...
  NOR VISITOR
  NOR HOST ... NOR
WHITE CHRYSANTHEMUM

RYOTA

 

 

p. 51

IF YOU WERE SILENT
  FLIGHT OF HERONS
  ON DARK SKY ...
OH! AUTUMN SNOWFLAKES!

SOKAN

 

 

CHILLING AUTUMN RAIN...
  THE MOON, TOO BRIGHT
  FOR SHOWERS,
SLIPS FROM THEIR FINGERS

TOKUKU

 

 

RAINY-MONTH, DRIPPING
  ON AND ON
  AS I LIE ABED...
AH, OLD MAN'S MEMORIES!

BUSON

 

 

NOVEMBER SUNRISE...
  UNCERTAIN, THE COLD
  STORKS STAND ...
BARE STICKS IN WATER

KAKEI

 

 

p. 52

FROM DARK WINDY HILLS
  VOICES DRIVING
  WEARY HORSES ...
SHOUTING OF THE STORM

KYOKUSUI

 

 

SLANTING LINES OF RAIN...
  ON THE DUSTY
  SAMISEN
A MOUSE IS TROTTING

BUSON

 

 

OH FORMER RENTER
  I KNOW IT ALL, ALL ...
  DOWN TO
THE VERY COLD YOU FELT

ISSA

 

 

GRAY MOOR, UNMARRED
  BY ANY PATH ...
  A SINGLE BRANCH ...
A BIRD ... NOVEMBER

ANON.

 

 

p. 53

LONELY UMBRELLA
  PASSING THE HOUSE
  AT TWILIGHT...
FIRST SNOW FALLING SOFT

YAHA

 

 

CARVEN GODS LONG GONE...
  DEAD LEAVES ALONE
  FOREGATHER
ON THE TEMPLE PORCH

BASHO

 

 

FIVE OR SIX OF US
  REMAIN, HUDDLED
  TOGETHER...
BENT OLD WILLOW-TREES

KYORA

 

 

PLUME OF PAMPAS GRASS
  TREMBLING
  IN EVERY WIND...
HUSH, MY LONELY HEART

ISSA

 

 

p. 54

TEA-WATER, TIRED
  WAITING WHILE WE
  WATCHED THE SNOW...
FROZE ITSELF A HAT

SOKAN

 

 

COLD FIRST WINTER RAIN...
  POOR MONKEY,
  YOU TOO COULD USE
A LITTLE WOVEN CAPE

BASHO

 

 

WINTER RAIN DEEPENS
  LICHENED LETTERS
  ON THE GRAVE...
AND MY OLD SADNESS

ROKA

 

 

COLD WINTER SHOWER ..
  SEE ALL THE PEOPLE
  RUNNING
ACROSS SETA BRIDGE!

JOSO

 

 

p. 55

OLD WEARY WILLOWS...
  I THOUGHT HOW LONG
  THE ROAD WOULD BE
WHEN YOU WENT AWAY

BUSON

 

 

NO OIL TO READ BY ...
  I AM OFF TO BED
  BUT AH!...
MY MOONLIT PILLOW

BASHO

 

 

DESCENDING SEAWARD
  FAR-OFF MOUNTAIN
  WATERFALL...
WINTER NIGHTS ARE STILL

KYOKUSUI

 

 

ALL HEAVEN AND EARTH
  FLOWERED WHITE
  OBLITERATE...
SNOW ... UNCEASING SNOW

HASHIN

 

 


Next: Part 6