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


p. 16

THE LADEN WAGON RUNS
  BUMBLING AND CREAKING
  DOWN THE ROAD...
THREE PEONIES TREMBLE

BUSON

 

 

AH ME! I AM ONE
  WHO SPENDS HIS LITTLE
  BREAKFAST
MORNING-GLORY GAZING

BASHO

 

 

MY GOOD FATHER RAGED
  WHEN I SNAPPED
  THE PEONY...
PRECIOUS MEMORY!

TAIRO

 

 

BY THAT FALLEN HOUSE
  THE PEAR-TREE STANDS
  FULL-BLOOMING ...
AN ANCIENT BATTLE-SITE

SHIKI

 

 

p. 17

IN THE OPEN SHOP
  PAPERWEIGHTS ON
  PICTURE BOOKS...
YOUNG SPRINGTIME BREEZE

KITO

 

 

DIM THE GREY COW COMES
  MOOING MOOING
  AND MOOING
OUT OF THE MORNING MIST

ISSA

 

 

TAKE THE ROUND FLAT MOON
  SNAP THIS TWIG
  FOR HANDLE...
WHAT A PRETTY FAN!

SOKAN

 

 

SEAS ARE WILD TONIGHT...
  STRETCHING OVER
  SADO ISLAND
SILENT CLOUDS OF STARS

BASHO

 

 

p. 18

WHY SO SCRAWNY, CAT?
  STARVING FOR FAT FISH
  OR MICE ...
OR BACKYARD LOVE?

BASHO

 

 

DEWDROP, LET ME CLEANSE
  IN YOUR BRIEF
  SWEET WATERS ...
THESE DARK HANDS OF LIFE

BASHO

 

 

LIGHTNING FLASH, CRASH...
  WAITING IN THE
  BAMBOO GROVE
SEE THREE DEW-DROPS FALL

BUSON

 

 

ASHES MY BURNT HUT ...
  BUT WONDERFUL
  THE CHERRY
BLOOMING ON MY HILL

HOKUSHI

 

 

p. 19

LIFE? BUTTERFLY
  ON A SWAYING GRASS
  THAT'S ALL ...
BUT EXQUISITE!

SOIN

 

 

GLORIOUS THE MOON...
  THEREFORE OUR THANKS
  DARK CLOUDS
COME TO REST OUR NECKS

BASHO

 

 

WHAT A PEONY...
  DEMANDING TO BE
  MEASURED
BY MY LITTLE FAN!

ISSA

 

 

UNDER CHERRY-TREES
  SOUP, THE SALAD,
  FISH AND ALL ...
SEASONED WITH PETALS

BASHO

 

 

p. 20

NOW FROM CHERRY-TREES ...
  MILLIONS OF MAIDENS
  FLYING
FIERCE WAR-LORD STORM

SADAIYE

 

 

MOON SO BRIGHT FOR LOVE!
  COME CLOSER, QUILT...
  ENFOLD
MY PASSIONATE COLD!

SAMPU

 

 

TOO CURIOUS FLOWER
  WATCHING US PASS,
  MET DEATH...
OUR HUNGRY DONKEY

BASHO

 

 

CLOUD OF CHERRY-BLOOM ...
  TOLLING TWILIGHT
  BELL ... TEMPLE
UENO? ASAKURA?

BASHO

 

 

p. 21

MUST SPRINGTIME FADE?
  THEN CRY ALL BIRDS ...
  AND FISHES'
COLD PALE EYES POUR TEARS

BASHO

 

 

A NURSEMAID SCARECROW...
  FRIGHTENING THE
  WIND AND SUN
FROM PLAYING BABY

ISSA

 

 

ON HER DEAD SON
IN WHAT WINDY LAND
  WANDERS NOW
  MY LITTLE DEAR
DRAGONFLY HUNTER?

CHIYO-NI

 

 

A SADDENING WORLD:
  FLOWERS WHOSE SWEET
  BLOOMS MUST FALL...
AS WE TOO, ALAS...

ISSA

 

 

p. 22

DESCRIBE PLUM-BLOSSOMS?
  BETTER THAN MY
  VERSES ... WHITE
WORDLESS BUTTERFLIES

REIKAN

 

 

LEND ME WATER PLEASE?
  SOME FRESH YOUNG
  MORNING-GLORY,
CARELESS ... TOOK MY WELL

CHIYO-NI

 

 

A YOUNG SISTER
PITIFUL ... ON MY
  OUTSTRETCHED PALM
  AT DUSK DIES
THE LITTLE FIREFLY

KYORAI

 

 

YOU STUPID SCARECROW!
  UNDER YOUR VERY
  STICK-FEET
BIRDS ARE STEALING BEANS!

YAYU

 

 

p. 23

AFTERNOON SHOWER...
  WALKING AND TALKING
  IN THE STREET:
UMBRELLA AND RAINCOAT!

BUSON

 

 

IN THE FARTHER FIELD
  A SCARECROW KEPT ME
  COMPANY ...
WALKING AS I WALKED

SANIN

 

 

PRETTY BUTTERFLIES...
  BE CAREFUL OF
  PINE-NEEDLE POINTS
IN THIS GUSTY WIND!

SHUSEN

 

 

AH, UNREQUITED LOVE!
  NOW ELEVATE YOUR CHIN
  AND KEEN
TOM-CAT, TO THE MOON!

KYORAI

 

 

p. 24

HI! KIDS MIMICKING
  CORMORANTS ... YOU ARE
  MORE LIKE
REAL CORMORANTS THAN
THEY!

ISSA

 

 

BUZZING THE BEE TRADES
  PEONY FOR PEONY
WITH THE BUTTERFLY

TAIGI

 

 

SUCH UTTER SILENCE!
  EVEN THE CRICKETS’
  SINGING...
MUFFLED BY HOT ROCKS

BASHO

 

 

FAR ACROSS LOW MIST
  INTERMITTENTLY
  THE LAKE
LIFTS A SNOW-WHITE SAIL

GAKOKU

 

p. 25

A WHITE SWAN SWIMMING ...
  PARTING WITH HER
  UNMOVED BREAST
CHERRY-PETALED POND

ROKA

 

 

FOR A COOL EVENING
  I HIRED THE
  OLD TEMPLE PORCH ...
PENNY IN THE DISH

SHIKI

 

 

QUITE A HUNDRED GOURDS
  SPROUTING FROM
  THE FERTILE SOUL...
OF A SINGLE VINE

CHIYO-NI

 

 

SWALLOW IN THE DUSK...
  SPARE MY LITTLE
  BUZZING FRIENDS
AMONG THE FLOWERS

BASHO

 

 


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