JAPANESE HAIKU

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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