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


p. 26

OLD DARK SLEEPY POOL...
  QUICK UNEXPECTED
  FROG
GOES PLOP! WATERSPLASH!

BASHO

 

 

MY SHADOWY PATH
  I'VE SWEPT ALL DAY
  AND NOW ... OH NO!
CAMELLIA-SHOWER!

YAHA

 

 

HARD THE BEGGAR'S BED ...
  BUT SOCIABLE
  AND BUSY
WITH INSECT-TALKING

CHIYO-NI

 

 

COME COME! COME OUT!
  FROM BOGS OLD FROGS
  COMMAND THE DARK
AND LOOK ... THE STARS!

KIKAKU

 

 

p. 27

OVER THE MOUNTAIN
  BRIGHT THE FULL WHITE
  MOON NOW SMILES...
ON THE FLOWER-THIEF

ISSA

 

 

STARTING TO CALL YOU:
  COME WATCH
  THESE BUTTERFLIES ...
OH! I'M ALL ALONE

TAIGI

 

 

GOOD FRIEND GRASSHOPPER
  WILL YOU PLAY
  THE CARETAKER
FOR MY LITTLE GRAVE?

ISSA

 

 

A LOST CHILD CRYING
  STUMBLING OVER
  THE DARK FIELDS ...
CATCHING FIREFLIES

RYUSUI

 

 

p. 28

THE SNAKE DEPARTED
  BUT THE LITTLE EYES
  THAT GLARED...
DEW, SHINING IN THE GRASS

KYOSHI

 

 

AH! BRAVE DRAGON-FLY ...
  TAKING FOR YOUR PERCH
  THIS SWATTER
CONSECRATE TO DEATH

KOHYO

 

 

I RAISED MY KNIFE TO IT:
  THEN WALKED
  EMPTY-HANDED ON ...
PROUD ROSE OF SHARON

SAMPU

 

 

GIDDY GRASSHOPPER
  TAKE CARE ... DO NOT
  LEAP AND CRUSH
THESE PEARLS OF DEWDROP

ISSA

 

 

p. 29

DARTING DRAGON-FLY ...
  PULL OFF ITS SHINY
  WINGS AND LOOK...
BRIGHT RED PEPPER-POD

KIKAKU

 

 

REPLY:
BRIGHT RED PEPPER-POD ...
  IT NEEDS BUT SHINY
  WINGS AND LOOK...
DARTING DRAGON-FLY!

BASHO

 

 

TINY SENTENCES
  BRUSHING SOFT ON
  MY SHUTTERS...
BUSH-CLOVER VOICES

SESSHI

 

 

MIRROR-POND OF STARS ...
  SUDDENLY A SUMMER
  SHOWER
DIMPLES THE WATER

SORA

 

 

p. 30

SADNESS AT TWILIGHT...
  VILLAIN! I HAVE
  LET MY HAND
CUT THAT PEONY

BUSON

 

 

IN DIM DUSK AND SCENT
  A WITNESS
  NOW HALF HIDDEN...
EVENFALL ORCHID

BUSON

 

 

NOW BE A GOOD BOY
  TAKE GOOD CARE OF
  OUR HOUSE ...
CRICKET MY CHILD

ISSA

 

 

WAKE! THE SKY IS LIGHT!
  LET US TO THE ROAD
  AGAIN...
COMPANION BUTTERFLY!

BASHO

 

 

p. 31

STILLNESS ... THEN THE BAT
  FLYING AMONG
  THE WILLOWS
BLACK AGAINST GREEN SKY

KIKAKU

 

 

NOW MY LONELINESS
  FOLLOWING
  THE FIREWORKS...
LOOK! A FALLING STAR!

SHIKI

 

 

STUPID HOT MELONS...
  ROLLING
  LIKE FAT IDIOTS
OUT FROM LEAFY SHADE!

KYORA

 

 

FOR MORNING-GLORIES
  I CAN FORESEE GRAVE
  DANGER...
SINGLE-STICK PRACTICE

OHORA

 

 

p. 32

CAN'T IT GET AWAY
  FROM THE STICKY
  PINE-BRANCHES ...
CICADA SINGING?

GIJOENS

 

 

SILENT THE OLD TOWN...
  THE SCENT OF FLOWERS
  FLOATING...
AND EVENING BELL

BASHO

 

 

VENDOR OF BRIGHT FANS
  CARRYING HIS PACK
  OF BREEZE...
SUFFOCATING HEAT!

SHIRI

 

 

VOICES OF TWO BELLS
  THAT SPEAK FROM
  TWILIGHT TEMPLES...
AH! COOL DIALOGUE

BUSON

 

 

p. 33

DEEP IN DARK FOREST
  A WOODCUTTER'S
  DULL AXE TALKING...
AND A WOODCUTTER

BUSON

 

 

CAMELLIA-PETAL
  FELL IN SILENT DAWN ...
  SPILLING
A WATER-JEWEL

BASHO

 

 

IN THE TWILIGHT RAIN
  THESE BRILLIANT-HUED
  HIBISCUS ...
A LOVELY SUNSET

BASHO

 

 

FRIEND, THAT OPEN MOUTH
  REVEALS YOUR
  WHOLE INTERIOR...
SILLY HOLLOW FROG!

ANON.

 

 

p. 34

BUTTERFLY ASLEEP
  FOLDED SOFT ON
  TEMPLE BELL...
THEN BRONZE GONG RANG!

BUSON

 

 

GOOD EVENING BREEZE!
  CROOKED AND
  MEANDERING
YOUR HOMEWARD JOURNEY

ISSA

 

 

SEE THE MORNING BREEZE
  RUFFLING HIS SO
  SILKY HAIR...
COOL CATERPILLAR

BUSON

 

 

OH LUCKY BEGGAR!...
  BRIGHT HEAVEN
  AND COOL EARTH
YOUR SUMMER OUTFIT

KIKAKU

 

 

p. 35

THE TURNIP FARMER ROSE
  AND WITH A FRESH-
  PULLED TURNIP...
POINTED TO MY ROAD

ISSA

 

 

FLOWER IN THE STREAM
  THUS TOO MY LOVELY LIFE
  MUST END, ANOTHER
FLOWER...
TO FALL AND FLOAT AWAY

ONITSURA

 

 

I AM GOING OUT ...
  BE GOOD AND PLAY
  TOGETHER
MY CRICKET CHILDREN

ISSA

 

 

NOT A VOICE OR STIR ...
  DARKNESS LIES ON
  FIELDS AND STREETS
SAD: THE MOON HAS SET

IMOZENI

 

 


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