Haiku (3 page)

at night “brighten the night”

frogs chant

—B
USON

Crossing the sea

into a net of mist—

the setting sun

—B
USON

Misty grasses—

water without voices

in the dusk

—B
USON

Spring passing—

looking at the sea,

a baby crow

—S
HOKYŌ

The cuckoo

with a single song

has established summer

—R
YŌTA

The voice of the cuckoo

slants

over the water

—B
ASHŌ

The cuckoo calls—

and the waters of the lake

cloud over a little

—J
ŌSŌ

The cuckoo—

flies and insects,

listen well!

—I
SSA

Summer rains—

leaves of the plum

the color of cold wind

—S
AIMARO

Early summer rains—

lunging at the blue sea

muddy waters

—B
USON

 

Illustration 7

Early summer rains—

even nameless rivers

are fearsome

—B
USON

Summer cool—

in the green rice fields

a single pine

—S
HIKI

Only Fuji

remains unburied—

young leaves

—B
USON

On the hydrangeas

the weight of the morning sun,

the evening sun

—O
TSUYŪ

Mountain ant—

seen so clearly

on the white peony

—B
USON

Alone, silently—

the bamboo shoot

becomes a bamboo

—S
ANTŌKA

The warbler

amid the bamboo shoots

sings of old age

—B
ASHŌ

A triangle—

is the lizard's head getting

a little longer?

—K
YOSHI

In my dwelling

friendly with the mice—

fireflies

—I
SSA

How interesting—

running errands right and left

fireflies

—K
AIGA

Pursued,

it hides in the moon—

the firefly

—S
ANO RYŌTA

Burning so easily,

extinguishing so easily—

the firefly

—C
HINE-JO

The morning breeze

ripples the fur

of the caterpillar

—B
USON

 

Illustration 8

As the lake breeze

cools his bottom

the cicada cries

—I
SSA

As lightning flashes

he strokes his head—

the toad

—I
SSA

The snake flees—

but the eyes that peered at me

remain in the weeds

—K
YOSHI

Rustling, rustling,

the lotus leaves sway—

a tortoise in the pond

—O
NITSURA

Today too

mosquito larvae—

and tomorrow again

—I
SSA

As flies retreat

mosquitoes start

their battle cry

—A
NONYMOUS

Dashing into one another

whispering, parting—

ants

—A
NONYMOUS

Inhaling clouds

exhaling clouds—

mountaintop pines

—A
NONYMOUS

 

Illustration 9

Across a pillar of mosquitoes

hangs the bridge

of dreams

—K
IKAKU

Even the clams

keep their mouths shut

in this heat

—B
ASHŌ

Motionless

in a crevice of an old wall—

a pregnant spider

—S
HIKI

Heat in waves—

in the stones

angry reverberations

—K
YŌTAI

Sudden shower—

and rising from the heat,

the broken-down horse

—K
ITŌ

Lightning!

fleeing up the wall,

the legs of a spider

—K
ICHŌ

Sudden shower—

clutching the blades of grass

a flock of sparrows

—B
USON

Down a paulownia tree

the rain comes trickling

across a cicada's belly

—B
AISHITSU

The tree frog

riding the plantain leaf

sways

—K
IKAKU

“It's much too long a day,”

opening its mouth

a crow

—I
SSA

The fish

not knowing they're in a bucket

cool by the gate

—I
SSA

A sudden shower

drums down upon

the heads of the carp

—S
HIKI

Lightning—

yesterday to the east

today to the west

—K
IKAKU

Even in a single blade of grass

the cool breeze

finds a home

—I
SSA

The trout leaps up—

and below him in a stream

clouds float by

—O
NITSURA

How quiet—

at the bottom of the lake

peaks of clouds

—I
SSA

At the sound of the sea

the sunflowers open

their black eyes

—Y
ŪJI

Octopus pot—

evanescent dreams

of the summer moon

—B
ASHŌ

Short summer night—

flowing through reeds

bubbles from crabs

—B
USON

Stillness—

seeping into the rocks

the cicada's voice

—B
ASHŌ

How beautifully

the cow has slimmed down

in the summer fields

—B
ONCHŌ

In the morning dew

soiled and cooled—

dirt on the melon

—B
ASHŌ

 

Illustration 10

Summer coolness—

lantern out,

the sound of water

—S
HIKI

Summer rains—

secretly one evening

moon in the pines

—R
YŌTA

The bat's

secret home—

a tattered hat

—B
USON

Evening glories—

the cat chewing the flower

has its mind elsewhere

—B
USON

Among the ears of barley

are you hiding your tail?

old fox

—T
ESSHI

The coming of autumn

determined

by a red dragonfly

—S
HIRAO

The stars

have already opened

their autumn eyes

—K
ŌYŌ

Early autumn—

the evening shower becomes

a night of rain

—T
AIGI

Autumn begins—

ocean and fields

all one green

—B
ASHŌ

Early autumn—

peering through willows

the morning sun

—S
EIBI

Morning glories—

blown to the ground

bloom as they are

—I
SSA

As dew drips

gently, gently, the dove

murmurs its chant

—I
SSA

Grasses and trees all

waiting for the moon—

dewy evening

—S
ŌGI

 

Illustration 11

White dew

on brambles and thorns—

one drop each

—B
USON

On blades of grass

frolic and roll on—

pearls of dew

—R
ANSETSU

Dew cooling—

things with shapes

all alive

—K
IJŌ

Its face

looks like a horse—

the grasshopper

—A
NONYMOUS

Dragonfly on a rock

absorbed in

a daydream

—S
ANTŌKA

The dragonfly

cannot come to rest

on the blades of grass

—B
ASHŌ

Kittens

playing hide-and-seek

in the bush clover

—I
SSA

Dragonflies

quiet their mad darting—

crescent moon

—K
IKAKU