Haiku (5 page)

Illustration 14

Pear blossoms—

a woman reads a letter

by moonlight

—B
USON

Harvesting radishes,

he points the way

with a radish

—I
SSA

Workers—

they laugh

in a single color

—H
AKUSHI

Selling ladles,

he shows how to scoop up

nothing at all

—A
NONYMOUS

Chanting the Lotus Sutra—

only his lips

are busy

—A
NONYMOUS

With both hands

thrust up mightily—

my yawn

—A
NONYMOUS

Trout fishing—

more fishermen

than trout

—K
ENJIN

Very secretly

the medicine peddler

is sick

—A
NONYMOUS

The convalescent—

indulging in his mother's care

has become a habit

—A
NONYMOUS

Losing,

he straightens in his seat

and loses again

—A
NONYMOUS

Having given my opinion

I return home to

my wife's opinion

—Y
ACHŌ

Priding himself

on scolding

his beautiful wife

—A
NONYMOUS

 

Illustration 15

“Every woman . . .”

he starts to say,

then looks around

—A
NONYMOUS

“After you die

they'll be valuable”

he tells the painter

—A
NONYMOUS

Skeletons

covered with adornment—

flower viewing

—O
NITSURA

Wanting to be logical

he tries so hard—

the drunkard

—M
EITEI

“Let's pull them all”

says the dentist

generously

—A
NONYMOUS

“I'd never lose

in a sumo match”—

pillow talk

—B
USON

No talents

also no sins—

winter seclusion

—I
SSA

Winter seclusion—

from my wife and children

I too play hide-and-seek

—B
USON

New Year's cards

with women's handwriting

get looked at first

—B
IRIKEN

She lowers

her eloquent lap

onto his silent lap

—A
NONYMOUS

The kimono for flower-viewing—

disrobing, I'm entwined in

a myriad of sashes

—H
ISA-JO

Without a word

the guest, the host,

white chrysanthemums

—R
YŌTA

Out from the gate,

I too become a traveler—

autumn dusk

—B
USON

Walking along the river

with no bridge to cross—

the day is long

—S
HIKI

Cold moon—

feeling the pebbles

under my shoes

—B
USON

A single guest

visits a single host—

autumn evening

—B
USON

“Coming, coming,”

but someone still knocks—

snowy gate

—K
YORAI

 

Illustration 16

My
go
rival—

how vexing

and how dear

—A
NONYMOUS

Getting old—

I slip on a watermelon rind

as I dance

—S
ŌCHŌ

My nose running

I play a solitary
go-
game—

night chill

—B
USON

Just asking them to fight,

he saved tons of money

and died

—H
AKUCHŌ

Flesh getting thin—

these are thick bones

—H
ŌSAI

Feeling my bones

on the quilting—

frosty night

—B
USON

Charcoal fire—

my years dwindle down

just like that

—I
SSA

For me leaving

for you staying

two autumns

—S
HIKI

Owning nothing—

such peace,

such coolness!

—I
SSA

Left to live on

left to live on and on—

this cold

—I
SSA

Loneliness

also has its pleasure—

autumn dusk

—B
USON

Autumn of my years—

the moon is perfect

and yet—

—I
SSA

Walking the dog

you meet

lots of dogs

—S
ŌSHI

Taking a nap

I hide within myself—

winter seclusion

—B
USON

All of a sudden

my first fallen tooth—

autumn wind

—S
ANPŪ

Winter rain—

I'm not dead yet

—S
ANTŌKA

A whole family

all gray-haired with canes

visits graves

—B
ASHŌ

This autumn

no child in my lap—

moon-viewing

—O
NITSURA

Are my youthful dreams

still unfinished?

this morning's frost

—A
NONYMOUS

The auspiciousness

is just about medium—

my spring

—I
SSA

On New Year's Day

the morning in town

comes irregularly

—A
NONYMOUS

First winter kimono—

may you quickly grow to

a naughty age

—I
SSA

Snow has melted—

the village is full

of children

—I
SSA

Resonance and Reverberation

 

Illustration 17

“Don't dare break it!”

but he broke off and gave me

a branch of garden plum

—T
AIGI

Spring river—

a tiny wooden clog

floats by

—H
ARITSU

Spring rain—

blown onto the bush

a discarded letter

—I
SSA

A shame to pick it

a shame to leave it—

the violet

—N
AO-JO

Even when chased

it pretends not to hurry—

the butterfly

—G
ARAKU

One sneeze—

and I lost sight of

the skylark

—Y
AYŪ

Tired heart—

mountains and ocean

too much beauty

—S
ANTŌKA

Lead him slowly!

the horse is carrying

the spring moon

—W
ATSUJIN

Come out!

you can almost touch

the spring moon

—T
EI-JO

Spring moon—

if I touch it, it would

drip

—I
SSA

Spring rain—

I gave my yawn

to the dog at the gate

—I
SSA

While I ponder

a snail

passes me by

—A
NONYMOUS

Frogs grow silent—

noble humans

are passing by

—R
AKUKYO

Early summer rain—

a letter from home

arrives wet

—H
ARITSU

Sudden shower—

riding naked

on a naked horse

—S
ANTŌKA

Rocks and trees

glisten in my eyes—

such heat

—K
YORAI

The stone-carver

cools his chisel

in the clear stream

—B
USON

A hoe standing

with no one around—

the heat!

—S
HIKI

 

Illustration 18

Becoming a cow

would be fine—morning naps

and the evening cool

—S
HIKŌ

After my sneeze

all is quiet—

summer mountains

—Y
ASUI

Only the moon and I

remain on the bridge

cooling off

—K
IKUSHA

One person

and one fly

in the large room

—I
SSA

The fly on the porch

while rubbing its hands—

swat!

—I
SSA

Each time

I swat a fly, I chant

“Namu Amida Butsu”

—I
SSA

Mosquito larvae,

dancing a Buddhist chant

in the water by the grave

—I
SSA

Being hit

the gong spits out

a noontime mosquito

—S
ŌSEKI

Sharing the same blood

but we're not related—

the hateful mosquito!

—J
ŌSŌ

The flute player

bitten by a mosquito

on the edge of his lips

—K
YORIKU

Swarms of mosquitoes—

but without them,

it's a little lonely

—I
SSA

During the day

the Buddha shelters behind

mosquitoes

—I
SSA