HAIKU – Part One

 

この秋は

膝に子のなき

月見かな

kono aki wa                                     this autumn,

              hiza ni ko no naki                            no child in my lap

                            tsukimi kana                                    to watch the moon

谷水や

石も歌詠む

山桜

tanimizu ya                                      sakura-slopes;

              ishi mo uta yomu                             in the valley-stream,

                            yamazakura                                     even the stones make songs

ふや

音なき花も

耳の奥

 

shitagau ya                                      concordance:

              oto naki hana mo                             a flower without a sound

                            mimi no oku                                    and the depths of the ear

大旦

昔吹きにし

松の風

ō-ashita                                            on the first day,

              mukashi fukinishi                            the pristine swish

                            matsu no kaze                                 of the wind in the pines

 

uejima onitsura (1660-1738)

 

我死なば

墓守となれ

きりぎりす

ware shinaba                                   when I am gone,

              haka-mori to nare                            guard my gravestone,

                            kirigirisu                                          cricket

鬼と成り

仏となるや

土用雲

oni to nari                                        now an oni,

              hotoke to naru ya                            now the Buddha,

                            doyō-gumo                                      dog-day clouds

山焼の

明りに下る

夜舟哉

yama-yake no                                  floating down

akari ni kudaru                                mountain fire-light

                            yobune kana                                    night-boat

生きている

ばかりわれと

けしの花

ikite iru                                            alive,

              bakari zo ware to                             that’s all; I and

                            keshi no hana                                  the poppy

 

kobayashi issa (1763-1827)

 

水晶の

念珠に映る

若葉かな

suishō no                                         reflected in the crystal

nenju ni utsuru                                of my rosary –

                            wakaba kana                                   young leaves

 

明滅の

いづれ悲しき

蛍かな

meimetsu no                                    the flickering

izure kanashiki                                of soon sorrowful

                            hotaru kana                                     fireflies

 

Kawabata Bōsha (1900-41)

 

淋しさに

又銅鑼打つや

鹿火屋守

sabishisa ni                                      from loneliness

mata dora utsu ya                            striking the gong again,

                            Kabiya-mori                                    Kabiya-keeper

 

Hara Sekitei (1886-1951)

 

朝風や

ただ一筋に

揚雲雀

asa-kaze ya                                   morning breeze –

tada hito-suji ni                               only a line

                            age-hibari                                        of rising skylarks

名月や

生れ変ら

峰の松

meigetsu ya                                     harvest moon –

umare-kawaraba                              the birthing change

                            mine no matsu                                 a pine on a peak

 

Ōshima Ryōta (1718-87)

 

山桜

雪嶺天に

声もなし

yama-zakura                                    mountain sakura –

setsu-rei ten ni                                 in the snow-peak sky

                            koe mo nashi                                   no sound

 

世の

面輪かしこし

木彫雛

tōtsu-yo no                                      far generations

omowa kashikoshi                           similar faces –

                            kibori-bina                                       woodcarved dolls

 

一輪の

霜の薔薇より

年明くる

ichi-rin no                                        a single

shimo no bara yori                           frosty rose

                            toshi akuru                                      opens a year

 

Mizuhara Shūōshi (1892-1981)

 

ら星に

うす雲わたる

初秋かな

mura-boshi ni                                  wisps of cloud

usu-gumo wataru                            cross the host of stars –

                            shoshū kana                                     early autumn

冬灯

死は容顔に

遠からず

fuyu-tomoshi                                   winter lamp –

shi wa yōgan ni                               death from the face

                            tōkarazu                                                        is not far

 

                                                        burning winter light –

                                                                      death from the face

                                                                                    does not keep its distance

 

(Imitation):                                      winter-lit

                                                                      a face once-removed

                                                                                    from death

Iida Dakotsu (1885-1962)

 

春の夜や

泣きながら寝る

子供達

haru no yo na                                  spring night

naki-nagara neru                              crying to sleep

                            kodomo-tachi                                  my children

 

murakami kijō (1865-1930)

 

菅笠を

着て鏡見る

茶摘かな

suge-gasa wo                                   wearing a sedge-hat,

kite kagami miru                             looking in the mirror,

                            chatsumi kana                                 picking tea

 

Kagami Shikō (1665-1731)

 

いなづまや

闇のかたゆく

五位の声

inazuma ya                                      lightning –

yami no kata yuku                        into the darkness

                            goi no koe                                       a night-heron’s cry

病雁の

夜さむに落ちて

旅に哉

byōgan no                                       a wild goose falls

              yosamu ni ochite                             ill in the cold night;

                            tabine kana                                      itinerant sleep…

ほと々ぎす

消行方や

嶋一つ

hototogisu                                       cuckoo

              kieyuku kata e                                 fading towards

                            shima hitotsu                                   a lone isle

名月や

池をめぐり

夜もすがら

meigetsu ya                                     harvest moon –

              ike wo megurite                              milling round the pond

                            yomosugara                                     throughout the night

月はやし

こずえはあめを

持ちながら

tsuki hayashi                                   fleeting moon

              kozue wa ame wo                           while rain clings

                            mochinagara                                    to the twigs

荒海や

佐渡によこた

天河

araumi ya                                         turbulent sea;

              Sado ni yokotau                              over Sado Isle

                            amanogawa                                     the River of Heaven

夏草や

兵どもが

ゆめの跡

natsu-kusa ya                                  summer grasses;

tsuwa-mono-domo ga                     ruins

                            yume no ato                                of soldiers’ dreams

 

                                                        summer grasses

                                                                      warriors’ dreams

                                                                                    over

旅に病で

夢は枯野を

かけめぐる

tabi ni yande                                   waning on a journey –

yume wa kare-no wo                       dreams through withered fields

                            kake-meguru                                   are wandering

この道や

行く人なしに

秋の暮れ

kono michi ya                                  no one walks

yuku hito nashi ni                            with this road –

                            aki no kure                                      autumn evening

五月雨を

あつめて早し

最上川

samidare wo                                    gathering summer

atsumete hayashi                             rain, the swift

                            Mogamigawa                                  Mogami River

暑き日を

海に入れたり