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


p. 36

LADY BUTTERFLY
  PERFUMES HER WINGS
  BY FLOATING
OVER THE ORCHID

BASHO

 

 

IF STRANGERS THREATEN
  TURN INTO FAT
  GREEN BULLFROGS...
POND-COOLING MELONS

ISSA

 

 

YELLOW EVENING SUN ...
  LONG SHADOW
  OF THE SCARECROW
REACHES TO THE ROAD

 

SHOHA

 

 

A CAMELLIA
  DROPPED DOWN INTO
  STILL WATERS
OF A DEEP DARK WELL

BUSON

 

 

p. 37

FOR THE EMPEROR
  HIMSELF HE WILL NOT
  LIFT HIS HAT ...
A STIFF-BACKED SCARECROW

DANSUI

 

 

IN THE HOLY DUSK
  NIGHTINGALES BEGIN
  THEIR PSALM...
GOOD! THE DINNER-GONG!

BUSON

 

 

LIVE IN SIMPLE FAITH ...
  JUST AS THIS
  TRUSTING CHERRY
FLOWERS, FADES, AND FALLS

ISSA

 

 

NIGHT IS BRIGHT WITH STARS
  ... SILLY WOMAN,
  WHIMPERING:
SHALL I LIGHT THE LAMP?

ETSUJIN

 

 

p. 38

BLACK DESOLATE MOOR...
  I BOW BEFORE
  THE BUDDHA
LIGHTED IN THUNDER

KAKEI

 

 

DIRTY BATH-WATER
  WHERE CAN I POUR
  YOU? ... INSECTS
SINGING IN THE GRASS

ONITSURA

 

 

WEE BITTER CRICKET
  CRYING ALL THIS
  SUNNY DAY ...
OR IS HE LAUGHING?

OEMARU

 

 

A SHORT SUMMER NIGHT...
  BUT IN THIS SOLEMN
  DARKNESS
ONE PEONY BLOOMED

BUSON

 

 

p. 39

LONG THE SUMMER DAY ...
  PATTERNS ON
  THE OCEAN SAND...
OUR IDLE FOOTPRINTS

SHIKI

 

 

ANGRY I STRODE HOME...
  BUT STOOPING IN
  MY GARDEN
CALM OLD WILLOW-TREE

RYOTA

 

 

OH DO NOT SWAT THEM ...
  UNHAPPY FLIES
  FOREVER
WRINGING THEIR THIN HANDS

ISSA

 

 

SEE ... THE HEAVY LEAF
  ON THE SILENT
  WINDLESS DAY ...
FALLS OF ITS OWN WILL

BONCHO

 

 

p. 40

RASH TOM-CAT LOVER...
  CARELESS EVEN
  OF THAT RICE
STUCK IN YOUR WHISKERS

TAIGI

 

 

MOON SO BRIGHT FOR LOVE!
  OH, HEAR THE FARMER
  BY THAT LIGHT...
FLAILING HIS LOVELY RICE!

ETSUJIN

 

 

NOW THE SWINGING BRIDGE
  IS QUIETED
  WITH CREEPERS...
LIKE OUR TENDRILLED LIFE

BASHO

 

 

DANCING IN MY SILKS
  MONEY TOSSED ITSELF
  AWAY...
PRETTY, THIS PAPER DRESS!

SONO-JO

 

 

p. 41

THE SEA DARKENING...
  OH VOICES OF THE
  WILD DUCKS
CRYING, WHIRLING, WHITE

BASHO

 

 

WHITE MOTH, FLUTTER OFF:
  FLY BACK INTO
  MY BREAST NOW
QUICKLY, MY OWN SOUL!

WAFU

 

 

NINE TIMES ARISING
  TO SEE THE MOON...
  WHOSE SOLEMN PACE
MARKS ONLY MIDNIGHT YET

BASHO

 

 

WATCHING, I WONDER
  WHAT POET COULD PUT
  DOWN HIS QUILL...
A PLUPERFECT MOON!

ONITSURA

 

 

p. 42

DO YOUR WORST, OLD FROST
  YOU CAN NO LONGER
  WOUND ME ...
LAST CHRYSANTHEMUM I

OEMARU

 

 

PEBBLES SHINING CLEAR,
  AND CLEAR
  SIX SILENT FISHES...
DEEP AUTUMN WATER

BUSON

 

 

A BRIGHT AUTUMN MOON...
  IN THE SHADOW OF
  EACH GRASS
AN INSECT CHIRPING

BUSON

 

 

YOU TURN AND SUDDENLY
  THERE IN PURPLING
  AUTUMN SKY ...
WHITE FUJIAMI

ONITSURA

 

 

p. 43

HERE, WHERE A THOUSAND
  CAPTAINS SWORE GRAND
  CONQUEST ... TALL
GRASS THEIR MONUMENT

BASHO

 

 

YELLOW AUTUMN MOON...
  UNIMPRESSED
  THE SCARECROW STANDS
SIMPLY LOOKING BORED

ISSA

 

 

WHITE CHRYSANTHEMUM ...
  BEFORE THAT
  PERFECT FLOWER
SCISSORS HESITATE

BUSON

 

 

CRUEL AUTUMN WIND
  CUTTING TO THE
  VERY BONES...
OF MY POOR SCARECROW

ISSA

 

 

p. 44

NOW IN LATE AUTUMN
  LOOK, ON MY OLD
  RUBBISH-HEAP ...
BLUE MORNING-GLORY

TAIGI

 

 

A SINGLE CRICKET
  CHIRPS, CHIRPS, CHIRPS,
  AND IS STILL ... MY
CANDLE SINKS AND DIES

ANON.

 

 

FIREWORKS ENDED
  AND SPECTATORS
  GONE AWAY...
AHD HOW VAST AND DARK!

SHIKI

 

 

TWO ANCIENT PINE-TREES ...
  A PAIR OF GNARLED
  AND STURDY HANDS
WITH TEN GREEN FINGERS

RYOTO

 

 

p. 45

I MUST TURN OVER...
  BEWARE OF LOCAL
  EARTHQUAKES
BEDFELLOW CRICKET!

ISSA

 

 

OH! I ATE THEM ALL
  AND OH! WHAT A
  STOMACH-ACHE...
GREEN STOLEN APPLES

SHIKI

 

 

NOW IN SAD AUTUMN
  AS I TAKE MY
  DARKENING PATH ...
A SOLITARY BIRD

BASHO

 

 

AT OUR LAST PARTING
  BENDING BETWEEN
  BOAT AND SHORE...
THAT WEEPING WILLOW

SHIKI

 

 


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