Today's Kigo:   Sample Haiku from Japanese Saijiki (4)
                                                                                                     translated by Fay Aoyagi

(1) Haiku Saijiki, edited by Fusei Tomiasu et al, Heibonsha, Tokyo, 1971
(2)  Dai Saijiki (Comprehensive Saijiki) edited by Shuoshi Mizuhara et al,
Kodansha, Tokyo, 1982
(3)  Gendai Saijiki (Modern Saijiki), edited by Tota Kaneko, Momoko Kuroda, Ban’ya
Natsuishi, Seisei Shuppan, Tokyo, 1997
(4) Kiyose (Collection of Seasons), edited by Kadokawa Shote, Kadokawa Shoten,
Tokyo 2001
HERE
November 3-7, 2007: Click:
October, 2007 (slightly different format):  Click
HERE
HERE
November 9-23, 2007:  Click
Nov. 24-Dec.  13, 2007:  Click
HERE
December 19, 2007
"poinsechia (poinsettia)"

tokei nari shoujouboku no hi no shizuka           
a clock chimes
 quietness
 of a red poinsettia
                                      Seito Abe (2)

 ********
sayonara ni nakanai yakusoku poinsechia
  a promise not to cry
 when we say good-bye—
 poinsettias
                                 Kyoko Matsumoto (3)

 ********
poinsechia mogura no youna kazokutachi
  poinsettia—
 a family who is like
 the moles
                         Yoko Watabe (3)
December 22, 2007
"touji (winter solstice)"

surechigau taiyou to tsuki touji kana
   the sun and the moon
  pass each other
  on the winter solstice
                          Kozaburo Wada (3)

  ********
shiwabuki no mi no kurayami o touji kana
   darkness
  of myself coughing
  winter solstice
                  Kimio Yamagami (2)
  
  
  ********
tsurite hosu uo no o hosoki touji kana
   on the winter solstice
  a thin tail of the fish
  hung to dry
                                  Shunso Hasegawa (2)
January 1, 2008
"shinnen (New Year)"

hanaya dete mangetsu ni toshi tachinikeri
    out of the flower shop
   a new year begins
   in the full moon
                           Suiha Watanabe (2)
   
   ********
orion no atarashiki mayu toshi ni iru
    new eyebrows
   of the Orion—
   New Year begins
                           Takako Hashimoto (1)

   ********
shinnen no kagami ni bonji no ame ga furu
  on the mirror
 of the new year
 the Sanskrit characters rain
                               Ban’ya Natsuishi (3)
January 5, 2008
"hatsunagi (New Year's calm sea)

hatsunagi ya sasuga saafinzoku mo izu
     calm New Year ocean
    even the surfers
    stay home
                    Toshiro  Suzaki (3)

    ********
hatsunagi no shima ni ningyou no kubi sasan
     calm New Year sea
    I will place a doll’s head
    on that island
                            Saichi Hoshino (3)

    ********
hatsunagi ya monono kouranu kuni ni sumi
     calm New Year ocean
    I live in the country
    where nothing freezes
                                    Masajo Suzuki (2)

There are many Japanese New Year's kigo starting with
"hatsu" (first), such as hatsugochi (first east wind), hatsu
warai (first laugh), hatsu ichi (first market).
January 8, 2008
"koma (spinning top)"

yuugure no kareki nikoma o butsuketari
   dusk
  the spinning top hits against
  a tree without leaves
                     Rinka Ohono (2)

     ********
onoga kage furihanasanto abaregoma
      the untamed spinning top
     tries to shake off
     its own shadow
                             Sengyo Uemura (2)

     ********
koma utsu ya nakani mishiranu ko ga hitori
   playing the spinning tops—
  one of the children
  no body knows
                             Shura Murakami (2)

Koma (spinning top) is a new year kigo.
January 19, 2008
"toumin" (hibernation)"

toumin nowani iwao yori shizuka
       a crocodile in hibernation
      is quieter than
      than the rocks
                              Ryutei Fukuda (2)

      ********
toumin no mamushi no hokawa neiki nashi
      except for
      a snake in hibernation
      no breathing
                              Tohta Kaneko (3)

      
      ********
toumi no kawazu goto ichimai ta o ureri
       with a hibernating frog
      a piece of rice paddy
      is sold
                              Shin Yamaguchi (3)