Today's Kigo: Sample Haiku from Japanese Saijiki (5)
translated by Fay Aoyagi
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
(5) Kadokawa Haiku Daisaijiki, edited by Kadokawa Gakugei Shuppan, Kadokawa
Shoten, Tokyo, 2006
November 3-7, 2007: Click:
October, 2007 (slightly different format): Click
November 9-23, 2007: Click
Nov. 24-Dec. 13, 2007: Click
January 22, 2008
"kabu (turnip)"
kabu shiroshi junen ni haha okuraneba
white turnips—
I have to outlive my mother
to keep the order
Chichibu Mesako (2)
Dying before one's parents is considered a sin
********
doremo doremo sabishiu hikaru kokabu kana
this one, that one
all these small turnips
shine with loneliness
Suiha watanabe (2)
********
kabu shikaku ni kiri asa karano kinkou
cutting turnips in square
equilibrium
from the start of a day
Aiko Yamazaki (3)
"kabu (turnip)"
kabu shiroshi junen ni haha okuraneba
white turnips—
I have to outlive my mother
to keep the order
Chichibu Mesako (2)
Dying before one's parents is considered a sin
********
doremo doremo sabishiu hikaru kokabu kana
this one, that one
all these small turnips
shine with loneliness
Suiha watanabe (2)
********
kabu shikaku ni kiri asa karano kinkou
cutting turnips in square
equilibrium
from the start of a day
Aiko Yamazaki (3)
December 19, 2007 - January 19, 2008: click
January 28, 2008
"kari (hunting)"
ryouken wa nemuri aruji wa sake o kumu
a hunting dog sleeps
and his master sips
sake
Soju Takano (2)
********
araboshi ni neyuki no kururu ryou no michi
stars on the windy night
frozen snow darkening
on the hunter’s path
Yatsuka Ishihara (2)
********
inu no me to surudosa onaji kitsuo no me
eyes of the hunter
as sharp as
eyes of the dog
Chikuro Matsumura (2)
"kari (hunting)"
ryouken wa nemuri aruji wa sake o kumu
a hunting dog sleeps
and his master sips
sake
Soju Takano (2)
********
araboshi ni neyuki no kururu ryou no michi
stars on the windy night
frozen snow darkening
on the hunter’s path
Yatsuka Ishihara (2)
********
inu no me to surudosa onaji kitsuo no me
eyes of the hunter
as sharp as
eyes of the dog
Chikuro Matsumura (2)
February 1, 2008
"roubai (winter sweet)"
kaze yukikishite roubai no tsuya o kesu
the wind back and forth
deleting a gloss
of winter sweets
Sogyo Hasegawa (2)
********
roubai o sukeshi hizashi no yukue nashi
the sunshine
through the winter sweets—
no trace of it
Hinao Goto (2)
********
roubai ni kiku kaze no oto nami no oto
winter sweets
I listen to a sound of the wind
and a sound of the waves
Shigeki Aoyagi (3)
"roubai (winter sweet)"
kaze yukikishite roubai no tsuya o kesu
the wind back and forth
deleting a gloss
of winter sweets
Sogyo Hasegawa (2)
********
roubai o sukeshi hizashi no yukue nashi
the sunshine
through the winter sweets—
no trace of it
Hinao Goto (2)
********
roubai ni kiku kaze no oto nami no oto
winter sweets
I listen to a sound of the wind
and a sound of the waves
Shigeki Aoyagi (3)
February 5,2008
"ume (plum blossom)"
ume saite mata hitotose no ikokoku kana
plum blossoms bloom
another year
in a foreign country
Jack Stamm (3)
Jack Stamm had lived in Japan for many years. He
composed haiku in Japanese and translated many
contemporary Japanese haiku poets.
********
hakubai ya chichi ni mikan no higure ari
white plum blossoms—
my father has
incomplete twilight
Michiko Kai (5)
********
shasei shite hito saru noji no ume sabishi
a painter leaving
lonesome plum blossoms
on the field path
Hosai Ozaki (1)
"ume (plum blossom)"
ume saite mata hitotose no ikokoku kana
plum blossoms bloom
another year
in a foreign country
Jack Stamm (3)
Jack Stamm had lived in Japan for many years. He
composed haiku in Japanese and translated many
contemporary Japanese haiku poets.
********
hakubai ya chichi ni mikan no higure ari
white plum blossoms—
my father has
incomplete twilight
Michiko Kai (5)
********
shasei shite hito saru noji no ume sabishi
a painter leaving
lonesome plum blossoms
on the field path
Hosai Ozaki (1)
February 26, 2008
"usurai (thin ice)"
usurai no ura o nametewa uo shizumu
licking the bottom
of the thin ice
fish submerges
Sanki Saito (1)
********
usurai ni noru sazanami no uraomote
front and back
of the tiny waves
riding on the thinning ice
Mizuo Ochiai (3)
********
usurai o tatakiwaritaru yama no ame
mountain rain
smashing the thin ice
into pieces
Akira Ohgushi (3)
"usurai (thin ice)"
usurai no ura o nametewa uo shizumu
licking the bottom
of the thin ice
fish submerges
Sanki Saito (1)
********
usurai ni noru sazanami no uraomote
front and back
of the tiny waves
riding on the thinning ice
Mizuo Ochiai (3)
********
usurai o tatakiwaritaru yama no ame
mountain rain
smashing the thin ice
into pieces
Akira Ohgushi (3)
February 27, 2008
"kasumi (mist)"
harugasumi omocha no gotoku densha kuru
spring mist
as though it were a toy
the train approaches
Mioko Tachibana (5)
********
bōenkyō gururito mawasu tōgasumi
a telescope
I rotate—
far-away mist
Haruko Ogawa (5)
********
kono niwa no izukoni tatsumo kasumi kana
in this garden
the mist wherever
I stand
Kyoshi Takahama (1)
"kasumi (mist)"
harugasumi omocha no gotoku densha kuru
spring mist
as though it were a toy
the train approaches
Mioko Tachibana (5)
********
bōenkyō gururito mawasu tōgasumi
a telescope
I rotate—
far-away mist
Haruko Ogawa (5)
********
kono niwa no izukoni tatsumo kasumi kana
in this garden
the mist wherever
I stand
Kyoshi Takahama (1)