Posts Tagged ‘ Basho ’
hear the hototogisu ~
A reader asked me to discuss this hokku by Bashō:
京にても京なつかしやほとゝぎす
Kyō nite mo Kyō natsukashi ya hototogisu
So how then shall we translate the verse into English? Well, here is how I would do it while remaining close to the original:
Though in Kyōto,
Still longing for Kyōto;
A cuckoo.
– English translation by David
Source: David – HOKKU
All the long day —
Yet not long enough for the skylark,
Singing, singing.
Bashō (translated by R. H. Blyth), in R. H. Blyth, Haiku, Volume 2: Spring (Hokuseido Press 1950), page 195.
Source: First Known When Lost: Mystery
A member of the generation of poets that includes John Ashbery and Robert Creeley, Middleton wrote in many styles, from the classifiable to the unclassifiable.
Source: One More Thing I Want to Say about Christopher Middleton
A long way
to go with haiku
deep autumn
Satoru Kanematsu
Source: David McMurray’s Column – HIA HAIKU INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION
鷹一つ見つけてうれし伊良湖岬 (芭蕉)
To find a hawk
flying at Cape Irago —
my pleasure, deep ………………
– Basho
Source: Balloon at Cape Irago | Icebox
面影に花の姿をさき立てて 幾重越え来ぬ峰の白雲（俊成）
Led on and on
by the image of blossoms,
I have crossed peak beyond peak
to find nothing
but white clouds
– (Fujiwara no Shunzei)
David McCullough, translator
Source: Spring at the Edge | Icebox
Who needs Eternity? One day is enough.
All the long day —
Yet not long enough for the skylark,
Singing, singing.
Bashō (1644-1694) (translated by R. H. Blyth), in R. H. Blyth, Haiku, Volume 2: Spring, page 195.
Source: First Known When Lost: Days
Plum Blossoms I
The following is the first part of a recent haibun by Nobuyuki Yuasa (Sosui).
The fragrance of plums —
Suddenly the sun comes up
On the mountain path. Basho
Plum blossoms are beautiful, especially in the morning when their colours are highlighted; yet plums appeal not only to the eye but also to the nose. In fact, the scent of their blossoms is their greatest charm. When their aroma is carried on a gentle spring breeze, I am captivated by its nobility and find nothing else capable of rivalling it. In the garden I can see from my windows, white plums are just now coming out — one or two already fully out, but the rest still pinkish-white balls, some swollen and others small. It is plum blossoms at this stage that I love best, for they give us hope and trust in the future. A week from now, they will be in full bloom. Then I can enjoy their fragrance. On warm days, I shall open my windows wide to enjoy it, far superior to any artificial perfume.
I know there are plums
In the recess of darkness —
Deeply scented winds. Sosui
Source: Plum Blossoms I | Icebox
word pond 