The last Haiku

Well, it's official, summer is here. The days are blazing and the nights are sweltering, and I find myself in front of a fan or any A/C unit in proximity. To finish off the month of May, which happened to whiz by me, I will end with a few last Haiku to carry us all into June. The first one paints an image relating to the night, I begin with this one hoping that the blanket of the night sky will cool the heat of the day.

A lovely thing to see:
Utsukushi ya
through the paper window's holes
shoji no ana no
the Galaxy.
ama-no-gawa.

Source:
http://nevsepic.com.ua/art-i-risovanaya-grafika/
page,2,1143-raboty-ot-hirosige-utagavy-171-rabot.html

A morning-glory  vine
Asagao no
in its full bloom, has thatched
Hana de fuitaru
this hut of mine. 
iori kana.


–Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828)


And I end with a farewell to spring.


"Marvelous!" I say,
Mezurashi to
and with each single thing I see
miru mono goto ni
springtime fades away. 
haru ya yuku.


–Takai Kito (1741-1789)

Source:
http://nevsepic.com.ua/art-i-risovanaya-grafika/
page,2,1143-raboty-ot-hirosige-utagavy-171-rabot.html

*From the Anthology of Japanese Literature compiled and edited by Donald Keene.

Haiku: Tokugawa Period

Ooooh how the sun is shinning in these parts. It is oh so very hot. The rains that were pouring these passed weeks are nowhere to be seen. It's about that time to dust away the bathing suit, throw it on, and head to the beach for some cooling down. With that, here is a Haiku to versify the day.


Come to me– with each other
Ware to kite
let's play– little sparrow
asobe yo oya no
without any mother.
nai suzume.

–Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828)
Trans. by Harold G. Henderson

Source:
http://nevsepic.com.ua/art-i-risovanaya-grafika/page,2,1143-raboty-ot-hirosige-utagavy-171-rabot.html

Now I hope the rest of you out there have a sunny and lovely day wherever you are.

Source:
http://nevsepic.com.ua/art-i-risovanaya-grafika/page,2,1143-raboty-ot-hirosige-utagavy-171-rabot.html

*From the Anthology of Japanese Literature compiled and edited by Donald Keene.

Haiku: Tokugawa Period

The summer is speeding up in its arrival and I'm finding myself with more free time than usual. To get back on track in sharing more Haiku, here are two more.

If the times were good,                                      Yo ga yokuba
I'd say, "Sit down!–one more of you!"              mo hitotsu tomare
flies around my food.                                         meshi no hae.


I found this one oddly cute, even though it's about flies circling in on the food that is being eaten.
This last one is also about insects, but it is less unappealing.


In its eye                                                           Toyama no  
the far-off hills are mirrored–                            medama ni utsuru
dragonfly!                                                         tombo kana.

Scrolls of The Tale of Genji, Bamboo River. Source:
http://dailylife-tokyo.blogspot.com/2009_11_01_archive.html

*From the Anthology of Japanese Literature compiled and edited by Donald Keene.

Haiku: Continued...

It's midnight now where I live, and here are a few more Haiku for those that enjoy fleeting and beautiful imagery.

Edo Period Art. 

Blossoms on the pear;                     Nashi no hana
and a woman in the moonlight        tsuki ni fumi yomu
reads a letter there...                        onna ari...
–Yosa Buson (1716-1784)








A one-foot waterfall                         Isshaku no
it too makes noises, and at night       taki mo oto shite
the coolness of it all!                         yusuzumi.





*From the Anthology of Japanese Literature compiled and edited by Donald Keene.

Edo kinko hakkei. Tamagawa shugetsu. By Utagawa Hiroshige. Edo:
Sanoya Kihei, c.1833. 1 print: woodcut, col.
Source: http://www.ndl.go.jp/nichiran/e/data/L/K/K34-001l.html

Haiku: Late Tokugawa Period

The rains have abated here in this island. I am currently writing this post with the night enveloping me, that being so I will start off with Haiku that captures the night.


 Night that ends so soon:                          Mijika yo ya
 in the shallows still remains                     asase ni nokoru
 one sliver of the moon.                            tsuki ippen.
 –Yosa Buson (1716-1784)

Traditional Edo Period scene. Woodcut. Source:
http://www.imagekind.com/Edo-Period-Japanese-Scene-art?IMID=69a960f6-10cd-46a6-9351-8d9f3e57382b

 The grove in spring:                                   Haru no mori
 the birds that catch the birds– they too        tori toru tori mo
 are slumbering.                                           neburi kana.
 –Takakuwa Ranko (1726-1798)



And now to end with a different theme.


Get out of my road                                  Soko noite
and allow me to plant these                     take uesase yo
bamboos, Mr. Toad.                                hikigaeru.
–Miura Chora (1729-1780)

Plum Blossoms in Midnight, Mishima Shoso.
Source:
http://mokuhankan.com/conversations/archives/prints/

*From the Anthology of Japanese Literature compiled and edited by Donald Keene.