Bashō's Haiku: Selected Poems of Matsuo Bashō

Translation of the Hokku

T r a n s l a t i o n o f t h e H o k k u 1662 TO 1669 1 Because spring began on the 29th has spring come or has the year gone? second-to-last-day haru ya koshi / toshi ya yukiken / kotsugomori 2 the moon’s your guide: please come this way to a traveler’s inn tsuki zo shirube / konata e irase / tabi no yado 3 the old-lady cherry in bloom: a remembrance of her old age ubazakura / saku ya rōgo no / omoiide 4 in the capital: ninety-nine thousand people blossom viewing kyō wa / kuman-kusen kunju no / hanami kana 19 5 the blossoms are seen even by the eyes of the poor: demon thistle hana wa shizu no / me ni mo miekeri / oni azami 6 blue flag irises looking just like their images in the water kakitsubata / nitari ya nitari / mizu no kage 7 autumn wind through an open door— a piercing cry akikaze no / yarido no kuchi ya / togarigoe 8 At the home of someone whose child had died withered and bent over, the whole world upside down: bamboo in snow shiore fusu ya / yo wa sakasama no / yuki no take 9 withering frost: melancholy blossoms through the flower field shimogare ni / saku wa shinki no / hana no kana 10 the faces of blossoms, do they make you shy? hazy moon hana no kao ni / hareute shite ya / oborozuki 2 0 B a s h ō’ s H a i k u 11 among blossoms: grieving that I can’t even open my poem bag hana ni akanu / nageki ya kochi no / utabukuro 12 blossoming waves: has snow returned to water, flowering out of season? nami no hana to / yuki mo ya mizu no / kaeribana 1670–79 13 like clouds drifting apart, a wild goose separates, for now, from his friend kumo to hedatsu / tomo ka ya kari no / ikiwakare 14 a hangover: but while the cherries bloom, what of it? futsukayoi / mono kawa hana no / aru aida 15 an acupuncurist pounding into my shoulder; the cast off robe haritate ya / kata ni tsuchi utsu / karakoromo 16 Musashi Plain— just an inch, the deer’s voice musashino ya / issun hodo na / shika no koe T r a n s l a t i o n o f t h e H o k k u 2 1 17 on the scales— Kyoto and Edo balanced in this spring of a thousand years tenbin ya / kyō edo kakete / chiyo no haru 18 At Saya no Nakayama still alive: under my traveler’s hat, a bit of coolness inochi nari / wazuka no kasa no / shita suzushimi 19 summer moon: leaving Goyu, in Akasaka natsu no tsuki / goyu yori idete / akasaka ya 20 wind from Mt. Fuji— carrying it in my fan, a souvenir for those in Edo fuji no kaze ya / ogi ni nosete / edo miyage 21 Cat in love a cat’s trysts: she crosses back and forth over a crumbling stove neko no tsuma / hetsui no kuzure yori / kayoikeri 22 Summer rains summer rains— offering his dragon lights, the city watchman samidare ya / ryūtō aguru / bantarō 2 2 B a s h ō’ s H a i k u 23 chopping a tree, then looking upon the cut end— tonight’s moon ki o kirite / motokuchi miru ya / kyō no tsuki 24 Winter showers passing clouds— like a dog running about and pissing, scattered winter showers yuku kumo ya / inu no kake-bari / murashigure 25 Frost wearing a robe of frost, the wind spread as its sleeping mat: an abandoned baby shimo o kite / kaze o shikine no / sutego kana 26 well—nothing’s happened and yesterday’s come and gone! blowfish soup ara nani tomo na ya / kinō wa sugite / fukutojiru 27 the Dutch consul too lies prostrate before Him: spring of the Shōgun’s reign kabitan mo / tsukubawasekeri / kimi ga haru 28 a day of rain— autumn in the world around Boundary Town ame no hi ya / seken no aki o / sakaichō T r a n s l a t i o n o f t h e H o k k u 2 3 29 the Dutchmen too have come for the flowers: the horse saddle oranda mo / hana ni kinikeri / umi ni kura 30 on a blue sea, waves fragrant with rice wine: tonight’s moon sōkai...