Table of Contents
Exapmles of Japanese 5-7-5 spring haiku to English three line
Please read haiku poems about spring by the various Japanese haiku poet, Kobayashi Issa, Yosa Buson, Masaoka Shiki, Kawahigashi Hekigoto, Murakami Kijo, Ozaki Hosai, and Mizuhara Shuoshi.
Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828)
<Japanese>
春風や 牛にひかれて 善光寺
Harukaze ya/ Ushi ni hikarete/ Zenkoji
<English>
The spring breeze.
Being pulled by a cow
To the Zenkoji temple.
*From the Japanese traditional legend. An old woman who had no faith found herself in Zenkoji while chasing the cow that hung the dried cloth on the horn. As a result, she began to believe Buddhism deeply.
<Japanese>
雀の子 そこのけそこのけ お馬が通る
Suzume no ko/ Soko noke soko noke/ Ouma ga touru
<English>
The baby spallows,
Make way, make way.
The horse is going to pass along.
Yosa Buson (1716-1784)
<Japanese>
春雨や ものがたりゆく 蓑と傘
Harusame ya/ Monogatari-yuku/ Mino to kasa
<English>
The spring rain.
Talking and passing
The straw rain‐cape and umbrella.
<Japanese>
行く春や 重たき琵琶の 抱心
Yuku haru ya/ Omotaki biwa no/ Daki-gokoro
<English>
The fading of spring.
The feeling of holding
Of the biwa.
biwa:A four‐stringed Japanese lute.
Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902)
<Japanese>
醉ふて寐て 夢に泣きけり 山櫻
Yote nete/ Yume ni naki keri/ Yamazakura
<English>
I got drunk, a sleep.
And wept on the dream.
A wild cherry blossoms.
<Japanese>
ひらひらと 風に流れて 蝶一つ
Hira hira to/ Kaze ni nagarete/ Chou hitotsu
<English>
Flutteringly,
Floating in the breeze,
A single butterfly.
<Japanese>
奈良の町の 昔くさしや 朧月
Nara no machi no/ Mukashi-kusashi ya/ Obor-zuki
<English>
Kawahigashi Hekigoto(1873-1937)
<Japanese>
ひたひたと 春の潮打つ 鳥居哉
Hita hita to/ Haru no shio utsu/ Torii kana
<English>
The splash-splash,
The spring sea water dash against
The shrine torii gate.
<Japanese>
春風の 吹いて居るなり 飴細工
Haru-kaze no/ Fuite iru nari/ Ame-zaiku
<English>
The spring breeze
Is blowing.
Amezaiku
amezaiku:A candy fashioned in human and animal forms
<Japanese>
初雷や ふるふが如き 雛の壇
Hatsu-rai ya/ Furuu ga gotoki/ Hina no dan
<English>
The first thunder
Is likely to shake
The tiered doll stand.
Murakami Kijo (1865-1938)
<Japanese>
雁金の 帰り尽して 闇夜かな
Karigane no/ Kaeri-tsukushite/ Yamiyo kana
<English>
The wild gooses
Got back wholly
And the moonless night.
<Japanese>
春川に 舟新しき 鵜飼かな
Harukawa ni/ Fune atarashiki/ Ukai kana
<English>
On the spring river,
The new boats
Of the cormorant fishermen.
<Japanese>
春雨や たしかに見たる 石の精
Harusame ya/ Tashikani mitaru/ Ishi no sei
<English>
The spring rain,
I definitely saw
The fay of stone.
Ozaki Hosai (1885-1926)
<Japanese>
花白き 春やむかしの 夢さむし
Hana shiroki/ Haru ya mukashi no/ Yume samushi
<English>
A white flower.
The spring is old days
And the dream is cold.
<Japanese>新しき 電信材や 菜たね道
Atarashiki/ Denshin-zai ya/ Natane-michi
<English>
They are new
Material for the telegraph poles
The road of rape blossoms.
Mizuhara Shuoshi (1892-1981)
<Japanese>
鶯や 雨やむまじき 旅ごろも
Uguisu ya/ Ame yamumaziki/ Tabi-goromo
<English>
The bush warbler.
The rain wouldn’t let up.
The travel clothes.
<Japanese>春雷や 暗き厨の 桜鯛
Shunrai ya/ Kuraki kuriya no/ Sakura-dai
<English>
The spring thunder.
In the dark kitchen
The cherry anthias.
<Japanese>
馬酔木咲く 金堂の扉に わが触れぬ
Ashibi saku/ Kondo no to ni/ Waga furenu
<English>
The Japanese andromeda blooms.
The door of the kondo
I touched.
kondo: A main hall of Buddhist temple.
Four seasons haiku poems by famous haiku poets
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