H  A  I  K  U     S  P  I  R  I  T
Winter



A Hidden Pond-Anthology of Modern Haiku,
Kadokawa Shoten 1997

Translated by T Koko Kato and David Burleigh
ISBN:
4-04-883453-3
IMPORTANT






 

A crane steps forward
into that brightness called
the start of winter

 

Kagiwada Yuko (1931~)

 

 

 

 

Winter setting in -
the sound of a writing brush
touching the paper

 

Kamikura Utsuwa (1927~)

 

 

 

 

With this master
I grow older all my life -
silverleaf in bloom

 

Kondo Ikko (1912~1996)

 

 

 

 

Tea bushes in bloom -
and the sky darkening
behind my shoulders

 

Kusama Tokihido (1920~)

 

 

 

 

One comes forth,
and then another comes -
the path through fallen leaves

 

Imai Tsurujo (1897~1993)

 

 

 

 

In flickering glimpses
through trees on the shoreline -
a calm winter sea

 

Sekimori Katsuo (1932~)

 

 

 

 

Hoot of an owl -
the rays of moonlight shimmer
on a hidden pond

 

Toyonaga Minoru (1931~)

 

 

 

 

When the wind ceases
the sky perfectly transparent -
winter ploughing

 

Kato Suiman (1930)

 

 

 

 

The fluffy lightness
of my woollen sweater I make
into a fortress

 

Shimizu Kinuko (1929~)

 

 

 

 

A mountain watchman
playing jazz inside his hut -
before the snowfall

 

Udo Toru (1920~)

 

 

 

 

On the dried-up bed
behind the wall of a dam
the old stream still flows

 

Murakami Toen (1914~)

 

 

 

 

Winter sunlight
casting the dyke's shadow
into the next paddy

 

Kurata Kobun (1940~)

 

 

 

 

Sitting by the fire -
another self is walking
into the north wind

 

Matsuzaki Tetsunosuke (1918~)

 

 

 

 

The sky deepening
beyond the branches of a tree -
utterly leafless

 

Kato Koko (1931~)

 

 

 

 

A winter wasp
with nowhere to die
goes stumbling on

 

Murakami Kijo (1865~1938)

 

 

 

 

Buying a magic lamp
with a winter fly
living inside it

 

Arima Akito (1930)

 

 

 

 

All the clarity
of a pine tree being felled
on afrozen mountain

 

Kodama Teruyo (1925~)

 

 

 

 

Inside my closed eyes
the white soul of each snowflake
just passes away

 

Akao Ei (1930~)

 

 

 

 

In this beautiful
thing called air, flake upon flake
the snow dances down

 

Hanatani Kazuko (1922~)

 

 

 

 

The coughing over
not a sound to disturb
the whole Zen temple

 

Satokawa Suisho (1927~)

 

 

 

 

A white swan
reflecting back the sunlight
with its whole body

 

Ohashi Atsuko (1924~)

 

 

 

 

Lonelier even
than a winter tree, a man
begins to walk

 

Nakamura Akiko (1927~)

 

 

 

 

The sound of a branch
broken from a winter tree
shows it living still

 

Kono Nankei (1913~1995)

 

 

 

 

New Year and Old Year
passing left and right around
the moon in heave

 

Izawa Masae (1921~)

 

 

 

 

Midwinter thunder
making the window pane tremble
in the deep of night

 

Kato Shuson (1905~1993)

 

 

 

 

Midwinter cold
spreading blue silk across
the morning sky

 

Arima Kazuko (1910~)

 

 

 

 

Midwinter fishing -
the waves glittering silver
round the anchored boats

 

Tsuji Michio (1935~)

 

 

 

 

Sitting down I take
the chair that is farthest from
blossoms of red plum

 

Shiina Fumiko (1908~)

 

 

 

 

 

A single acorn
on the winter desk of a boy
bound for priesthood

 

Nakayama Junko (1927~)

 

 

 

 

The plummeting sun
leaves the waves rippling after
and also the reeds

 

Saito Miki (1923~)

 

 

 

 

Migrating birds leave
shining ripples on a pond
deep in the mountains

 

Sekimori Katsuo (1932~)

 

 

 

 

Into direct sunlight
the vanguard of the ducks
begins to swim

 

Matsumoto Midori (1928~)

 

 

 

 

 

Stone quietly sits -
waiting for spring to come or
just bearing the cold

 

Nakajima Hideko (1936 ~)





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