Best 10 love lyrics haiku poems by famous Japanese poets

Posted on by japacul
(Last Updated On: 15/06/2019)

Romantic Japanese love lyrics of 5-7-5 haiku for English three lines

From “Anthology of Poems: The Love Section” ukiyo-e art prints by Kitagawa Utamaro

Most of the themes of Japanese haiku are about nature or everyday life, but still there are excellent poems of love from Edo period to the present day. The following haiku poems are the outstanding works in Japan.




Ochi Etsujin (1656-?)

<Japanese>

うらやまし  思ひ切る時  猫の恋

Urayamashi/ Omoi-kiru toki/ Neko no koi

<English>

It’s enviable.

The gracefulness of

The cat’s love.

*It seems like a haiku stalled in love, but apparently it is a poem about lost love. It represents a man’s lingering mind…

 

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Takahama Kyoshi (1874-1959)

<Japanese>

虹立ちて　忽ち君の　在る如し

Nizi tachite/ Tachimachi kimi no/ Aru gotoshi

<English>

The rainbow stands

In a moment

As if you are here.

*The feeling when the rainbow appears nearby, it resembles what the lover comes up.

 

Read more Takahama Kyoshi’s haiku poems.

Sugita Hisajo (1890-1946)

<Japanese>

枯野路に　影かさなりて　わかれけり

Karenoji ni/ Kage kasanarite/ Wakare keri

<English>

On the path in the desolate field,

The shadows overlapped and

Parted.

*It is a haiku poem of almost like a a scene out of movies.

 

Read more Sugita Hisajo’s haiku poem

Hashimoto Takako (1899-1963)

<Japanese>

雪はげし　抱かれて息の　つまりしこと

Yuki hageshi/ Dakarete iki no/ Tsumarishi koto

<English>

It snows violently,

I was hugged

And choked.

*The word of “violently” modifies not only “snows” but also haggued. 

Mitsuhashi Takajo (1899-1972)

<Japanese>

鞦韆は　漕ぐべし愛は　奪うべし

Shusen ha/ Kogubeshi ai ha/ Ubau beshi

<English>

You should swing

A swing, and you should

Steal love.

*shusen: The old Japanese word means for a swing. The Current poeple use “buranko”(ブランコ). In haiku, a swing is in the spring of the season words.







Suzuki Masajo(1906-2003)

<Japanese>

死なうかと　囁かれしは　蛍の夜

Shinouka to/ Sasayakareshi ha/ Hotaru no yo

<English>

“Shall we die together?”

You wispered to me

At the night of firefly.

*Firefly evoke us thought of an ephemeral life.

 

 

BOOK

 

Katsura Nobuko (1914-2004)

<Japanese>

ゆるやかに　着て人と逢ふ　蛍の夜

Yuruyaka ni/ Kite hito to au/ Hotaru no yo

<English>

I wear loosely

And meet the man

At the night of firefly.

 

*The way of loose wearing kimono meant trust a man.

Takayanagi Shigenobu (1923-1983)

 

きみ嫁けり　遠き一つの　訃に似たり

Kimi yukeri/ Tooki hitotsu no/ Fu ni nitari

 

You married.

It’ like a deth note

From far away.

 

Related Post

Best 8 short haiku poems about death and rip by famous poets

Mayuzumi Madoka (1962-)

<Japanese>

会ひたくて　逢ひたくて踏む　薄氷

Aitakute/ Aitakute fumu/ Usugouri

<English>

I want to see

And to meet you

With stepping on the thin ice.

*”会ひ” and “逢う” are in same pronounced and a similar meaning. Furthermore, it is so excellent that the later “逢” means men and women ‘s tryst.

Otaka Sho (1977-)

<Japanese>

逢ふことも　過失のひとつ　薄暑光

Aukotomo/ Kashitsu no hitotsu/ Hakusho-kou

<English>

Meeting is

One of the accidents.

The sunshine at the beginning of the summer.

*Meeting, accidents, getting stronger sunshine. These are unavoidable to lift up the mual feelings for lovers.

BOOK

Love Haiku: Japanese Poems of Yearning, Passion, and Remembrance

Read also the love lyric poems of “Tanka”

 

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