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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