Since the establishment of haiku in the Edo period, so many poems about nature have been created. Among them, I would like to introduce the haiku created by the famous haiku poets. These will help you to think of haiku poem ideas! And if you’er looking for the haiku poems by Matsuo Basho, please read “Best 10 Matsuo Basho’s haiku poems“.
By the way, do you know Haiku poem’s definition and format?
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Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828)
涼風の 曲がりくねって 来たりけり
Suzukaze no/ Magari-kunette/ Kitari keri
The cool breeze
Twisted and crooked,
Then came here.
夏山や 一足ずつに 海見ゆる
Natsu-yama ya/ Hitoashi zutsu ni/ Umi miyuru
The summer mountains.
At my every steps,
I could sea more.
うまさうな 雪がふうはり ふうはりと
Umasouna/ Yuki ga fuwari/ Fuwari to
It looks appetizing.
It snows softly
And gently.
Yosa Buson (1716-1784)
<Japanese>
菜の花や 月は東に 日は西に
Na-no-hana ya/ Tsuki ha higashi ni/ Hi wa nishi ni
<English>
The canola flowers.
The moon in the east.
The sun in the west.
<Japanese>
不二ひとつ うづみのこして 若葉かな
Fuji hitotsu/ Uzumi nokoshite/ Wakaba kana
<English>
Only Mount Fuji
Is left unburied
By young leaves.
Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902)
<Japanese>
赤とんぼ 筑波に雲も なかりけり
Akatonbo/ Tsukuba ni kumo mo/ Nakari keri
<English>
The red dragonfly.
At the Tsukuba, no cloud
Is seen.
<Japanese>
橘や 風ふるくさき 長谷の里
Tachibana ya/ Kaze fukukusaki/ Hase no sato
<English>
The tachibana trees.
The wind is old-fashioned
At Hase villege.
tachibana:Inedible green citrus fruit native to Japan
<Japanese>
いくたびも 雪の深さを 尋ねけり
Ikutabi mo/ Yuki no fukasa wo/ Tazune keri
<English>
Repeatedly,
How is the snow depth?
I asked.
*Masaoka Shiki had been ill in bed of spinal caries by tuberculosis and died of it. He couldn’t see the snowy vew of his garden and asked mother or sister the amount.
Kawahigashi Hekigoto(1873-1937)
淡雪や 氷跡なき 湖の上
Awayuki ya/ Koori ato naki/ Mizu no ue
The light snow.
The ice without any trace
On the lake.
蝶の触れ 行く礎沓に 匂ふ草
Cho no fure/ Yuku soto ni/ Niou kusa
The butterfly touches
and go around the base stone
And the glass give off the smell.
明き星 傾く空や 時鳥
Aakaki hoshi/ Katamuku sora ya/ Hototogisu
The bright stars
delcine in the sky,
A little cuckoo.
から松は 淋しき木なり 赤蜻蛉
Karamatsu ha/ Sabishiki ki nari/ Akatonbo
A larch is
A really sad wood.
A red dragonfly.
Takahama Kyoshi (1874-1959)
<Japanese>
竹林に 黄なる春日を 仰ぎけり
Chikurin ni/ Ki naru haruhi wo/ Aogikeri
<English>
In the bamboo grove
The yellow spring sunlight,
I look up at it.
<Japanese>
梅雨晴の 夕茜して すぐ消えし
Tsuyu-bare no /Yuu-akane shite/ Sugu kieshi
<English>
The clear day in the rany season.
The madder red of the twilight appeared
And vanished instantly.
<Japanese>
秋空を 二つに断てり 椎大樹
Akizora wo/ Futatsu ni tateri/ Shii-taiju
<English>
The autumn sky
Is cut in two
By the big chinquapin tree.
遠山に 日の当たりたる 枯野かな
Toh-yama ni/ Hi no atari taru/ Kareno kana
<English>
The distant mountain
Catch the sun.
The desolate field.
Hasegawa Kanajo (1887-1969)
<Japanese>
雨音の 右手の雲に 夏の月
Amaoto no/ Migite no kumo ni/ Natsu no tsuki
<English>
The sound of rain.
The clouds on right-side are
With the summer moon.
<Japanese>
秋時雨 忽ちにして 松濡れし
Aki-shigure/ Tachimachi ni shite/ Matsu nureshi
<English>
The autumn dizzling rain.
In a flash,
The pine trees get wet.
<Japanese>
花梨に 日照る月照る 岨路かな
Hananashi ni/ Hi teru tsuki teru/ Sobaji kana
<English>
On the Chinese quince
The sun shine, the moon shine.
On the steep path.
初雪の 富士よりまろき 雲浮ぶ
Hatsu-yuki no/ Fuji yori maroki/ Kumo ukabu
<English>
The first snow
On the Mt. Fuji and the round
Cloud flows from there.
Four seasons haiku poems by famous haiku poets
