Examples of haiku poetry about nature by famous Japanese poets

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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Haiku: Natures Meditation

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.

Read more Kobayashi Issa’s haiku poems.

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.

 

Read more Yosa Buson’s haiku poems.

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.

 

Read more Masaoka Shiki’s haiku poems.

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.

Read more Kawahigashi Hekigoto’s haiku poems.

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.

 

Read more Takahama Kyoshi’s haiku poems.

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.

 

<Japanese>

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




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