tired of meeting
and eating together
distant fireworks
相逢うて飯食う疲れ遠花火
sleeting–
my river steadily
deepens
霙るるや私の川いや深く
a teacher, a father,
a husband, and a man
first spring haze
師も父も夫もおとこ初霞
flowers in full bloom
and a window with entirely
no view of them
花の盛りの花のまったく見えぬ窓
eating too much
on an empty stomach
noon blossoms
空腹のあと食べすぎる昼桜
I don’t think I like it here in the spring wind
春風に此処はいやだと思って居る
blossoms! blossoms!
men and women young and old
get a little older
花よ花よと老若男女歳をとる
a telescope on the roof
from the day the A-bomb was dropped
原爆落とされし日の屋上の望遠鏡
in the eye of the hurricane
a room atop a room
颱風の目の中部屋の上に部屋
If I wait any longer
I’ll turn into bindweed
これ以上待つと昼顔になってしまう
my waist-high brother–
keeping jellyfish
in the ocean
腰高の兄よ水母を海に飼い
summer rain
the breasts starting to ache
are a mother’s
夏の雨いたみはじめる乳は母
the housewife’s summer
fingers sticking to ice
主婦の夏指が氷にくっついて
moonflowers opening
the tepid warmth of the plates
in the cupboard
夕顔ひらき戸棚の皿のなまあたたか
planting poppies
on the rooftop
no dependents
屋上で罌粟を蒔き扶養家族なし
the imaginary rhino is heavy
and won’t let me sleep
想い描きの犀が重くて寝つかれぬ
the scent of magnolia flowers
coming down
at an angle
朴の花の匂いが降りてくる角度
this key
opens one lock
starry autumn
この鍵で錠ひとつあく星の秋
on both sides
of the water’s surface
a flash of lightning
水面に表裏あり稲光
sky clear and high
as I walk
the road grows longer
天高し歩くと道が伸びるなり
locking me up
and setting me free
rubber balloon
私を閉じこめ放つゴム風船
Sakura, sakura
the ring must get tired
of the finger
桜さくら指輪は指に飽きたでしょ
peanut shells
scattered all over
my plans for the year
一年の計にピーナツの皮がちらばる
bringing in the new year with cold medicine
あらたまの年のはじめの風邪薬
a new year begins
the sky is always visible
from here
年新た此処から空がいつも見え
grief,
popsicles, etc.
by the lake
嘆きとかアイスキャンデーとか湖畔
winter mosquito:
as lonely as Joseph the Carpenter
冬の蚊のさびしさ大工ヨゼフほど
smelling the lilies as I say my goodbyes
暇乞い旁百合を嗅いでいる
head in hands
is it a cold
or just loneliness?
頬杖の風邪かしら淋しいだけかしら
person after person!
the drought continues
roof after roof!
人人よ旱つづきの屋根屋根よ
the infant’s breath
in the magnifying glass
stellaria flowers
おさなごの息がルーペに花はこべ
I see on the map
where I’m going tomorrow
the 卍 in Hagi
地図に見る明日行くところ萩の卍
Note: On Japanese maps, Buddhist temples are marked by the Buddhist symbol 卍 (manji, but pronounced “tera” [temple] here).
a soldier swims
his homeland forever
beyond the waves
兵泳ぎ永久に祖国は波の先
when I wake up
I’m still here
regrettably
目覚めるといつも私が居て遺憾
the love letter’s
beginning, middle, climax, climax . . .
cherries
恋文の起承転転さくらんぼ
Note: 起承転転 is a play on 起承転結, describing how written works “begin, develop, turn, conclude.” Ikeda repeats “turn” instead.
a lost bell
in the empty garden!
forever a bell
枯園でなくした鈴よ永久に鈴
According to The Living Haiku Anthology, Sumiko Ikeda was born “in 1936 in Kamakura, Kaganaga Prefecture, Japan” and “[g]rew up in Nîgata Prefecture. Began composing haiku in her 40s. Studied haiku with Horî Kei and Mitsuhashi Toshio. Won the 36th Modern Haiku Association Award in 1989, and So Sakon Haiku Award in 2006. Became a Kadokawa Haiku Award judge. Her major haiku collections are, Sky Garden [Sora no niwa] (1998); Before I Knew I Was Born as a Human [Itsushika hito ni umarete] (1993); Gendai Haiku Collection Vol. 29: Ikeda Sumiko [Gendai haiku bunko 29: Ikeda Sumiko] (1995); The Sailing Ship [Yukufune] (2000); Story on a Soul [Tamashî no hanashi] (2005); Dear Sir in Reply [Haihuku] (2011).”
Entry No. 1 