Month: January 2015

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Haiku by Yamamoto Yoshi (山本美)

wearing his light kimono
father makes a cup of tea
but I know it’s a dream

帷子の父が茶を点て夢解る

yellow and white
post-it notes december’s
memoranda

黄と白の符箋極月の備忘録

still not here
spring seems to like
taking its time

まだ来ない春は道草好きらしい

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Haiku by Ase Takashi (阿瀬孝志)

dragon god
of the tree kingdom
hot spring’s first swallow

木の国の竜神温泉初燕

refreshingly
I gaze at the mountain range
from Kappa Bridge

爽やかに連峰見えて河童橋

buying a boxwood comb
on Kawaramachi
in the autumn heat

黄楊櫛を買ひ河原町秋暑し

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Ceramic Angels: Haiku by Itami Kimiko (伊丹公子)

a ceramic angel was sold
　freezing wind
　antique shop

陶器の天使が売れた　木枯骨董店

on the insectarium worker’s back
　the morpho butterfly
　begins to disappear

昆虫館員の背で　モルフオ蝶消えはじめる

a swaying poplar
on the summer solstice
　a closed down factory

夏至の戦ぎのポプラ一本　廃工場

city early fall
　clouds gather over
　　an unmarked grave

都市初秋　無名の墓に　雲あつまる

looks like rain
　in a distant house
　I can see a woman’s hand

雨意たしか　遠家に女の手が見えて

the mouth of a carnivorous plant
　a terrifying autumn
　in the greenhouse

食虫植物垂れ　温室のこわい秋

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Haiku by Itami Kimiko (伊丹公子, 1925-2014)

cold goldfish
　turn toward the grass
　as though blind

寒の金魚　盲目のように芝へ向く

a busy window
in midair
　before Christmas eve

中天に繁忙の窓　聖夜前

I meet the sun god Ra
　in a deep room
　of the forest

太陽神ラァに会う　森の深い部屋

dizzy in the plum grove
　normal days
　without end

梅林に目眩み　果てもない日常

the shuttle arrived
　at the ancient castle
　　I become a bird

古代の館に　シャトルが着いた　鳥になる

hosting the divine spirit
of the goddess
　a cat in full dress and earrings

女神の神霊宿すは　正装耳輪の猫

rain reflected
on the large clock
　station in the country

大時計に雨が映つて　田舎の駅

a human voice
distinctly rises
　city of exile

人声のあざやかに立つ　遠流の町

butterflies die
　and women always
　boil water

蝶枯れて　女はいつも湯を沸かす

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Haiku by Nakamura Sonoko (中村苑子, 1913-2001)

deep within my father
falling snow
distant lullabies

父の奥に雪降り子守唄遠し

when was it —
father standing far away
by the water’s edge

いつよりか遠見の父が立つ水際

behind me
the paper door is shut
both inside and out

うしろ手に閉めし障子の内と外

die once
to become a bellflower
once again

一度死ぬふたたび桔梗となるために

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Haiku by Aioigaki Kajin (相生垣瓜人)

the centipede dies
and then its many legs
also die

蜈蚣死す数多の足も次いで死す

spring comes
like little children
crowding round

春来る童子の群れて来る如く

when you grill
saury from stormy waters
the fire goes wild too

荒海の秋刀魚を焼けば火も荒らぶ

though the green plum
has dropped to the ground
I’m still on the roof

青梅を落としし後も屋根に居る

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Half of Me in a Dream: Haiku by Uda Kiyoko (宇多喜代子)

Under white clouds
a melancholy crab
here with me

白雲の下に鬱気の蟹といる

Beautifully
the cremation is over
is it morning?

美しく火葬のおわる午前かな

A high fever
is a deep purple
peas blossom

高熱はむらさきがちの豆の花

Snowfall
in a bird’s eyes
is just one miracle

鳥の目に雪降るはひとつの奇跡

my soul
my breasts and autumn
in my arms

魂も乳房も秋は腕のなか

snowy field
the crow’s omniscience
in purple

雪の原鴉の全智むらさきに

a silver-winged hawk moth
flutters round and round
I’ve fallen deeply in love

白銀の天蛾くるくる惚れちやつたんだよ

Climbing up on stilts
I forget
the Prime Minister’s name

竹馬にのぼりて忘る総理の名

Japanese pond smelt
whether dead or alive
their bodies bend

わかさぎは生死どちらも胴を曲げ

Because they have
pitch black eyes
mice are killed

まっくろな目ゆえ鼠は殺される

While waiting for someone
I pick a name
for my kitten

ひとを待つ間に猫の子に名を授け

Saffron
at the movie yesterday
someone was murdered

サフランや映画はきのう人を殺め

half of me
in a dream half of me
in the snow

半身は夢半身は雪の中

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I Could Kill It with One Finger: Haiku by Uda Kiyoko (宇多喜代子 b. 1935)

Rabbits in summer
starve
and dream

夏の兎飢えたり夢を見ていたり

Still living
a dragonfly dries up
on the stones

生きながら蜻蛉乾く石の上

Autumn butterfly
I could kill it
with one finger

秋の蝶指一本で殺せるもの

The act of killing
is an ugly thing
winter butterfly

殺すには醜悪であり冬の蝶