Haiku by Takano Mutsuo (高野ムツオ)

plum flowers
every single one
radioactive

梅一輪一輪ずつの放射能

I wish I had
a telescope that could see
the autumn wind

秋風の見える望遠鏡が欲し

Tanka by Okada Miyuki (岡田美幸)

They ran away
from a tower
called school
Shortcut
Rapunzels

学校という名の塔から逃げ出したショートカットのラプンツェルたち

Wanting to be a genius
the science kid
built a robot
and named it
after his mother

天才になりたい理系の少年がロボット作り母の名つけた

Melon bread
does not contain
melon juice
Reading a novel
I can’t shed tears

メロンパンメロン果汁は含まない小説読んで涙できない

NOTE: These poems originally appeared in the Japanese literary anthology Musica, vol. 2 (2015).

Haiku by Yoshii Yoshie (好井由江)

living together
with a single goldfish
raining in Ginza

いっぴきの金魚と暮らす銀座に雨

old scarecrow
crying out something
in the wind

案山子翁何か叫びぬ風の中

NOTE: Haiku taken from the Gendai Haiku Association Database (http://www.haiku-data.jp/).

死んだらそれでサヨウナラ/When I Die, Then That’s Goodbye by Usagi

When I Die, Then That’s Goodbye
Lyrics: Mariko Goto

When I die, stop the clock
and wind it back to when we were together
Sometimes we fought, sometimes we laughed
I still think about those days we spent together

When I die, turn off the light
so I won’t see you crying,
“It’s cruel being left behind”
so I won’t see you crying alone

The evening sun flickers red on the face of the water
A lonely cat’s corpse–“Found it,” I laughed–and
the light came shining down

When I die, will someone please
swap out that one string on my red guitar?
It’s a good guitar with a few quirks
Could someone swap out that string for me?

The light came shining down

When I die, forget about me
It’s okay if you hold hands with someone I don’t know
but just remember me a little bit
Just remember the day I died

When I die and many years have passed,
I know you’ll forget about me
but just remember me a little bit
Just remember the day I died

The evening sun flickers red on the face of the water
A lonely cat’s corpse reminds me of someone
The light came shining down

When I die . . .

NOTES: Mariko Goto, famous for her work with the Japanese punk rock band Midori, started out as vocalist and guitarist of Usagi (Rabbit). Thanks to Andrew White for pointing me in the direction of Usagi’s album. Great find. Original Japanese lyrics below.

　『死んだらそれでサヨウナラ』
　詩・曲　後藤まり子

　
　僕が死んだら時計をとめて
　君と2人で過ごした時に戻そう
　たまにケンカをして笑いあっていた
　2人で過ごした日々を今も覚えてる

　僕が死んだら明かりを消して
　君の泣く姿を見ずにおこう
　「残されるのはツライから」と
　1人で泣く君の姿を見ずにおこう

　夕方の赤は 水面に揺れる揺れる
　寂しげな猫の死骸 「見つけた」 笑う そして
　キラキラと光って落ちてった

　僕が死んだら赤いギターの
　弦は一体誰が変えてくれるのか
　ちょっと癖のあるいいヤツだから
　誰かあいつをかわいがってやってくれ

　キラキラと光って落ちてった

　僕が死んだら早く忘れて
　僕の知らない誰かと手をとりあえばいい でも
　ちょっとくらいは覚えててよ
　僕の死んだ日くらいは覚えててよ

　僕が死んで何年か過ぎたら
　君は僕の事を忘れてしまうだろう でも
　ちょっとくらいは覚えててよ
　僕が死んだ日くらいは覚えててよ

　夕方の赤は 水面に揺れる揺れる
　寂しげな猫の死骸 誰かに似ている それは
　キラキラと光って落ちてった

　僕が死んだら．．．。

Haiku by Hama Yoshijo (浜芳女)

in my weak stomach
comes the pain
of flower petals

弱き胃に花ひとひらの痛みくる

NOTE: Poem taken from the Gendai Haiku Association Web site: http://www.haiku-data.jp/

Haiku by Amemiya Housei (雨宮抱星)

the soul
leaving behind its shape
cicada shell

たましひのかたちを残し蟬の殻

Haiku by Hashi Kanseki (橋閒石)

on the way
to becoming a butterfly
900,000,009 light years

蝶になる途中九億九光年

earwax
dried fish guts
and radiant cherry blossoms

耳垢も目刺のわたも花明り

I’ve gotten worse
at crying
and peeling persimmons

泣くことも柿剥くことも下手なりけり

Two haiku by Matsumura Souseki (松村蒼石)

stone lantern
overgrown with weeds
a cat climbs on

草茂る石燈籠に猫のぼり

early autumn cool
quietly living life
butterflies mate

新涼のいのちしづかに蝶交む

A haiku by Matsumura Souseki

in the light
of the cold moon the darkness
of distant stars

寒月のひかりにとほき星の闇 　　松村蒼石

NOTE: Original Japanese-language poem taken from the Gendai Haiku Association Web site: http://www.haiku-data.jp/

A Poem by Taneda Santoka

when there are mountains I look at the mountains
when it rains I listen to the rain
spring summer autumn winter
and tomorrow will be fine
and last night was fine, too

山あれば山を観る
雨の日は雨を聴
春夏秋冬
あしたもよろし
ゆふべもよろし

NOTE: Original found here– http://terebess.hu/english/haiku/taneda.html