Haiku by Buson and Ryokan

菜の花や
月は東に
日は西に

— 蕪村

Rape blossoms
Moon in the east
Sun in the west

— Buson

ぬすびとや
取り残されし
窓の月

— 良寛

The thief
left the moon
in the window

— Ryokan

NOTES:

The Ryokan poem more literally reads, in straight-forward terms, “The moon in the window was left behind by the thief,” or, more poetically, “The thief, what he left behind, moon in the window.” I prefer finding a balance between these two approaches with something that sounds both natural and poetic.

Haiku by Buson

さみだれや
大河を前に
家二軒

— 蕪村

Early summer rain
Two houses facing
the great river

— Buson

NOTE:

五月雨　（although it looks like “gogatsu ame,” or “May rain,” it is actually a word pronounced samidare , さみだれ) — both of my dictionaries translate it exactly the same way: “early summer rain.” So I’m guessing it doesn’t have to refer specifically to May as long as the rain is falling somewhere then-about. Alternately, the poem could begin, “Rainy day in May” or “May showers” or “Rain in early summer” or any number of ways, really — but that’s translation for you; pick one and go with it.