ΗΟΜΕ    

Matsuo Bashō

selected Haiku


Sicking on journey,
My dream run about
A desolate field.

Spring is passing.
The birds cry, and the fishes’ eyes are 
With tears.

The summer grasses.
All that remains
Of warriors’ dreams.

The early summer rain
Fall and fall yet
Leave untouched Hikari-do Hall.

When you say something,
The lip feel cold.
The Autumn wind.

Autumn moonlight--
a worm digs silently
into the chestnut.

An empty road
lonelier than abandonment:
this autumn evening

Autumn darkness
descends
on this road I travel alone

This darkening autumn:
my neighbor,
how does he continue?

A snowy morning--
by myself,
chewing on dried salmon.

Now then, let's go out
to enjoy the snow ... until
I slip and fall!

The first soft snow:
leaves of the awed jonquil
bow low

Lightning
shatters the darkness―
the night heron's shriek

The old pond
A frog leaps in.
Sound of the water.

Does my soul abide in heaven, or hell?
Only the sea gull
in his high, lonely circuits, may tell.

Let us arrange
these lovely flowers in the bowl
since there's no rice

An ancient pond,
the frog leaps:
the silver plop and gurgle of water

another year is gone
a traveler's shade on my head,
straw sandals at my feet

falling sick on a journey
my dream goes wandering
over a field of dried grass [1694]