The Poetry of Shiki

On how to sing the frog school and the skylark school are arguing. A spring day A long line of footprints On the sandy beach. Double cherry blossoms Flutter in the wind One petal after another. At the gate Under the oak the shoots So lu uriant. Oppressi!e heat "" #y whirling mind $istens to the peals of thunder. The wild geese take flight $ow along the railroad tracks %n the moonlight night

The snake gourd blossoms. #y throat blocked with phlegm& % am already a 'uddha. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" % can see the stones On the bottom fluctuate Through the clear water. Fro(en in the ice A maple leaf. Shitting in the winter turnip field The distant lights of the city. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" the pear blossoming... after the battle this ruined house """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" rowing through out of the mist the wide sea

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Smoke whirls After the passage of a train. )oung foliage. """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Source: http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/japanese/shiki/beichman/BeiShik.utf8.html %n the coolness of the empty si th"month sky... the cuckoo*s cry. the tree cut& dawn breaks early at my little window scatter layer by layer& eight"layered cherry blossoms+ at the full moon*s rising& the sil!er"plumed reeds tremble entangled with the scattering cherry blossoms" the wings of birds+ wheat sowing" the mulberry trees lift bunched branches pine and cypress, in a withered field& a shrine to Fudo in the coolness gods and 'uddhas dwell as neighbors % turn my back on 'uddha and face the cool moon looking down % see& cool in the moonlight& -... houses the moon is cool" frogs* croaking wells up coolness" a mountain stream splashes out between houses

fanning out its tail in the spring bree(e& see"a peacock+ /oryu0i % bite into a persimmon and a bell resounds" /oryu0i rice flowers" fair weather on Dokanyama rice reaping" no smoke rising from the cremation ground today old garden"she empties a hot"water bottle under the moon 1'efore the 2arden1 cockscombs... must be 3-& or 34 again and again % ask how high the snow is snow*s falling+ % see it through a hole in the shutter... all % can think of is being sick in bed and snowbound... open the shutter+ %*ll 0ust ha!e a look at Ueno*s snow+ spring rain, browsing under an umbrella at the picture"book store the nettle nuts are falling... the little girls ne t door don*t !isit me these days it*s dri((ling... de!il*s tongue& cold on my belly button

getting a sha!e+ on a day when Ueno*s bell is blurred by ha(e...

1Sick in 'ed Ten )ears1

lifting my head& % look now and then" the garden clo!er how much longer is my life5 a brief night... the peony seems to think itself )okihi as she awakes wisteria plumes sweep the earth& and soon the rains will fall purple unto blackness, grapes+ % thought % felt a dewdrop on me as % lay in bed crimson plum blossoms scattered o!er the loneliness of the bed... fallen petals of the crimson plum % pluck from the tatami the gourd flowers bloom& but look"here lies a phlegm"stuffed 'uddha+ a 6uart of phlegm" e!en gourd water couldn*t mop it up they didn*t gather gourd water day before yesterday either a 0umble of flowers planted" see& the little garden+

hey+"e!en snake gourds become 'uddhas" don*t get caught behind+ 'uddha"death, the moonflower*s face& the snake gourd*s fart the wallet by the bed is my autumn brocade chestnut rice" though a sick man& still a glutton % sink my teeth into a ripe persimmon" it dribbles down my beard surprise+ a moonflower fell" midnight sound """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" http://members.aol.com/markabird/shiki.html

The desolation of winter7 passing through a small hamlet& a dog barks. 8!ening snow falling& a pair of mandarin ducks on an ancient lake. 9ow and again it turns to hail7 the wind is strong. :ith a bull on board& the ferry boat& through the winter rain. A stray cat e creting in the winter garden. Only the gate of the abbey is left& on the winter moor. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

aiming at deut(ia blossoms little cuckoo spring bree(e show off the castle abo!e the pine tree """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 'y the ruined mansion& Fowls roaming Among the hibiscus The dead body Of a trodden"on crab& This autumn morning Fallen lea!es ;ome flying from elsewhere, Autumn is ending. /a!ing felled A pasania tree&" the sky of autumn. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" % want to sleep Swat the flies Softly& please. After killing a spider& how lonely % feel in the cold of night+ For lo!e and for hate % swat a fly and offer it to an ant. A mountain !illage under the pilled"up snow the sound of water. 9ight7 and once again& the while % wait for you& cold wind turns into rain. The summer ri!er, although there is a bridge& my horse goes through the water. A lightning flash, between the forest trees % ha!e seen water.

The tepid rain falls On the bare thorn.

Thawed out pond. A shrimp mo!es Among old algae.

The cannon rolls its rumble. $eaf buds of a tree.

/ow cool it is+ A small crab& in the rain& ;limbs on a pine.

$otus lea!es in the pond <ide on water. <ain in =une.

Smoke whirls After the passage of a train. )oung foliage.

The storm During half"day /as broken the stem of mallow.

:e cannot see e!en the moon. And rise big wa!es.

Abo!e a hollow of rock An i!y hangs. One small temple.

The luffa flowered. % am a soul ;hoked with phlegm.

sponge gourd has bloomed choked by phlegm a departed soul gallons of phlegm e!en the gourd water couldn*t clear it up

the gourd water of the night before yesterday they didn*t get it either """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Spring

Spring frost dancing in the air a shimmer of heat a cock crows at the foot of the small #t. Fu0i peach blossoms my hometown many cousins" peach blossoms at the root of a pine tree light la!ender !iolet moon at twilight& a cluster of petals falling from the cherry tree an iris whiter at twilight #y hometown #y hometown where!er % look mountains laugh with !endure a fancy"free cat is about to catch a 6uail perching on a mud wall in the spring rain a crow spring bree(e show off the castle abo!e the pine tree #ountains in spring o!erlapping each other all round

cherry blossom petals blown by the spring bree(e against the undried wall blooming a(aleas in a hollow on a cliff a 'uddha stands

Summer

aiming at deut(ia blossoms little cuckoo #ountains are yellow green& pale yellow" a cuckoo cries castle hill high abo!e bree(y green at the front gate dropping their heads lilies blooming through a growth of weeds runs an open path baseball diamond %t*s a boy after fi!e daughters carp streamers two rainbows ha!e risen o!er the green paddy field stillness " " fireflies are glowing o!er deep water summer storm white paper on the desk all flies away In Japan summer storm can be described as a green ind! because all trees in summer are full of green leaves. In this haiku! the color contrast of green and hite paper gives a ver" sharp and clear and refreshing feeling.

lea!ing me something on my chest tears on my mos6uito net my remaining days are numbered a brief night pruning a rose sound of the scissors on a bright #ay day a yellow green spider crawling on a red rose a snail luring rain clouds with feeler tips my hometown parents are well taste of sushi relie!ed of a burden in the e!eryday life an afternoon nap a hollyhock shot up to meet the summer solstice summer mountain all creatures are green a red bridge The singing stopped a flying cicada % saw it+ loneliness after the fireworks stars* shooting an e!ening bree(e white rose petals are all ruggled one spoonful of ice cream brings me back to life biting into a bitter weed alone % bear my feelings

Ten year*s sweat washed away back at Dogo Onsen at nightfall a sunner moon& white "" on the white sail hydrangeas pale blue in the rain blue in the moonlight hydrangeas """ rain splashing upon the crumbling walls an old pond" floating upside down a cicada*s shell

Autumn

$ocusts fly low o!er the le!ee in the fading sunshine Autumn wind " met& returning ali!e you and me #atsuyama castle the keep is higher than the autumn sky clouds*re running past running after clouds the Storm Day autumn is lea!ing tugging each others* branches two pine trees on a stormy night while reading a letter wa!ering mind almost black deepening purple ripe grapes

with ad!ancing autumn % am without gods without 'uddha % am going you*re staying two autumns for us my fate& a fortune tells " autumn wind peeling a pear sweet drops dripping along the knife edge hometown " festi!als are o!er fla!orful persimmons lights far way& through lea!es of dense autumnal tints the buight moon something in my breast % am alone the bright moon % wonder where the clouds are flying off to following clouds torn apart autumn wind morning coolness purple clouds are !anishing the setting sun remains on the mountain castle flowering rice crimson sunset e!en through clouds !ernal e6uino looking through three thousand haiku eating two persimmons sounds of a temple bell re!erberate in a circle a long night

a dog howling sound of footsteps longer nights

:inter

two or three rocks strewn about dried up field winter camellia % wish % could offer it to the sooty 'uddha coldness looking down from abo!e #atsuyama ;astle splitting wood my sister alone " wintering behind the stand of winter trees a red sunset 0ust outside the gate the road slopes downward winter trees %t is cold& but we ha!e sake and the hot spring >>> 9ew )ear*s greetings with a plum branch in hand the sky draws near such a bright sunrise 9ew )ear*s Day 9ew )ear*s Day has come " 6uiet streets

The year begins on 9ew )ear*s day our life is 9ow the stars !anished and then "" fi!e"colored 9ew )ear*s mist """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Facing away from me Darning old tabi ? #y wife. :hen the loofah bloomed /e choked on phlegm And died. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" De!otion to the 2reat Saint& the temple of %shite... rice plants abloom. @Alas myA fortune7 drawing di!ine lots& the aurumn wind. """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

B..3 Shiki /aiku ;alendar

9ew )ear*s decoration ? the table with my inkstone becomes narrow @3CDCA #oon and plum blossoms, night after night thea come closer @3CDEA :eary of reading % go out into a field a ha(y field @3CDFA The 2reat 'uddha sinking in its whiteness, cherry blossom cloud @3CDFA Full sail& reefed sail how far do you go5

fresh summer gale @3CD3A #ay rain falls as if falling into a sleep @3CDGA One by one letting the cool bree(e through, finger holes of the flute @3CDEA Asleep in a boat % lie side by side with it, the <i!er of /ea!en @3CD-A Pain from coughing the long night*s lamp flame small as a pea @3CDFA Oh& autumn in the boundless world+ its traces @3CDEA A light newly lit ? first winter sri((le @3CDBA #y heart withering in winter only the hokku... @3CDGA """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" One fell&" two fell&" camellias. Spring rain7 holding an umbrella& and looking at the picture books in the shop. On the sandy beach& footprints, long is the spring day. A hundred labourers digging earth, the long day.

One canary escaped, the spring day is at its end. A willow7 and two or three cows waiting for the boat. """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" S/%H% @3CGF"3D.BA Translated by $ucien Stryk " 8 tracts from ;A28 OF F%<8F$%8S& published by Swallow Press& 3DDE " :hite butterfly darting among pinks " whose spirit5 %ndian summer, dragonfly shadows seldom brush the window. Aged nightingale " how sweet the cuckoo*s cry. :icker chair in pinetree*s shade& forsaken. Stone on summer plain " world*s seat. Summer sky clear after rain " ants on parade %magine " the monk took off before the moon shone. Thing long forgotten " pot where a flower blooms& this spring day