Thursday Thirteen: Winter Haiku by Basho

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After delving into Japanese Literature this year, I am finding myself entranced with the works which have been written. For this Thursday Thirteen I bring you thirteen haiku poems written by the famous Japanese poet, Basho, who is often referred to as a late medieval poet:

1. The winter sun-

on the horse’s back

my frozen shadow.

2. Awake at night,

the lamp low,

the oil freezing.

3. How admirable!

to see lightning and not think

life is fleeting.

4. First winter rain-

even the monkey

seems to want a raincoat.

5. Hailstones

glancing off the rocks

at Stony Pass.

6. Visiting the graves-

white-haired,

leaning on their canes.

7. In the fish shop

the gums of the salt-bream

look cold.

8. When the winter chrysanthemums go,

there’s nothing to write about

but radishes.

9. A calm moon-

walking home the gay boy

frightened by the howling of foxes.

10. Winter garden,

the moon thinned to a thread,

insects singing.

11. Winter rain-

the field stubble

has blackened.

12. First snow

falling

on the half-finished bridge.

13. The winter storm

hid in the bamboo grove

and quieted away.

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