Connie’s Reviews > Soseki Natsume's Collected Haiku: 1,000 Verses from Japan's Most Popular Writer > Status Update

the vernal east wind blows;
　mountains fully in cloud shadow
東風吹くや山一ぱいの雲の影
kochi fuku ya yama ippai no kumo no kage

a passing arrow's faint sigh
　amidst plum blossoms
矢響の只聞ゆなり梅の中
yahibiki no tada kikoyu nari ume no naka

has a bird come?
　flower shadows shift on the paper screen
鳥や來て障子に動く花の影
tori ya kite shoji ni ugoku hana no kage

on this embankment
　robbed
　　first cherry blossoms
此土手で追ひ剝がれしか初櫻
kono dote de oihagareshika hatsuzakura

trash heap;
　as if mixed in
　　plum blossom shadows
掃溜や錯落として梅の影
hakidame ya sakuraku toshite ume no kage

up rise the mists
　the vermillion bridge vanishes
霞たつて朱ぬりの橋の消にけり
kasumi tatte shunuri no hashi no kienikeri

whence comes that calling of my name?
　the mountains in spring
どこやらで我名よぶなり春の山
dokoyarade waga na yobunari haru no yama

dwelling place of gods
　the spring mountains belch forth white clouds
神の住む春山白き雲を吐く
kami no sumu haruyama shiroki kumo o haku

through many mountains to peter out on the plains
　the winds of springtime
亂山の盡きて原なり春の風
ranzan no tsukite hara nari haru no kaze

on the third day, rain
　on the fourth, plum blossoms bloom
　　my diary
三日雨四日梅咲く日誌かな
mikka ame yokka ume saku nisshi kana

the rattan screen wavers
　someone's silhouette
　　perhaps watching butterflies
御簾搖れて蝶御覧ずらん人の影
misu yurete cho goranzuran hito no kage

after an overnight tryst a bell sounds
　how heartlessly cold
きぬぎぬの鐘につれなく冴え返る
kinuginu no kane ni tsurenaku saekaeru

a willow weeps
　the river flows on to the south
柳垂れて江は南に流れけり
yanagi tarete e wa minami ni nagarekeri

curse the haze!
　I know not her heart or my way
　　to love
朧故に行衛も知らぬ戀をする
oboro yue ni yukue mo shiranu koi o suru

to depart without meeting
　you know I shall water the flowers with my tears
逢はで去る花に涙をげかし
awade saru hana ni namida o sosogekashi

the quinces are blooming;
　I must strive to live taking the long view
木瓜咲くや漱石拙を守るべく
boke saku ya Sōseki setsu o mamorubeku

a mistress and man
　the weeping willow tells of their parting
妾と郎離別を語る柳哉
shō to rō ribetsu o kataru yanagi kana

waiting for her young man
　a weeping willow at their trysting place
郎を待つ待合茶屋の柳かな
rō o matsu machiaijaya no yanagi kana

the moon rises
　to wander once again among the plum trees
月升つて再び梅に徘徊す
tsuki nobotte futatabi ume ni haikaisu

enticing down the stars of spring
　a midnight garland in her hair
春の星を落して夜半のかざしかな
haru no hoshi o otoshite yowa no kazashi kana