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

poetry written on lanterns—
　an autumn journey
行燈にいろはかきけり秋の旅
andon ni iroha kakikeri aki no tabi

autumn fades
　a lone persimmon lies where it fell
　　in the frost
秋さびて霜に落けり柿一つ
aki sabite shimo ni ochikeri kaki hitotsu

morning glory
　yours was a life that had but only just blossomed
朝貌や咲た許りの命哉
asagao ya saita bakari no inochi kana

autumn cicadas
　their thrumming imbued with a reluctance to die
秋の蟬死度くもなき聲音かな
aki no semi shinitaku mo naki kowane kana

yellow and white chrysanthemum petals
　the night sky in my wine
　　I want for nothing
黃菊白菊酒中の天地貧ならず
kigiku shiragiku shuchū no tenchi bin narazu

the westering sun;
　comes the sigh of a distant autumn wind
日の入や秋風遠く鳴つて來る
hi no iri ya akikaze tōku natte kuru

as autumn departs;
　clouds on the verge of vanishing
　　linger
行秋や消えなんとして残る雲
yuku aki ya kienan toshite nokoru kumo

neither wine nor poetry
　the tranquility of the moon
酒なくて詩なくて月の静かさよ
sake nakute shi nakute tsuki no shizukasa yo

as the boat departs
　the sound of imprecations
　　heavy fog
船出るとののしる聲す深き霧
fune deru to nonoshiru koe su fukaki kiri

praying mantis
　what has put you in high dudgeon?
蟷螂の何を以てか立腹す
tōrō no nani o motte ka rippukusu

the dead of night
　how lonely you must be
　　wonderful moon
眞夜中は淋しからうに御月様
mayonaka wa samishikarō ni otsukisama

going to a moon viewing
　I have forgotten my wife
月に行く漱石妻を忘れたり
tsuki ni yuku Sōseki tsuma o wasuretari

begonias in twilight
　the butterflies are indifferent
夕暮の秋海棠に蝶うとし
yūgure no shukaido ni chō utoshi

I looked at the autumn sun and saw it heartless
　parting
秋の日のつれなく見えし別かな
aki no hi no tsurenaku mieshi wakare kana

moving through a city sallowed in fog;
　human shades
霧黃なる市に動くや影法師
kiri ki naru ichi ni ugoku ya kagebōshi

breaking off a single white chrysanthemum
　my lonely hermitage
白菊の一本折れて庵淋し
shiragiku no ippon orete an samishi

blowing on skin and bones
　the storm winds of autumn on my ailing body
骨立を吹けば疾む身に野分かな
kotsuritsu o fukeba yamu mi ni nowaki kana

nothing but bones
　the scarecrow's floating world
骨許りになりて案山子の浮世かな
hone bakari ni narite kakashi no ukiyo kana

ill I came and ill I go
　I am a scarecrow
病んで来り病んで去る吾に案山子哉
yandekitari yandesaru ware ni kakashi kana

against my renewed life
　the agelessness of autumn
新らしき命に秋の古きかな
atarashiki inochi ni aki no furuki kana

how like a tiger is my cat
　autumn winds
吾猫も虎にやならん秋の風
waga neko mo tora ni ya naran aki no kaze