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

lifted by the wind
　surmounting the pagoda;
　　fallen leaves
吹き上げて塔より上の落葉かな
fukiagete tō yori ue no ochiba kana

ceaselessly to the waterfall basin they come
　fallen leaves
瀧壺に寄りもつかれぬ落葉かな
takitsubo ni yori mo tsukarenu ochiba kana

halfway down
　the waterfall blows them back
　　fallen leaves
半途より瀧吹き返す落葉かな
hanto yori taki fukikaesu ochiba kana

dancing suddenly at the grotto's mouth
　leaves in autumn hues
洞門に颯と舞ひ込む木の葉かな
dōmon ni satto maikomu konoha kana

a withering wind;
　the waterfall turns back whence it came
凩や瀧に當つて引き返す
kogarashi ya taki ni atatte hikikaesu

a tree-withering wind now?
　no leaves to scatter even as it blows
木枯の今や吹くとも散る葉なし
kogarashi no ima ya fuku tomo chiru ha nashi

my age at year's end;
　ensuring each moment counts
　　the sound of water
行年や剎那を急ぐ水の音
yuku toshi ya setsuna o isogu mizu no oto

at daybreak the banked fire finally dies
　how cold it is
曉の埋火消ゆる寒さ哉
akatsuki no uzumibi kiyuru samusa kana

my head hung low
　grasping my knees
　　how cold it is
うつむいて膝にだきつく寒哉
utsumuite hiza ni dakitsuku samusa kana

following the train
　the smoke crawls languidly
　　o'er desolate fields
汽車を逐て煙這行枯野哉
kisha o otte kemuri haiyuku kareno kana

the sake is bitter, the bedding is thin
　sleepless night
酒苦く蒲團薄くて寢られぬ夜
sake nigaku futon usukute nerarenu yo

cold springtime
　suspended on a grave
　　the youngest child's sword
春寒し墓に懸けたる季子の剣
haru samushi haka ni kaketaru kishi no ken

the clouds themselves ought to freeze to the hanging bell
　soaring mountains
釣鐘に雲氷るべく山高し
tsurigane ni kumo kōrubeku yama takashi

the rocky mountain blown by a withering winter wind
　stripped naked
石の山凩に吹かれ裸なり
ishi no yama kogarashi ni fukare hadaka nari

year by year;
　mountains, sharpened by wild withering winds
年々や凩吹て尖る山
toshidoshi ya kogarashi fuite togaru yama

peaks honed by withering winds
　veritable swords
凩の峯は剣の如くなり
kogarashi no mine wa tsurugi no gotoku nari

silver and gold adorn the casket
　nothing cold about it
白金に黃金に柩寒からず
shirogane ni kogane ni hitsugi samukarazu