Punk’s Reviews > Poetry of Chiyo-ni: The Life and Art of Japan's Most Celebrated Woman Haiku Master > Status Update

among a field
of horsetail weeds–
temple ruins

I like the way this is structured, that by putting the horsetails first it suggests they were there first and the ruins are just incidental. Happily I can confirm that this feeling is even stronger in the original:

tsukutsukushi
kokora ni tera no
ato mo ari

And my own quick and dirty literal translation:

horsetail plants
around here temple's
ruins also here

Libby remembered where I was, but not my highlights. :(

This went back to the library and since they only have one copy and two people are ahead of me, it'll be a while before I see it again.

woman's desire
deeply rooted–
the wild violets

even falling down
it still smiles--
the festival doll

evening temple bell
stopped in the sky
by cherry blossoms

"The plum blossom was transplanted from China and was Japan's favorite flower until nationalism grew in the eighth century and the sakura (cherry blossom), which is native to Japan, took its place."

I have finally exited the somewhat repetitive introduction and reached the haiku. It puts the transliteration first which is a choice.

This ebook is messed up. You can't even highlight text with any accuracy. :(

Aaaaaaaand the end notes aren't linked. Good thing I didn't pay money for this. (That's what the library is for.)