Here is a collection of the first 10 haiku from my Haiku of Japan series. I'm collecting them all in one post to give new readers a review of poems they may have missed and also to make a convenient collection to link to.

I am giving the haiku themselves, along with a photo, usually a woodblock print. If you want commentary on the poem, click the poem title to visit my post on that specific haiku.

Without further ado, here we go....

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1. Traveling to the Inn
   
   
   

   月ぞしるべこなたへ入らせ旅の宿
   
   
   
   tsuki zo shirube
   konata e irase
   tabi no yado
   —Basho
   
   
   the moon’s guidance:
   please come this way
   a traveler’s inn
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. Childless Woman
   
   
   

   うまず女の雛かしづくぞ哀なる
   
   
   
   umazume no hina
   kashizuku zo
   aware naru
   —Ransetsu
   
   
   a childless woman
   tenderly she touches
   the little dolls for sale
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. Old Dancing Butterfly
   
   
   

   蝶老てたましひ菊にあそぶ哉
   
   
   
   chou oite
   tamashii kiku ni
   asobu kana
   —Enomoto Seifu
   
   
   The butterfly grown old
   its spirit plays
   among chrysanthemums
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. Seeing the Moon
   
   
   

   詠むるや江戸には稀な山の月
   
   
   
   nagamuru ya
   Edo niha marena
   yama no tsuki
   —Basho
   
   
   I stare at,
   Rarely seen in Edo,
   The moon in the mountain.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

5. Checking the Scarecrow
   
   
   

   畠主の案山子見舞小て戻りけり
   
   
   
   hatakenushi
   kagashi ni oute
   modorikeri
   —Buson
   
   
   The field owner
   goes to check his scarecrow
   then returns
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

6. Skill of Insects
   
   
   

   世の中や鳴虫にさへ上づ下手
   
   
   
   yo no naka ya
   naku mushi ni sa e
   jouzu heta
   —Issa
   
   
   In this world
   even among the insects...
   some sing well, some don't
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

7. The Spider Lilies
   
   
   

   歩き続ける彼岸花咲き続ける
   
   
   
   aruki tsuzukeru
   higanbana
   saki tsuzukeru
   —Taneda Santoka
   
   
   I keep walking
   the spider lilies
   keep blooming
   (Tr. Gabi Greve)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

8. A Thousand Green Mountains
   
   
   

   薫風や千山のみどり寺一つ
   
   
   
   kunpuu ya
   senzan no midori
   tera hitotsu
   —Shiki
   
   
   cool summer breeze
   a thousand green mountains
   a lone temple
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

9. Falling Leaf Enlightenment
   
   
   

   一葉散る咄ひとはちる風の上
   
   
   
   hito ha chiru
   totsu hito ha chiru
   kaze no ue
   —Ransetsu
   
   
   one leaf falls
   alas! another
   with the wind
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

10. Lonely Night
    
    
    

    小言いふ相手もあらばけふの月
    
    
    
    kogoto iu
    aite mo araba
    kyou no tsuki
    —Issa
    
    
    if only she were here
    my nagging wife...
    ah, tonight's moon
    
    
    
    

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And there we go. Hope you enjoyed. Remember, you can click on the title of each haiku to go to the original post on that haiku where I give some commentary on the poem and perhaps some insight.

Also note, all of these were translated by me, except for number 7. Feel free to use any of these translations anywhere you want, but if you do, please credit me (or Gabi for #7). I ask that not so much because of my ego, but as a haiku reader myself I always want to know who did the translation so I can find more from them if I like it, so I'm always slightly annoyed when a web site or book doesn't provide that info.

Needless to say, if you enjoyed any of these, follow me for more. I try to post one a day. Sometimes I miss a day if work or family gets in the way, but I do try to keep up.

❦

David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. He blogs here and at laspina.org.