The distant mountains
are reflected in the eye
of the dragonfly.
Before I arrived,
who were the people living here?
Only the violet flowers remain.
Arise from sleep, old cat,
and with great yawns
and stretchings -
Amble out for love.
Live in simple faith -
just as this
trusting cherry
Flowers, fades, and falls.
What a moon -
if only she were here,
my grumbling wife.
~ Kobayashi Issa
(1763 ~ 1828)
It was saturday afternoon Prannav was talking his mom, suddenly I see Ramesh waving at me and came rushing towards us. I though he might be concerned about me taking Prannav away, He may not know I dont have a place at the moment.
ReplyDeleteHe came and handed over his collection of Haiku, I latter discovered he was a respected Haiku poet. It have found my last love for Haiku.
He took Prannav along with him for a movie.
Issa Haiku flashed in my mind
Come with me,
let's play together -
Sparrow without a mother.
Basho is one of the greatest Haiku Poet but for me no one like Issa.
ReplyDeleteRight at my feet --
and when did you get here,
snail?
Once in the box
every one of them is equal -
the chess pieces
Wild goose, wild goose,
At what age
Did you make your first journey?
Not yet become a Buddha,
This ancient pine tree,
Dreaming.
Visiting the graves,
The old dog
Leads the way.
From the Great Buddha's
great nose, a swallow comes
gliding out
First kimono -
may you quickly grow to
a naughty age
Despite the morning frost -
a child
selling flowers
And some more too infact, Issa was one of Japan's most prolific poets. He left in his journals over twenty thousand haikus.
ReplyDeleteThe season's first melon
clutched in its arms -
the child sleeps
The spring rain;
a little girl teaches
the cat to dance.
The winter fly
I caught and finally freed
the cat quickly ate
Goes out,
comes back--
the loves of a cat.
People working fields,
from my deepest heart, I bow.
Now a little nap
serenly
gazing up at the mountain -
a toad
Even with insects--
some can sing,
some can't.
For you too, my fleas,
the night passes so slowly.
But you won't be lonely.
I'm going out,
flies, so relax,
make love.
In this mountain village,
shining in my soup bowl,
the bright moon arrives
The moon and the flowers,
forty-nine years,
walking around, wasting time.
Great moon
woven in plum scent,
all mine.
Here is Shinano
are famous moons, and buddhas,
and our good noodles
Just by being,
I'm here -
in the snow-fall.
Give me a homeland,
and a passionate woman,
and a winter alone
Winter seclusion;
listening, that evening,
to rain in the mountains.
See the world through issa heart its lovely until then....
ReplyDelete