Zen Death Haiku Xi

ZEN DEATH HAIKU XI These are my modern English translations of Japanese Zen Death Haiku. Above the garden the camellia tree blossoms whitely... —Uejima Onitsura, loose translation by Michael R. Burch Moonlit hailstones: the night hawks return. —Uejima Onitsura, loose translation by Michael R. Burch Nowhere to dump the dishwater: cricket cacophony. —Uejima Onitsura, loose translation by Michael R. Burch A good father drives away crows from his sparrow-like children. —Uejima Onitsura, loose translation by Michael R. Burch A cool breeze: the empty sky fills with the songs of the pines. —Uejima Onitsura, loose translation by Michael R. Burch Return my dream, raven! You woke me to a misted-over unreadable moon —Uejima Onitsura, loose translation by Michael R. Burch Tears are useless: insects, lovers, the stars themselves must part. —Kobayashi Issa, loose translation by Michael R. Burch Sparrow-like children, make way, make way! The stallion's coming through! —Kobayashi Issa, loose translation by Michael R. Burch No one travels this path but me, this moonless autumn evening. —Matsuo Basho, loose translation by Michael R. Burch Now, as the sun and moon shine as one, the arrow, hurtling from the bow, speeds my spirit toward the enemy, bearing also a hundred million souls —my people of the East— as the sun and moon shine as one. —Tomoyuki Yamaa, loose translation by Michael R. Burch Bonfires for the dead? Soon they'll light pyres for us, instead. —Issa, loose translation by Michael R. Burch Children delight in bonfires for the dead; soon they'll light pyres for us, instead. —Issa, loose translation by Michael R. Burch Cries of the wild geese— spreading rumors about me? Kobayashi Issa, loose translation by Michael R. Burch Wake up, old tomcat, then with elaborate yawns and stretchings prepare to pursue love Kobayashi Issa, loose translation by Michael R. Burch This windy nest? Open your hungry mouth in vain, Issa, orphaned sparrow! Kobayashi Issa, loose translation by Michael R. Burch The ghostly cow comes mooing mooing mooing out of the morning mist Kobayashi Issa, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch Full moon— my ramshackle hut is an open book. Kobayashi Issa, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch Keywords/Tags: Haiku, Zen, Japan, Japanese, translation, life, death, aging, time, pain, sorrow, lament, age, analogy, angst, animal, anxiety, august, autumn