Famous Basho Poems by Famous Poets
These are examples of famous Basho poems written by some of the greatest and most-well-known modern and classical poets. PoetrySoup is a great educational poetry resource of famous basho poems. These examples illustrate what a famous basho poem looks like and its form, scheme, or style (where appropriate).
See also:
by
Basho, Matsuo
...A bee
staggers out
of the peony....Read more of this...
by
Basho, Matsuo
...A caterpillar,
this deep in fall--
still not a butterfly....Read more of this...
by
Basho, Matsuo
...At a hermitage:
A cool fall night--
getting dinner, we peeled
eggplants, cucumbers....Read more of this...
by
Basho, Matsuo
...A monk sips morning tea,
it's quiet,
the chrysanthemum's flowering....Read more of this...
by
Basho, Matsuo
...A snowy morning--
by myself,
chewing on dried salmon....Read more of this...
by
Basho, Matsuo
...An old silent pond...
A frog jumps into the pond,
splash! Silence again. ...Read more of this...
by
Basho, Matsuo
...Autumn moonlight--
a worm digs silently
into the chestnut....Read more of this...
by
Basho, Matsuo
...First day of spring--
I keep thinking about
the end of autumn....Read more of this...
by
Basho, Matsuo
...First snow
falling
on the half-finished bridge....Read more of this...
by
Basho, Matsuo
...First winter rain--
even the monkey
seems to want a raincoat....Read more of this...
by
Basho, Matsuo
...Spring:
A hill without a name
Veiled in morning mist.
The beginning of autumn:
Sea and emerald paddy
Both the same green.
The winds of autumn
Blow: yet still green
The chestnut husks.
A flash of lightning:
Into the gloom
Goes the heron's cry....Read more of this...
by
Basho, Matsuo
...From time to time
The clouds give rest
To the moon-beholders....Read more of this...
by
Basho, Matsuo
...Heat waves shimmering
one or two inches
above the dead grass....Read more of this...
by
Basho, Matsuo
...In the cicada's cry
No sign can foretell
How soon it must die. ...Read more of this...
by
Basho, Matsuo
...In the twilight rain
these brilliant-hued hibiscus . . .
A lovely sunset...Read more of this...
by
Basho, Matsuo
...Taking a nap,
feet planted
against a cool wall....Read more of this...
by
Basho, Matsuo
...The dragonfly
can't quite land
on that blade of grass....Read more of this...
by
Basho, Matsuo
...The oak tree:
not interested
in cherry blossoms....Read more of this...
by
Basho, Matsuo
...tions
of the 'Old Pond' poem, which may be
the most famous of all haiku:
Furuike ya
kawazu tobikomu
mizu no oto
-- Basho
Literal Translation
Fu-ru (old) i-ke (pond) ya,
ka-wa-zu (frog) to-bi-ko-mu (jumping into)
mi-zu (water) no o-to (sound)
The old pond--
a frog jumps in,
sound of water.
Translated by Robert Hass
Old pond...
a frog jumps in
water's sound.
Translated by William J. Higginson
An old silent pond......Read more of this...
by
Basho, Matsuo
...Winter solitude--
in a world of one color
the sound of wind....Read more of this...
Dont forget to view our wonderful member Basho poems.