Fukuda Chiyo-ni haiku translations 1

Fukuda Chiyo-ni Haiku Fukuda Chiyo-ni (1703-1775) was a celebrated Japanese poet and painter of the Edo period, also known as Kaga no Chiyo. Because morning glories held my well-bucket hostage I went begging for water! —Chiyo-ni, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch Chiyo-ni wrote this next poem in calligraphy on a portrait of Matsuo Basho. I take it to mean that she liked Basho's poetry but wanted to develop her own unique voice. To listen, fine ... fine also not to echo, nightingale. —Chiyo-ni, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch CHIYO-NI NUN & TEMPLE POEMS After she had shaved her head, become a nun and retired from public life, she wrote: No more fixing my hair ... merely warming my hands by the fire ... —Chiyo-ni, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch Auspicious straw! Even the compost looks glorious! —Chiyo-ni, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch CHIYO-NI POEMS ABOUT LOSS AND LONELINESS Coolness— strangers meet on a bridge late at night. —Chiyo-ni, loose translation by Michael R. Burch Ebb-tide: everything we stoop to collect slips through our fingers ... —Chiyo-ni, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch Whatever ... Leave it to the weather: withered pampas grass. —Chiyo-ni, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch Heat waves shimmering above the wettened rock ... —Chiyo-ni, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch Loneliness abides within the listener: the cuckoo’s call —Chiyo-ni, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch Skylark, what do you make of the trackless sky? —Chiyo-ni, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch We stoop to pick up ebb-tide pebbles —Chiyo-ni, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch It’s child’s play for the cranes circling the clouds to celebrate the sunrise —Chiyo-ni, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch Cicadas chirp oblivious to death. —Chiyo-ni, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch Inflating the frog’s belly: looming downpour Inflating the frog’s belly: pregnant thunderheads The frog inflates: monsoon soon The frog inflates: prophet of the deluge Thunderclouds inflating: the frog’s belly —Chiyo-ni, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch Keywords/Tags: haiku, Japan, Japanese, Basho, nightingale, echo, cuckoo, skylark, morning glories, ebb-tide, pebbles, cicadas, cranes, frog, belly, nature, animal, water, fire, night