俳句 HAIKU

(HAIKU of Kyoshi Takahama, translated by Satoshi Kinoshita)

The pictures show a part of Pages 8 and 9 of "自選自筆 虚子百句" published by 岩波書店.       

     

                       

（１）春雨の衣桁に重し恋衣　（M27. 1894年）

        (harusameno ikohniomoshi koigoromo)

         heavy on a dress-rack

         clothes of love_

         spring rain

　　　 

（２）怒濤岩を噛む我を神かと朧の夜　（M29. 1896年）

         (dotoh iwaokamu wareokamikato oboronoyo）

          as if thinking me a god,

          surging waves bite the rock_

          hazy moon night 

        

（３）蓑虫の父よと鳴きて母もなし　（M32. 1899年）

         (minomushino chichiyotonakite hahamonashi)

          a bagworm chirps

          papa papa,

          without mamma, either

    　 

（４）子規逝くや十七日の月明に　（M35. 1902年）

　       (Shikiyukuya juushichinichino getsumeini)

           Shiki passed away

           in the moonlight

           of the 17th day   

         

（５）秋風や眼中のもの皆俳句　（M36. 1903年）

         (akikazeya ganchuunomono minahaiku)

          autumn wind_

          anything you see

          could be a HAIKU

      

 （６）或時は谷深く折る夏花かな　（M37. 1904年）

        (arutokiwa tanifukakuoru gebanakana)

        'gebana' flowers,

        taken deep in a valley

        at a cetain time

      

（７）刑罰の石を背負うて夏野かな　（M38. 1905年）

       (keibatsuno ishioseoute natsunokana)

         carrying a stone of punishment

         on one's back_

         the summer field

          

 （８）垣間見る好色者に草芳しき　（M39. 1906年）　　　

       (kaimamiru koushokumononi kusakanbashiki)

         the grasses fragrant     

         to a lecherous man

         peeping in through the hedge 

               　   

（９）桐一葉日当りながら落ちにけり　（M39. 1906年）

　　　(kirihitoha hiatarinagara ochinikeri)

　　　 a leaf of paulownia

　　　 fell,

　　　 with the sunlight on it

         

 （10）曝書風強し赤本飛んで金平怒る　（M41.1908年）

      (bakushokaze tsuyoshi akahontonde kinpiraikaru)

      strong a wind at book-exposing,

      a red-covered storybook blown down,

      exposing the hero Kinpira angry　　

      

（11）凡そ天下に去来程の小さき墓に参りけり（M41. 1908年）

  (oyosotenkani kyoraihodono chisakihakani mairikeri)

      Under heaven,

      I visited such a tomb 

      as small as I heard of Kyorai.　　

   　　 　　

(12）(13) 霜降れば霜を楯とす法の城　（T2. 1913年）

         (shimofureba shimowotatetosu norinoshiro)

         if there is a frost,

         the frost be a shield_

         the temple of laws    

         

(14) 春風や闘志抱きて丘に佇つ　（T2. 1913年）

        (harukazeya tohshiidakite okanitatsu)

        spring wind_

        I stand on the hill,

        my heart full of fight     　　

        　　

(15）囀や山かけて売る土地広し　(T2. 1913年)

       (saezuriya yamakaketeuru tochihiroshi)

(Translation A)

       running around the hill,

       broad the lot sold_

       chirps of birds

(Translation B)

       broad the lot 

       sold by taking a chance_

       chirps of birds

(Translation C)

       broad the lot

       sold with a hill behind_

       chirps of birds

 (Note)

In this haiku,  "山かけて" (yamakakete) is a pun, meaning "run",  "take a chance", or "hang".

     

(16）この後の古墳の月日椿かな  (T2. 1913年)　　　

      (kononochino kofunnotsukihi tubakikana)

       after this,      

       lasting time of the ancient mounds_

       the camellias   

        

(17) 歌人祭らず俚人ただ祭る社あり　(T2. 1913年)

       (kajinmatsurazu satobitotada matsuru yashiroari) 

       (on Hitomaro death-anniversary)

        a shrine,

       no poets worship it,

       villiagers only worship it      

        　

(18) 一つ根に離れ浮く葉や春の水　(T2. 1913年)

     (hitotsuneni hanareukuhaya harunomizu)

     the spring water_

     the leaves float aloof,

     grown from single roots  

                   　　

(19) 舟岸につけば柳に星一つ　(T2. 1913年)

     (funekishini tsukebayangini hoshihitotsu)

     the boat reached a shore,

     there a willow,

     thereabove a star　     

    

(20) 秋来ればいつもあはれにきぬたかな　(M24. 1894年）

      (akikureba itsumoawareni kinutakana)

      autumn has come,

      always pathetic

      'kinuta' fulling

      　 　

(Note)

Click here to see all of the 100 haikus of Kyoshi Takahama.

 

(10 HAIKUs of Kyoshi Takahama, translated by Satoshi Kinoshita)

HAIKU is AI: not Artificial Intelligence, but Art of Intelligence, leading to "LOVE". 

Haiku Aids Increasing Knowledge Univerally.

 　　　

(91) 春潮にたとひ櫓櫂は重くとも (S22. 1947)

　　(shunchohni tatoirokaiwa omokutomo)

　　Even if the oar is heavy

　　against the spring tide_    

(Note)

This haiku was made as a tribute to encourage Kyoshi's grand-daughter  (Nakako Bohjoh: 坊城中子) when she entered a nursing school.

The Kyoshi's haikus translated herein are cited from the writings of Toshiki Bohjoh (坊城俊樹：the son of Nakako Bohjoh, that is, a great-grandson of Kyoshi Takahama).

   　　　　

(92) 爛々と昼の星見え菌生え (S22. 1947)

　　(ranranto hirunohoshimie kinokohae)

　　the daylight star

　　looks glaring_

　　mushrooms grow   　

(Note)

This haiku was made as a farewell tribute to people in Koromo City. They gave mushrooms (=茸）to Kyoshi Takahama for a farewell present. He lived in Koromo for about three years after moving there for refuge from air raid during the war.

The word ’daylight star’ means the sun, because the word ’爛爛’ (=glaring) is used for describing it. In the case of this haiku, it is possible to express 'kinoko' by either letter of '茸' or '菌'. However, the latter was adopted. The letter '菌' can also mean 'germ' when it is read as 'kin'. 

Thus, it seems  that with the cited haiku, Kyoshi Takahama intended to express the whole great nature by referring to the greatest thing ’daylight star (=太陽)’ and the smallest thing 'mushroom (=菌)'. 

    

(93) 去年今年貫く棒の如きもの  (S25. 1950)

　　(kozokotoshi tsuranuku bohnogotokimono)

This haiku was highly appreciated by Yasunari Kawabata (a Nobel winner for Literature).

In this haiku, metaphor as well as inversion is applied.

　(Translation A)

　　kozokotoshi

　　piercing

　　a stick-like thing    

　(Translation B)

　　my belief in HAIKU

　　piercing kozokotoshi

　　like a stick 

　(Translation C)

　　time pierces

　　kozokotoshi

　　like a stick

(Note)

“kozokotoshi” is a kigo (= seasonal word) established by Kyoshi Takahama, referring to New Year, on which yesterday is the last year, and today is this year. Thus, the literal meaning of kozokotoshi is “last-year-this-year”.

Translation A is a word-for-word translation and can be interpreted in various ways. However, “stick-like thing” should be considered as the real subject and a metaphor. In Translations B and C, “my belief” and “time” are added, respectively replacing the word “stick-like thing”. Thus, the kigo “kozokotoshi” should grammatically be taken as the object of “pierce”. Otherwise, this haiku makes nonsense.

In Translation A, if you take “kozokotoshi” as the subject for “pierce”, and “stick-like thing” as the object for “pierce”, then what do you think the “stick-like thing” indicates? Does it make any sense? 

        

(94) 大桜これにかしづき大椿 (S30. 1955)

　　(Ohzakura korenikasizuki ohtsubaki)

　　a large cherry tree_

　　beside it

　　a large camellia

 　

(95) 蠅叩手に持ち我に大志なし (S31. 1956)

　　(haitataki tenimochiwareni taishinashi)

　　having a flyswatter

　　in my hand

　　I have no great ambition

　　　

(96) 虚子一人銀河と共に西へ行く　(S24. 1949)

　　(kyoshihitori gingatotomoni nishieyuku)

　　Kyoshi alone

　　goes toward west

　　with the galaxy

　　

(97) 我のみの菊日和とはゆめ思はじ (S29. 1954)

　　(warenomino kikubiyoritowa yumeomowaji)

　　chrysanthimum-bright-day_

　　never

　　only for me

(Note)

Kyoshi Takahama made this haiku when he received a Cultural Medal (=文化勲章).

　　　　

(98) 悪なれば色悪よけれ老の春 (S28. 1953)

　　(akunareba iroakuyokere oinoharu)

　　if any vice,

　　sensual vice would be better_

　　spring of old age

　　　

(99) 明易や花鳥諷詠南無阿弥陀 (S29. 1954)

　　(akeyasuya kachohfuuei namuamida)

　　daybreak getting earlier_

　　making haiku of nature

　　namuamida

(Note)

’kachoh-fuuei’（花鳥諷詠）, which was advocated by Kyoshi Takahama, means a typical way of composing haiku based on appriciation of nature including human affairs.

’namuamida’ （南無阿弥陀）is Buddhist chanting words of sutra, which mean ’I believe in Amitabha'.

   

(100) 独り句の推敲をして遅き日を (S34. 1959)

　　(hitori kunosuikoh-o-shite osokihio)

　　alone,

　　elaborating haikus_

　　lengthening days of spring

   　　　

Click here to see back numbers (81~90).