On ice.
筆濯ぐ應擧が鉢に氷哉
fude susugu
ōkyo ga hachi ni
kōri kana |
Rinsing his brush
Ōkyo finds in his bowl
Ice has formed! |
On frost.
我骨のふとんにさはる霜夜哉
wa ga hone no
futon ni sawaru
shimo yo kana |
Right to my bones
Through the quilt pierces
The frost tonight. |
On the winter wind.
木枯や鐘に小石を吹きあてる
kogarashi ya
kane ni koishi o
fukiateru |
The chill wind
Lifts pebbles to the bell
And strikes them upon it. |
On hail.
玉霰漂母が鍋をみだれうつ
tama arare
hyôbo ga nabe o
midare utsu |
Hailstones
On the old-lady’s pots
Are hammering down. |
On snow.
雪國や粮たのもしき小家がち
yukiguni ya
kate tanomoshiki
koie gachi |
In the snow country
To want for provisions is
The way of all the little huts. |
On snow.
鍋さげて淀の小橋を雪の人
nabe sagete
yodo no kobashi o
yuki no hito |
Pots in hand
Across the little bridge at Yodo
Go women in the snow. |
On drizzle.
古傘の婆さと月夜の時雨哉
furugasa no
basa to tsuki yo no
shigure kana |
Old umbrellas
Spring up by the score on a moonlit night
When the rain comes down. |
On drizzle.
老が戀わすれんとすれば時雨哉
oi ga koi
wasuren to sureba
shigure kana |
In my age all
I would forget–then
Down comes the rain! |
On the winter moon.
石となる樟の梢や冬の月
ishi to naru
kusu no kozue ya
fuyu no tsuki |
Destined to be stone are
The camphor trees–above their topmost branches
Shines the winter moon. |
On winter nights.
鋸の音貧しさよ夜半の冬
nokogiri no
oto mazushisa yo
yowa no fuyu |
A saw’s
Sound I hear–so poor to work–
On a winter’s night. |
'Simply moving and elegant'