A Year of Bashō

Twelve haiku translations from Bonsai, PIE Books, Tokyo, 2011,
translated by Emiko Miyashita and Michael Dylan Welch

『盆栽』　芭蕉句

The First Month

一月

幾霜に心ばせをの松かざり

ikushimo ni kokorobase o no matsukazari

after years of frost

the unchanged green heart

of the New Year pine decoration

The Second Month

二月

春もややけしきととのふ月と梅

haru mo yaya keshiki totonou tsuki to ume

gradually spring—

the land just so

with moon and plum

The Third Month

三月

はるなれや名もなき山の朝がすみ

harunare ya namonaki yama no asagasumi

truly spring—

nameless mountains

in a thin morning mist

The Fourth Month

四月

あらたふと青葉若葉の日のひかり

aratōto aoba wakaba no hi no hikari

how brilliant—

leaves both green and young

in the sun’s light

The Fifth Month

五月

するが地や花橘も茶の匂ひ

surugaji ya hanatachibana mo cha no nioi

Suruga road—

even the wild orange blossoms

smell of green tea

The Sixth Month

六月

六月や峯に雲置くあらし山

rokugatsu ya mine ni kumo oku arashiyama

sixth month—

clouds resting on the peaks

of Arashiyama

The Seventh Month

七月

清滝や波に散込青松葉

kiyotaki ya nami ni chirikomu aomatsuba

Kiyotaki River—

the green pine needles

fall into the waves

The Eighth Month

八月

名月に麓の霧や田のくもり

meigetsu ni fumoto no kiri ya ta no kumori

the harvest moon glows

over fog at the mountains’ feet—

misted rice fields

The Ninth Month

九月

秋を経て蝶もなめるや菊の露

aki o hete chō mo nameru ya kiku no tsuyu

deepening autumn—

is the butterfly also licking

the chrysanthemum dew?

The Tenth Month

十月

色付や豆腐に落て薄紅葉

irozuku ya tōfu ni ochite usumomiji

turning color—

a lightly tinted leaf

fallen to the tofu

The Eleventh Month

十一月

作りなす庭をいさむる時雨かな

tsukurinasu niwa o isamuru shigure kana

refined garden

the passing winter shower

brings it to life

The Twelfth Month

十二月

節季候の来れば風雅も師走哉

sekizoro no kureba fūga mo shiwasu kana

sekizoro beggars—

when they appear, poets also know

the year is ending