Monday, November 13, 2006

Kobayashi Issa

I just took a wander through some of the haiku written by Kobayashi Issa when he was aged 40 to 50 (Essential Issa: 500 haiku). Can't decide which one I like best, so I'm going to show you all candidates. No doubt this will reduce the impact of each one, but I really can't choose, so... you know... suffer.
:)
Read slowly or something. Pause occasionally. Have a cup of tea between each one.

(1)
did you meet
a thousand years ago?
Mr. and Mrs. Crane

(2)
for my soul too
help arrives...
spring blossoms

(3)
misty day--
no doubt Heaven's saints
bored stiff

(4)
moon! blossoms!
forty-nine years walking around
a waste

(5)
quite remarkable
being born human...
autumn dusk

(6)
his detested wife's
violets...
all have bloomed

Happy Monday to you, wherever you are, whichever day it is. Wait long enough and it'll be Monday again; live long enough and at least one of them will be happy.