Under the shade of cherry blossoms - Issa

 

Just as the rain falls on everyone

So does the sun shine on everyone. 

My refuge is your refuge,

Your refuge is my refuge.

As Issa said, "In the cherry blossom's shade,

There is no such thing as a stranger."

I have this image of strangers taking refuge under cherry blossoms 

While a drizlling rain falls.....sharing the intimacy of a small space.

Robert Hass & Kobayashi Issa - birthdays and continuations

 After the Gentle Poet Kobayashi Issa

BY ROBERT HASS

New Year’s morning—

everything is in blossom!   

   I feel about average.

   A huge frog and I   

staring at each other,   

   neither of us moves.

   This moth saw brightness   

in a woman’s chamber—

   burned to a crisp.

   Asked how old he was   

the boy in the new kimono   

   stretched out all five fingers.

   Blossoms at night,   

like people

   moved by music

   Napped half the day;   

no one

   punished me!

Fiftieth birthday:

   From now on,   

It’s all clear profit,   

   every sky.

   Don’t worry, spiders,   

I keep house   

   casually.

   These sea slugs,   

they just don’t seem   

   Japanese.

Hell:

   Bright autumn moon;   

pond snails crying   

   in the saucepan.

Robert Hass, “After the Gentle Poet Kobayashi Issa” from Field Guide. Copyright © 1973 by Robert Hass. Reprinted with the permission of Yale University Press, http://www.yale.edu/yup/.

Issa - Mosquito

Mosquito at my ear,

Does it think I'm deaf?

 - Issa

[the snow is melting]

BY KOBAYASHI ISSA

TRANSLATED BY ROBERT HASS

The snow is melting

and the village is flooded

      with children.

[under the evening moon]

BY KOBAYASHI ISSA

TRANSLATED BY ROBERT HASS

Under the evening moon

the snail

      is stripped to the waist.

[all the time I pray to Buddha]

[all the time I pray to Buddha]

BY KOBAYASHI ISSA

TRANSLATED BY ROBERT HASS

All the time I pray to Buddha

I keep on

    killing mosquitoes.

A village named Little-Plum-Tree

A village named Little-Plum-Tree
and a bush warbler singing
on the shaft of a hoe
                —Issa

Issa - contentment

A one-foot waterfall

It too makes noises

and at night is cool.

by Issa
The translation of both poem and title is, of course, by Henderson, who did not stick to the traditional haiku form of 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables. Which was probably a good thing, for translations that stick to the traditional form are usually rather forced and unnatural. Many people write haikus in English with the same idea. However, I always write my haiku in the traditional form, and I don't think they're forced and unnatural. (You're allowed to think otherwise.)

from http://www.grantcarrington.freeyellow.com/TimesFool/haikus.htm

Issa again

“In the cherry blossom's shade
there's no such thing
as a stranger.”
 
― Kobayashi Issa

Patience

“O snail
Climb Mount Fuji
But slowly, slowly!” 
― Kobayashi Issa

An apology to send

an apology to send-- my ink-stone's thick ice 

-Issa, 1822