A caterpillar
A caterpillar,
this deep in fall--
still not a butterfly.
Translated by Robert Hass
poem by Matsuo Basho
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A cool fall night
At a hermitage:
A cool fall night--
getting dinner, we peeled
eggplants, cucumbers.
Translated by Robert Hass
poem by Matsuo Basho
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Windy fall
At my daughter's grave, thirty days
after her death:
Windy fall--
these are the scarlet flowers
she liked to pick.
Translated by Robert Hass
poem by Kobayashi Issa
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(Love) Caterpillar
My love goes to you alone,
Because I know what you can become.
I will be true to you, every minute waking.
You may just be a caterpillar to them
But to me you're a butterfly in the making.
And when you spread those wings of yours,
They'll all look at you, flabbergasted and dumb,
And know why I stuck with you,
A caterpillar that no one knew
To a butterfly where no one knows came from.
poem by K. Jared Hosein
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That wren
That wren--
looking here, looking there.
You lose something?
Translated by Robert Hass
poem by Kobayashi Issa
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Even with insects
Even with insects--
some can sing,
some can't.
Translated by Robert Hass
poem by Kobayashi Issa
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A bee
A bee
staggers out
of the peony.
Translated by Robert Hass
poem by Matsuo Basho
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These sea slugs
These sea slugs,
they just don't seem
Japanese.
Translated by Robert Hass
poem by Kobayashi Issa
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The toad! It looks like
The toad! It looks like
it could belch
a cloud.
Translated by Robert Hass
poem by Kobayashi Issa
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Visiting the graves
Visiting the graves,
the old dog
leads the way.
Translated by Robert Hass
poem by Kobayashi Issa
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My arm for a pillow
My arm for a pillow,
I really like myself
under the hazy moon.
Translated by Robert Hass
poem by Yosa Buson
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Napped half the day
Napped half the day;
no one
punished me!
Translated by Robert Hass
poem by Kobayashi Issa
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They end their flight
They end their flight
one by one---
crows at dusk.
Translated by Robert Hass
poem by Yosa Buson
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Seen
Seen
through a telescope:
ten cents worth of fog.
Translated by Robert Hass
poem by Kobayashi Issa
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How much
How much
are you enjying yourself,
tiger moth?
Translated by Robert Hass
poem by Kobayashi Issa
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Hey, sparrow!
Hey, sparrow!
out of the way,
Horse is coming.
Translated by Robert Hass
poem by Kobayashi Issa
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First day of spring
First day of spring--
I keep thinking about
the end of autumn.
Translated by Robert Hass
poem by Matsuo Basho
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How admirable
How admirable!
to see lightning and not think
life is fleeting.
Translated by Robert Hass
poem by Matsuo Basho
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Midfield
Midfield,
attached to nothing,
the skylark singing.
Translated by Robert Hass
poem by Matsuo Basho
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Don't worry, spiders
Don't worry, spiders,
I keep house
casually.
Translated by Robert Hass
poem by Kobayashi Issa
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Stillness
Stillness--
the cicada's cry
drills into the rocks.
Translated by Robert Hass
poem by Matsuo Basho
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