Basho: "Frost-withered, ~ Melancholy bloom: ~ A flowery field"

My Translation

Frost-withered,

Melancholy bloom:

A flowery field

Original Japanese

霜枯れに咲くは辛気の花野哉

Pronunciation

Shimo-gare ni

Saku wa shinki no

Hana no kana

Literal

Frost withered/die in/at

Bloom melancholy/fretful/mood’s

Flower field how/alas!

“Shinki no hana” = “depressed flowers” is taken from a song with the line “the depressed flowers bloom every night.”

Basho: "What a mix of hail and snow: ~ A summer kimono's ~ fine design"

My Translation

What a mix of hail and snow:

A summer kimono’s

Fine design

Original Japanese

霰まじる帷子雪は小紋かな

Pronunciation

Arare majiru

Katabira-yuki wa

Komon kana

Literal

Hail mixed with

Summer kimono snow* as for

Fine pattern how!

“Katabira-yuki” is the large, flat snow often seen on the patterns of light, summer kimonos (called yukatas). He is saying the mix of hail and snow he sees in reality looks like a kimono pattern. He is also contrasting summer dress with a winter storm.

From Hyakunin Isshu, "When looking at the moon"

My Translation

By Oe no Chisato

When looking at the moon

A thousand things

Become sadness—

My autumn alone,

Though it is not.

Original Japanese

大江千里

月見れば

千々に物こそ

悲しけれ

わが身ひとつの

秋にはあらねど

Pronunciation

Oe no Chisato

Tsuki mireba

Chiji ni mono koso

Kanashi kere

Waga mi hitotsu no

Aki ni wa aranedo

Literal

Oe no Chisato

Moon see if/when

Thousands into things certainly/[emphasis]

Sad/sorrow become

My self one/even/only’s

Autumn as for although it is not

Li Bai's "Under the Moon, Drinking Alone"

My Translation
By Li Bai (701-762 AD)	李白
Under the Moon, Drinking Alone	月下獨酌
Among the flowers, a jug of wine	花間 一壺酒
Drinking alone, with no one close	獨酌 無 相親
Raising a glass, inviting the shining moon	舉杯 邀 明月
My shadow facing makes the three of us	對影 成 三人
Still the moon cannot comprehend drinking	月既 不 解飲
And only a shadow follows my body	影徒 隨 我身
Fleeting companions: I take the shadow and moon	暫伴 月 將影
Having fun, we must strive for spring	行樂 須 及春
I sing, the moon lingers	我歌 月 徘徊
I dance, my shadow twirls	我舞 影 零亂
In sober times together we're having fun	醒時 同 交歡
After we’re drunk we part our ways	醉後 各分散
Always connected, no concerns, we wander and roam	永結 無情 遊
Of our time together, speaks only the distant clouds	相期 邈雲漢

Original Chinese

Traditional	Simplified	Pronunciation
李白	李白	Li bái
月下獨酌	月下独酌	Yuè xià dú zhuó
花間一壺酒，	花间一壶酒	Huā jiān -- yī hú jiǔ,
獨酌無相親；	独酌无相亲；	Dú zhuó -- wū xiāng qīn;
舉杯邀明月，	举杯邀明月，	Jǔ bēi -- yāo míng yuè,
對影成三人。	对影成三人。	Duì yǐng -- chéng sān rén.
月既不解飲，	月既不解饮，	Yuè jì -- bù jiě yǐn,
影徒隨我身；	影徒随我身；	Yǐng tú -- suí wǒ shēn;
暫伴月將影，	暂伴月将影，	Zàn bàn -- yuè jiāng yǐng,
行樂須及春。	行乐须及春。	Xíng lè -- xū jí chūn.
我歌月徘徊，	我歌月徘徊，	Wǒ gē -- yuè páihuái,
我舞影零亂；	我舞影零乱；	Wǒ wǔ -- yǐng língluàn;
醒時同交歡，	醒时同交欢，	Xǐng shí -- tóng jiāo huān,
醉後各分散。	醉後各分散。	Zuì hòu -- gè fēnsàn.
永結無情遊，	永结无情遊，	Yǒng jié -- wúqíng yóu,
相期邈雲漢。	相期邈云汉。	Xiāng qī -- miǎo yúnhàn.

Literal

Plum White (Li Bai 701-762 AD)

Moon Under Alone Drink

1. Flowers among alone jug wine

2. Alone drink-wine no other person/relation; [other relation = deeply attached]

3. Raise glass welcome bright moon, [raise glass = toast]

4. Opposing/facing shadow makes/becomes three people.

5. Moon then/since doesn’t understand drink,

6. Shadow disciple follows my body;

7. Temporary partner/companion moon takes/shall-be shadow,

8. Walk/travel happy must reach spring.

9. I sing moon waits lingers,

10. I dance shadow fragment confusion [fragment confusion = disorder/twirls];

11. Sober/wake-up season/periods together mix happy, [mix happy = good relations, making love]

12. Drunk after each divide scatter/disperse.

13. Forever/always connect/bound not feeling wander/roam,

14. Each-other time-period distant/remote says/cloud man(kind)

Translated: Basho's "Withered and bending"

Withered and bending,

Dejected world upside-down—

Bamboo of the snow

萎れ伏すや世はさかさまの雪の竹

Shiore-fusu ya

Yo wa saka-sama no

Yuki no take

Literal

[Withered/droop/dejected] [bend/bow/hide]

[World/age/society] [inverted/upside-down]

Snow’s bamboo

Probably based on a story of a mother who finds her son buried, frozen in the snow under the bamboo; a son dying before the mother is upside-down. The story was called “take no yuki,” meaning “snow of the bamboo,” while this haiku ends in reverse: “yuki no take,” meaning “bamboo of the snow.”

Translated: Basho's "A Wintry Shower ~ while the frustrated pines ~ wait for snow"

A wintry shower—
While the frustrated pines
Wait for snow

時雨をやもどかしがりて松の雪

Shigure wo ya
Modokashi-gari te
Matsu no yuki

Literal & Notes
Wintry shower
Frustrated
Pine’s snow

“Pine” is a symbol of waiting as it has the same pronunciation as “waiting.” Wintry showers change the color of all trees’ leaves except evergreens, so they are jealous and waiting for their beautiful winter snow coat.

Charles Bukowski reads his poem, "The Strongest of the Strange"

you won’t see them often
for wherever the crowd is
they
are not.
those odd ones, not
many
but from them
come
the few
good paintings
the few
good symphonies
the few
good books
and other
works.
and from the
best of the
strange ones
perhaps
nothing.
they are
their own
paintings
their own
books
their own
music
their own
work.
sometimes I think
I see
them – say
a certain old
man
sitting on a
certain bench
in a certain
way
or
a quick face
going the other
way
in a passing
automobile
or
there’s a certain motion
of the hands
of a bag-boy or a bag-
girl
while packing
supermarket
groceries.
sometimes
it is even somebody
you have been
living with
for some
time -
you will notice
a
lightning quick
glance
never seen
from them
before.
sometimes
you will only note
their
existance
suddenly
in
vivid
recall
some months
some years
after they are
gone.
I remember
such a
one -
he was about
20 years old
drunk at
10 a.m.
staring into
a cracked
New Orleans
mirror
facing dreaming
against the
walls of
the world
where
did I
go?

William Butler Yeats reads his poem, "The Lake Isle of Innisfree"

I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee;
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.

Translated from Hyakunin Isshu #22: "Temper makes a tempest"

My Translation

By Fun'ya no Yasuhide

The blowing wind

Uproots and snaps

The autumn grass and trees—

It’s fitting then that “temper”

Makes a “tempest,” so they say.

Original Japanese

文屋康秀

吹くからに

秋の草木の

しをるれば

むべ山風を

あらしといふらむ

Japanese Pronunciation

Fun'ya no Yasuhide

Fuku kara ni

Aki no kusaki no

Shiorureba

Mube yama kaze o

Arashi to iuran

Literal

Blow from as

Autumn’s grass tree’s [=plants, vegetation]

[see as/ death/ branches] [break / snap off] when

Fitting mountain wind is

[storm/ destruction/ lay waste] so called  

Note: This poem puns on the fact that the character for “storm” (嵐) is composed of a mountain (山) on top of wind (風) and is also pronounced almost the same as destruction (arasu). Thus it is literally saying that it is fitting that “mountain” + “wind” = “storm” = “destruction.”

Li Bai's "Going Down Zhongnan Mountain"

This poem talks about Li Bai spending time with his friend, Husi, who lives in the mountains away from civilization.

Translation

By Li Bai	李白
Going Down Zhongnan Mountain, passing time with the hermit, Husi: a resting place and wine	下終南山 過斛斯山人 宿置酒
Sunset shades the mountain green: we’re going down	暮從 碧山 下
Mountain and moon following the men returning	山月 隨 人歸
Yet, looking back on the place from where we came: a narrow path	卻顧 所來 徑
Ash gray across the green: the dim light	蒼蒼 橫翠 微
Hand-in-hand arriving at the farmhouse	相攜 及 田家
A young boy opens a twig gate	童稚 開 荊扉
Green bamboo: entering a secluded path	綠竹 入 幽徑
Green bramble: shaking off the moving clothes	青蘿 拂 行衣
Enjoy a talk, finding a place and resting	歡言 得所 憩
Pleasing wine chatting together drinking	美酒 聊共 揮
Long songs and singing Pine Tree Wind	長歌 吟 松風
The tune is finished, and the river of stars: becoming scarce	曲盡 河星 稀
I am drunk with you: and cheerful again	我醉 君 復樂
So pleased forgetting completely my daily struggles	陶然 共忘 機

Original Chinese

Traditional	Simplified	Pronunciation
李白	李白	Lǐ Bái
下終南山 過斛斯山人 宿置酒	下终南山 过斛斯山人 宿置酒	Xià zhōng nán shān guò hú sī shān rén sù zhì jiǔ.
暮從碧山下，	暮从碧山下，	Mù cóng bì shān xià,
山月隨人歸；	山月随人归；	Shān yuè suí rén guī;
卻顧所來徑，	却顾所来径，	Què gù suǒ lái jìng,
蒼蒼橫翠微。	苍苍横翠微。	Cāng cāng héng cuì wēi.
相攜及田家，	相携及田家，	Xiāng xié jí tián jiā,
童稚開荊扉；	童稚开荆扉；	Tóng zhì kāi jīng fēi;
綠竹入幽徑，	绿竹入幽径，	Lǜ zhú rù yōu jìng,
青蘿拂行衣。	青萝拂行衣。	Qīng luó fú xíng yī.
歡言得所憩，	欢言得所憩，	Huān yán de suǒ qì,
美酒聊共揮；	美酒聊共挥；	Měi jiǔ liáo gòng huī;
長歌吟松風，	长歌吟松风，	Cháng gē yín sōng fēng,
曲盡河星稀。	曲尽河星稀。	Qǔ​ jìn hé xīng xī.
我醉君復樂，	我醉君复乐，	Wǒ zuì jūn fù lè,
陶然共忘機。	陶然共忘机。	Táo rán gòng wàng jī.

Literal Translation

李白	Plum White [Li Bai (701-762)]
下終南山 過斛斯山人 宿置酒	Down Final South Mountain Pass 50-Liters Thus Mountain Man Rest Place Wine [Final South Mountain = Zhongnan Mountain; 50-Liters Thus = Husi]
暮從碧山下，	Sunset from jade mountain down,
山月隨人歸；	Mountain moon follow man go-back;
卻顧所來徑，	However look-back place from path,
蒼蒼橫翠微。	Blue green across green profound.
相攜及田家，	Mutual hand-take reach farm house,
童稚開荊扉；	Boy young open twig gate;
綠竹入幽徑，	Green bamboo enter secluded path,
青蘿拂行衣。	Blue-green bush brush walk clothes.
歡言得所憩，	Enjoy talk obtain place rest,
美酒聊共揮；	Pleasing wine chat together wave;
長歌吟松風，	Long song sing pine-tree wind,
曲盡河星稀。	Tune finished river stars scarce.
我醉君復樂，	I drunk gentleman return cheerful,
陶然共忘機。	Pleased thus altogether forget struggles.