Matsuo Basho Poetry Creatively Translated
English Haiku Translation
Poem One
Another year’s end
and I am still wearing a
straw hat and sandals.
Poem Two
Wishing sleep would come,
I borrow the scarecrow’s sleeve.
Midnight frost stains it.
Poem Three
Ill on a journey,
My dreams are revolving over
The wild withered moor.
Poem Four
The lightning hopes that
The unsuspecting realize
It’s a noble lord.
Japanese Haiku Poems
Matsuo Basho was the most famous Japanese poet of the Edo period. During his lifetime, Basho was recognized as a master of poetry through his short and clear haiku poems. Even today, he is internationally renowned for his work and many still quote his poetry.
Matsuo Basho's original poems and their direct translations can be found here and on wiki.
© 2012 Alex Blackstone