Matsuo Basho Poetry Creatively Translated

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.

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.