Classic Tradition of Haiku Quotes

“In an old pond a frog ages while leaves fall”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“hito iyashiku / ran no atai o / ronji keri Men are disgusting. They argue over The price of orchids.”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“mihotoke ni / shini mukeoreba / tsuki suzushi4 I’ve turned my back On Buddha How cool the moon!”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“hana no kage / aka no tanin wa / nakari keri Under cherry-flowers, None are utter strangers.”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“kore hodo to / botan no shikata / suru ko kana “The peony was as big as this, “Says the little girl Opening her arms.”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“shirafuji ya / kaze ni fukaruru / ama no gawa Behold the white wistarias — The Milky Way blown by the wind.”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“shall we ever see the time your reign brings lasting peace to all hills and streams”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“Even after waking From the dream I’ll see the colors of irises.”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“a flying squirrel sits chewing on a bird withered field

(Yosa Buson`s farewell haiku)”
― Faubion Bowers, Classic Tradition of Haiku

“Among the graffiti The name of Beloved you. AK”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“If only noiseless they would go, The herons flying by Were but a line of snow Across the sky”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“A fallen blossom returning to the bough, I thought — But no, a butterfly. SDC aoyagi no / mayu kaku kishi no / hitai kana2 Green willows Paint eyebrows on the face of the cliff CAC”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“Lo! willow leaves have gone, Without getting grey-haired.”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“michinobe no / mukuge wa uma ni / kuware keri16 The roadside thistle, eager To see the travellers pass, Was eaten by the passing ass! CHP Mallow flowers By the side of the road — Devoured by my horse. DK”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“waga oya no / shinuru toki ni mo / he o kokite3 Even at the time When my father lay dying I still kept farting.”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“koe nakaba / sagi koso yuki no / hitotsurane4 If only noiseless they would go, The herons flying by Were but a line of snow Across the sky CHP”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“Confucian axiom “If one’s mind is elsewhere, one will look but not see, listen but not hear,”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“Third of the four “Greats" of haiku. His father was a peasant farmer and packhorse hostler, in what we today call the Japan Alps. “Issa” literally means “one tea,” indicating that life is as empty as froth on a cup of tea.”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“The world of dew is, yes, a world of dew, but even so”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“tama ni ge ni / mokutō ya tada / michi no tsuki In spirit and in truth silent prayer . . . just the moon on the road”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“mono iwazu / kyaku to teishu to / shiragiku to Saying nothing: Guest and host and white chrysanthemum.”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“nashi no hana / tsuki ni fumi yomu / onna ari A woman Reading a letter by moonlight Pear blossoms.”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“kono aki wa / hiza ni ko no nai / tsukimi kana6 This autumn I’ll be looking at the moon With no child on my knee.”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“sakura saku koro / tori ashi nihon / uma shihon2 When cherry trees bloom birds have two legs horses four”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“Harold Henderson (1889–1974), who made haiku a part of our own literature, dubbed them “meditations . . . starting points for trains of thought.” R. H. Blyth (1898–1964), who published six volumes of haiku translations, made the extravagant claim that “Japanese literature stands or falls by haiku.”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology

“Sir George Sansom (1883–1965) defined them as “little drops of poetic essence.”
― Faubion Bowers, The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology