Japanese Haiku Quotes

“Arise from sleep, old cat,
And with great yawns and stretchings...
Amble out for love”
― Issa, Japanese Haiku

“April's air stirs in
Willow-leaves...a butterfly
Floats and balances”
― Bashō, Japanese Haiku

“All Heaven and Earth
Flowered white obliterate...
Snow...unceasing snow”
― Hashin, Japanese Haiku

“Many solemn nights
Blond moon, we stand and marvel...
Sleeping our noons away”
― Teitoku, Japanese Haiku

“Dead my old fine hopes
And dry my dreaming but still...
Iris, blue each spring”
― Shushiki, Japanese Haiku

“In the city fields
Contemplating cherry-trees...
Strangers are like friends”
― Issa, Japanese Haiku

“On the Death of his Child

Dew Evaporates
And all our world is dew...so dear,
So fresh, so fleeting”
― Issa, Japanese Haiku

“Mountain-rose petals
Falling, falling, falling now...
Waterfall music”
― Bashō, Japanese Haiku

“Ballet in the air...
Twin butterflies until, twice white
They Meet, they mate”
― Bashō, Japanese Haiku

“Why so scrawny, cat?
Starving for fat fish or mice...
Or backyard love?”
― Bashō, Japanese Haiku

“Giddy grasshopper
Take care...do not leap and crush
These pearls of dewdrop”
― Issa, Japanese Haiku

“Describe plum-blossoms?
Better than my verses...white
Wordless Butterflies”
― Reikan, Japanese Haiku

“Old dark sleepy pool...
Quick unexpected frog
Goes plop! Watersplash!”
― Bashō, Japanese Haiku

“Twilight whippoorwill...
Whistle on, sweet deepener
Of dark loneliness”
― Bashō, Japanese Haiku

“Don't touch my plumtree!
Said my friend and saying so...
Broke the branch for me”
― Taigi, Japanese Haiku

“Standing still at dusk
Listen . . . in far distances
The song of froglings!”
― Buson, Japanese Haiku

“Amorous cat, alas
You too must yowl with your love...
or even worse, without!”
― Yaha, Japanese Haiku

“If you were silent
Flight of herons on dark sky...
Oh! Autumn snowflakes!”
― Sokan, Japanese Haiku

“For a lovely bowl
Let us arrange these flowers...
For there is no rice”
― Bashō, Japanese Haiku

“Hi! My little hut
Is newly-thatched I see...
Blue morning-glories”
― Issa, Japanese Haiku

“Seek on high bare trails
Sky-reflecting violets...
Mountain-top jewels”
― Bashō, Japanese Haiku

“Come come! Come Out!
From bogs old frogs command the dark
and look...the stars”
― Kikaku, Japanese Haiku

“Such a little child
To send to be a priestling...
Icy poverty”
― Shiki, Japanese Haiku