"Summer Grasses"

Summer grasses:

all that remains of great soldiers'

imperial dreams

--Basho

"On the Road"

Long conversations

beside blooming irises--

joys of life on the road

--Basho

"With flowers You write..."

With flowers You write,
O Giver of Life;
With songs You give color,
with songs You shade
those who live here on the earth.
Later You will erase eagles and tigers,
we live only in Your book of paintings,
here, on the earth.

Poem from Miguel Leon-Portilla, ed. and trans., Native Mesoamerican Spirituality: Ancient Myths, Discourses, Stories, Doctrines, Hymns, Poems from the Aztec, Yucatec, Quiche-Maya and Other Sacred Traditions (New York: Paulist Press, 1980).

Flowers of Spring

me wa yoko ni

hana wa tate nari

haru no hana

Eyes, back and forth,

nose, up and down--

the flowers of spring!

--Onitsura (1660-1738)

Photos copyright Anthony F. Chiffolo

The Sound of the Pines

suzu kaze ya

koku ni michite

matsu no koe

How cool the breeze--

the empty sky is filled with

the sound of the pines.

--Onitsura (1660-1738)

Photos copyright Anthony F. Chiffolo

Springtime Sea

haru no umi

hinemosu notari

notari kana

The springtime sea

all day long goes gently

up and down, up and down.

--Buson (1715-1783)

Photos copyright Anthony F. Chiffolo

Chrysanthemums

ki giku shira giku

hito moto wa aka mo

aramahoshi

Yellow mums, white mums--

as for me, I crave a red

chrysanthemum too!

--Shiki (1867-1902)

Photos copyright Anthony F. Chiffolo