after: 5

a lot on my mind

I find myself

across the bridge

Hosai (1885-1926)

For an explanation of "afters," see post for Nov. 2, 2010.

slow

winter night

the slow circling

of the bar rag

First published in The Heron's Nest

after: 4

Fuji hidden

in fog and rain

I go on

Basho (1644-1694)

The great "reformer" of haiku, founding father of the tradition. This rendering, I must admit, brings out his inner Santoka rather strongly.

For an explanation of "afters," see the post for Nov. 2, 2010.

talk

after the funeral

we talk about cremation

autumn sky

garden

Japanese garden

a leaf drifting through

my mind

First published in Notes from the Gean

after: 3

autumn leaves

and a touch of gray

in my hair

Soseki (1867-1916)

A very free rendering. Soseki is generally regarded as the major Japanese novelist of his era. Some of his works have been translated into English, among them Kokoro, Botchan, and I Am a Cat.

For an explanation of "afters," see the post for Nov. 2, 2010.

morning chill

morning chill

the homeless man

has moved on

after: 2

after a good bath

struck by the radiance

of the rising moon

striding through fallen leaves

it feels so good

to shit in the field

Santoka (1882-1940)

Santoka didn't write these as companion pieces, but I think they make a nice pair. The two together give you a clearer sense of his personality (of his Zen, if you will) than either would standing alone.

For an explanation of "afters," see the post for November 2, 2010.

standard time

turning back the clock . . .

the distribution

of wealth

The concentration of wealth in the hands of the top 1 % of Americans, a trend that began during the presidency of Ronald Reagan, is now greater than at any time since 1928. 1928 was followed, as some of you will recall, by 1929.

after: #1

a bit drunk

stepping lightly

in the spring wind

Ryokan (1758-1831)

This is the first in a series of "afters" I'll be posting here from time to time. An "after" is a version–a free translation (inevitably free, since I don't read Japanese)/imitation/adaptation–of a haiku or senryu by one of the Japanese masters; in this case, as indicated, Ryokan. What I'm going for in each case is something that will pass muster as an English-language haiku, rather than a literal duplication of the original. If I don't convey exactly what the original says, I hope I express what it makes me want to say.

NB: It's not entirely impossible that my version might inadvertently match a version already published somewhere else by somebody else. If you're aware of this, please let me know.