Japanese Death Poetry

Haiku Death Poetry
Section 1 of 2

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Arimaru
Running shallow                                 Kawa no se ni
with a year's end sound:                      shiwasu no oto no
river rapids.                                        nagarekeri
Asei
Flowers of the grass:                           Nora ni saku
scarcely shown, and withered               na wa kore made zo
name and all.                                       kusa no hana
Atsujin
Earth and metal...                                Tsuchi kane ya
although my breathing ceases               iki wa taete mo
time and tide go on.                             tsukihi ari
Baiko
Plum petals falling                               Chiru ume ni
I look up...the sky,                              miaguru sora no
a clear crisp moon.                              tsuki kiyoshi
Baisei
Island of Eternity:                                Horai ya
a turtle dries its shell out                       kame mo ko hosu
in the rays of a new sun.                      hatsu-hinata
Banzan
Farewell...                                           Mame de iyo
I pass as all things do                          mi wa narawashi no
dew on the grass.                                kusa no tsuyu
Basho
On a journey, ill:                                 Tabi ni yande
my dream goes wandering                   yume wa kareno o
over withered fields.                           kakemeguru
Bokusui
A parting word?                                 Jisei nado
The melting snow                               zansetsu ni ka mo
is odorless.                                        nakarikeri
Chiboku
The running stream                            Yuku mizu to
is cool...the pebbles                           tomo ni suzushiku
underfoot.                                         ishi kawa ya
Chikuro
Butterflies in flight:                             Cho tobu ya
the journey's end...                             miateshi tabi wa
Suma Akashi                                     Suma Akashi
Chirin
In earth and sky                                  Ametsuchi ni
no grain of dust...                               chiri naki yuki no
snow on the foothills.                         fumoto kana
Chogo
I long for people...                              Hito koishi
then again I loathe them:                      hito mutsukashishi
end of autumn.                                   aki no kure
Choko
This final scene I'll not see                  Sue ikki
to the end...my dream                         mi hatenu yume no
is fraying.                                           hotsure kana
Dohaku
Cargoless,                                          Tsumimono ya
bound heavenward,                             nakute jodo e
ship of the moon                                 tsuki no fune
Enryo
Autumn waters                                    Yoizame no
of this world wake me                          kore ya konoyo no
from my drunkenness.                         aki no mizu
Fufu
My companion in the skies                  Tsure mo ari
of death,                                             imawa no sora no
a cuckoo.                                           hototogisu
Fukyu
A bright and pleasant                          Kokochiyoshi
autumn day to make                           aki no hiyori o
death's journey.                                  shide no tabi
Fuso
Upon the lotus flower                         Asatsuyu no
morning dew is                                   usura kiekeri
thinning out.                                       hasu no hana
Gansan
Blow if you will,                                 Fukaba fuke
fall wind...the flowers                          hana wa sunda zo
have all faded.                                    aki no kaze