Today’s Haiku (May 26, 2023)

魔女めくは島に生まれし黒揚羽　　大竹朝子

majo meku wa shima ni umareshi kuro-ageha

            looking like a witch

            a black swallowtail was

            born on the island

                                                            Asako Ohtake

from Haiku Dai-Saijiki (Comprehensive Haiku Saijiki), Kadokawa Shoten, Tokyo, 2006

Today’s Haiku (May 25, 2023)

海中に都ありとぞ鯖火燃ゆ　　　松本たかし　　

kaichû ni miyako ari tozo sababi moyu

            as if telling there were

            capital in the sea

            lamps of night sardine-fishing

                                                            Takashi Matsumoto

from Haiku Dai-Saijiki (Comprehensive Haiku Saijiki), Kadokawa Shoten, Tokyo, 2006

Fay’s Note:   Takashi Matsumoto (1906-1956)     “sababi” (fishing lamps for sardine fishing at night) is a summer kigo.

Today’s Haiku (May 24, 2023)

オアシスのゾウの心地にシャワー浴ぶ　　藤本智子

oashisu no zô no kokochi ni shawaa abu

            feeling like an elephant

            in the oasis

            I take a shower

                                                Tomoko Fujimoto

from Haiku, a monthly haiku magazine, August 2022 Issue, Kabushiki Kaisha Kadokawa, Tokyo

Today’s Haiku (May 23, 2023)

夜のシャワー俺が捕つたら勝つてゐた　　黒岩徳将

yo no shawaa ore ga tottara katteita

            night shower

            our team would have won

            if I caught that ball

                                                            Tokumasa Kuroiwa

from Haiku Shiki (Haiku Four Seasons), February 2019 Issue, Tokyo Shiki Shuppan, Tokyo

Today’s Haiku (May 22, 2023)

レンブラント若き自画像青嵐　　飯島晴子

renbranto wakaki jigazô ao-arashi

            young self-portrait

            by Rembrandt

            blue summer gust

                                                            Haruko Iijima

from Haiku Dai-Saijiki (Comprehensive Haiku Saijiki), Kadokawa Shoten, Tokyo, 2006

Fay’s Note:  Haruko Iijima (1921-2000)  “ao” in the above haiku can be translated as“green,” instead of “blue.”  The word suggests “young” leaves and I decided to use “blue.”