Free Verse Haiku
Taneda Santoka (1882-1940)
from Santoka :: Grass and Tree Cairn
Translations by Hiroaki Sato

Taneda Santoka was a Japanese haiku poet
who specialized in free verse haiku during
the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

This the tooth that came out just like that
Horori to nuketa ha de wa aru

Cold clouds hurry
Samui kumo ga isogu

My hometown’s distant tree buds
Furusato wa toukushite ki no me

Thump on my hat was a camellia
Kasa e pottori tsubaki datta

The moon bright I go home
Tsuki ga akarukute kaeru

Clutching a balloon that wants to fly into the blue sky child on my back
Aozora ni tobitaki fuusen o shikato motsu sena no ko yo