Haiku about Winter (12)

I visited the old pond in Akita the other day, which reminded me of Basho's haiku about that old pond. And I wrote the following haiku.

The old carp

meditates in depth

winter pond

冬の池深きに思う老鯉かな

Fuyu no ike fukaki ni omou rouri kana

Snowflakes

visit the old pond

one by one

雪片のしげく古池見舞いけり

Seppen no shigeku furuike mimai keri

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Winter (11)

The other day I visited the foot of Mt. Taihei　（太平山） in Akita （秋田）, where I remembered climbing there and wrote haiku.

Alpinists

overcome blizzard ―

for heaven

岳人やブリザード超え天上へ

Gakujin ya burizaado koe tenjou e

Paddy fields

in repose ―

snow blanket

水田や雪の毛布に安らげり

Suiden ya yuki no moufu ni yasurageri

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Winter (10)

The other day I happened to see such a snowy sight here in Akita while taking a stroll.

Evergreen leaves

the pine trees featured

first snowfall

初雪に常緑の松映えにけり

Hatsuyuki ni jouryoku no matsu haeni keri

Snow-viewing

on a pine branch

crow's pastime

松の枝憩う烏の雪見かな

Matsu no eda ikou karasu no yukimi kana

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Winter (9)

Here in Akita we haven't had snow around us in towns or cities yet, but there on mountaintops they have already had the first snow this winter.

Winter general

appears on the top

white crown

冠白し冬将軍のお出ましぞ

Kan shiroshi fuyu shougun no o demashi zo

White blanket

covers the mountain

hibernating

冬用のブランケットに山眠る

Fuyu you no buranketto ni yama nemuru

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Autumn (17)

Here in Akita it's already been winter, but in my haiku world it's still autumn.
At the middle of November, I visited the foot of Mt. Moriyoshi （森吉山）, which means 'th forests abundant in trees'.
I wrote the last haiku about autumn in 2010.

The white thread

dropping through

bare branches

白糸や無地の枝縫い落下する

Shiraito ya muji no eda nui rakka suru

Fallen leaves

cover the mountain

another life

散り散りに山地を包む落葉かな

Chirijiri ni sanchi o tsutsumu ochiba kana

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Autumn (16)

On November 19, I visited Lake Tazawa （田沢湖）at the foot of Mt. Komagadake（駒ケ岳）, Akita.

It was such a nice day late in autumn.

Lake Tazawa

reflects the passing day

Indian summer

田沢湖や秋の好日写したり

Tazawako ya aki no koujitsu utsu shi tari

White clouds

visiting Lake Tazawa

Indian summer

白雲の晩秋光る湖面かな

Hakuun no banshu hikaru komen kana

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Autumn (15)

The other day I visited a hot spring called 'Cranes' Spring' （鶴の湯温泉）at the foot of Mt. Nyutou （乳頭山） in Akita.

Wild birds' spring

for healing and resting

no cranes now

傷いやす出湯に今は鶴見えず

Kizu iyasu ideyu ni ima wa tsuru miezu

Maple leaves

dancing into a bath

outdoor spring

モミジの葉露天の風呂に舞い落ちる

Momiji no ha roten no furo ni maiochiru

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Autumn (14)

At the beginning of October, I visited the Akita International Dahlia Garden near Akita airport.

I wrote haiku, remembering that beautiful autumn day.

Red dragonflies

hiding in dahlias

the blue sky

碧空やダリアに隠る赤蜻蛉

Hekiku ya daria ni kakuru akatonbo

Dahlia viewing

red dragonflies sit

on the bench

赤蜻蛉ベンチに座りダリア見る

Akatonbo benchi ni suwari daria miru

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Autumn (13)

In the middle of October, I went to the foot of Mt. Komagadake （駒ケ岳） in Akita, where I enjoyed the autumn view of Mt. Hachimantai （八幡平）.

Autumn air

flows around forests

beeches turned yellow

ブナ林を黄色に染める秋気かな

Bunarin o kiiro ni someru shuki kana

Autumn air

enlivens wild life

nuts and berries

山実り秋気野生を活かしけり

Yama minori shuki yasei o ikashi keri

― Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Autumn (12)

The other day I happened to see such strange sights at the bank of the Omono River （雄物川） in Akita.

I took some pictures of the autumn local scenes before sunset there, about which I wrote haiku.

Purple

mountains floating

autumn colour

秋色の紫の山浮かびけり

Shushoku no murasaki no yama ukabi　keri

Black flocks

resting in the river

autumn birds

黒群の川面に憩う秋の鳥

Kokugun no kawamo ni ikou aki no tori

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Autumn (11)

Soba, like udon and somen, is a typical kind of Japanese noodles. It is made of buckwheat flour. We can eat it hot or cold.

Yesterday I visited redflower buckwheat fields near Lake Tazawa　（田沢湖） at the foot of Mt. Komagadake （駒ヶ岳）in Akita （秋田）.

Red buckwheat

bloom in heights

high spirits

赤い蕎麦気は高揚と岡に咲く

Akai soba ki wa kouyou to oka ni saku

Shop flag sign

fluttering in high tone

fresh soba

新蕎麦や高くひらめく店の旗

Shin soba ya takaku hirameku mise no hata

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Autumn (10)

According to Angelica Kolompar, my haiku friend in Canada, they celebrated Thanksgiving Day recently. I wrote haiku about that day after I visited the apple orchard in Akita.

Young apples

approaching their prime

harvest moon

名月や頂近き青りんご

Meigetsu ya itadaki chikaki ao ringo

Divine brush

coloring apples red

Thanksgiving Day

天の刷毛赤いりんごの感謝祭

Ten no hake akai ringo no kanshasai

― Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Autumn (9)

At the end of September, I drove up to Mt. Takao （高尾山）, where I took some pictures of the countryside in Akita.　I also wrote haiku after that.

Autumn hue

spreading over the land

the Omono River

秋色や田園深し雄物川

Shuushoku ya denen fukashi Omonogawa

Bear cubs

hunting for chestnuts

harvest moon

名月に熊の子栗を探しけり

Meigetsu ni kuma no ko kuri o sagashi keri

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Autumn (8)

I happened to see cosmoses blooming along the river bank in Akita and wrote haiku that day.

Let cosmos

bloom in their own ways

the wind blowing

風そよぐ咲けよコスモス爛漫と

Kaze soyogu sake yo kosumosu ranman to

The cosmos

expressing themselves ―

symphony

コスモスの表す世界調和かな

Kosumosu no arawasu sekai chowa kana

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Autumn (7)

We have good harvest time all over Akita. This is one of the most beautiful periods here, just as the name of Akita （秋田） means 'Rice field in autumn'. ' 秋 (Aki)' means 'autumn', and ' 田 (ta)' means 'paddy field'.

Autumn hue

rising clear to eyes

paddy fields

秋色の目にさやかなる稲田かな

Shushoku no me ni sayaka naru inada kana

Abundant ―

waves of rice ears turned

clear golden

豊かさや黄金に染まる稲穂波

Yutakasa ya kogane ni somaru inaho nami

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Autumn (6)

Chiyo-ni (Kaga no Chiyo)(千代尼 1703-1775) was a Japanese poet of the Edo period, widely regarded as one of the greatest female haiku poets.

She is perhaps best known for this haiku:

朝顔に釣瓶とられてもらい水

Asagao ni tsurube torare te morai mizu

morning glory!

the well bucket-entangled,

I ask for water

(trans. Donegan and Ishibashi)

My haiku are as follows:

With the sun

do morning glories rise

another day

日と共に朝顔立てる新たなり

Hi to tomoni asagao tateru arata nari

The storm gone

morning glories turn

deeper blue

嵐止む濃き朝顔の青さかな

Arashi yamu koki asagao no aosa kana

― Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Autumn (5)

Recently I found 'obana （尾花）', or Japanese pampas grass flowers called 'susuki (薄）', at the foot of Mt. Chokai　(鳥海山）, in Kisakata (象潟）, Akita.

First susuki flowers

trembling

the sea breeze

初尾花海風立ちてそよぎけり

Hatsu obana 　 kaifu tachi te soyogi keri

The sunset

turning them red

susuki flowers

入日影からだの染まる尾花かな

Irihikage 　karada no somaru 　obana kana

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Summer (15)

I write haiku about cicadas, 蝉 (Semi), as the last summer topic in 2010.

Cicadas

singing at night too

neon lights

ネオン灯夜鳴くセミも現れり

Neon tou yoru naku semi mo arawareri

Midnight dews

washing their mouths

cicadas

真夜中の露洗うかなセミの口

Mayonaka no tsuyu arau kana semi no kuchi

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Summer (14)

I visited Hottai Fall , (法体の滝)(Hottai-no-taki) , at the foot of Mt. Chokai, (鳥海山)(Chokaisan) in Akita the other day.　This is a photo of the fall, where I wrote haiku.

The water

falling white ―

the green pool

滝の水落ちて緑になりにけり

Taki no mizu ochite midori ni narinikeri

Water sound

drowning them out

cicadas

水の音かすかに消える蝉時雨

Mizu no oto kasukani kieru semishigure

―　Hidenori Hiruta

　　　　　

Haiku about Summer (13)

Bon Odori （盆踊り）, meaning simply Bon dance is a style of dancing performed during Obon.

These are the photos of Nishimonai Bon Odori （西馬内盆踊り） held in Akita on August 16-18.

Welcome

the spirits of ancestors

Bon dance

歓迎や祖霊が帰り盆踊り

Kangeiya sorei ga kaeri bonodori

Bon dance

reunited in joy

past midnight

盆踊り再会にわき夜更け過ぐ

Bonodori saikai ni waki yofuke sugu

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Summer (12)

I visited Goshogawara City（五所川原市）, Aomori（青森）, where I enjoyed the Goshogawara Tachinebuta　（五所川原たちねぶた）, "Goshogawara Nebuta Festival".

"Nebuta" refers to the float of a brave warrior-figure which is carried through the center of the city, while dancers wearing a unique type of costumes called haneto （ハネト）prance around in time with the chant Yattemare （ヤッテマレ） .

Nebuta floating ―

Mt. Shirakami into

the darkness

たちねぶた白神山は闇の中

Tachinebuta Shirakamisan wa yami no naka

Tachinebuta ―

mountain gods floating on

the dark street

たちねぶた山の神々練り歩く

Tachinebuta yama no kamigami neri aruku

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Summer (11)

The Lantern Festival, or the Kanto Festival (竿燈祭）(Kanto-matsuri) , is held on August 3-6 in Akita City. It has a long history associated with prayers for a bountiful harvest of rice.

The shape of the whole Kanto can be compared to that of the ear of rice, all together 46 lanterns, imitating the straw bags of rice, swing at the slightest move, in the form of an abundanat crop of rice.

The highlight of this festival is a parade of stout young men in colorful attire skillfully balancing "kanto" on their shoulders, foreheads, hips and chins without their hands. They compete with each other to demonstrate skillful balancing techniques to the accompaniment of fast-beating drums and high-pitched flutes.

Waves of prayers

lighted up ―

Lantern Festival

竿燈やみのりを祈る黄金波

Kanto ya minori o inoru kogane nami

Performers

spotlighted　―

Lantern Festival

竿燈や妙技に光る差し手衆

Kanto ya myougi ni hikaru sasite shuu

― Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Summer (10)

I happened to see trumpet flowers in full bloom at the garden in 弘前 (Hirosaki) , 青森 (Aomori).

High up

do trumpet flowers creep

into the sky

這い上がるのうぜんかずら空の花

Haiagaru nouzenkazura sora no hana

High up

do a troop of ants creep

into the sweet

這い上がるアリの群れ入る甘みかな

Haiagaru ari no mure iru amami kana

― Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Summer (9)

I happened to see irises blooming in front of the temple gate, and wrote the following haiku.

From stony earth

do irises bloom

the temple gate

山門や石地を超えてあやめ咲く

Sanmon ya sekichi o koete ayame saku

Irises

perform zazen

the temple gate

山門の座禅を組むやあやめ花

Sanmon no zazen o kumu ya ayamebana

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Summer (8)

The other day I went to the foot of Mt. Chokai （鳥海山） in Akita, and enjoyed the cool around there.

Permanent snow

cools the air

summer solstice

夏至の空万年雪の涼気かな

Geshi no sora mannenyuki no ryouki kana

The shade

bathes in the water

summer isle

夏の島影水中に浴しけり

Natsu no shima kage suichu ni yoku shi keri

― Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Summer (7)

Around the middle of June I visited Iris Garden, where irises, Hanaayame(花あやめ）, were in full bloom. As the word Iris means rainbow, iries come in so many colors.

Rainbow

in the earth ―

irises

虹たてり地上に咲きし花あやめ

Niji tateri chijou ni sakishi hana ayame

Irises

think differently ―

the community

群落の思いそれぞれ花あやめ

Gunraku no omoi sorezore hana ayame

― Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Summer (6)

I found hydrangeas blooming in front of the stone statues of Jizo Bosatsu　（地蔵菩薩）, the guardian deity for children, also believed to be the divine guardian of travelers and pregnant women.

The soul

stops on the way ―

hydrangeas

紫陽花に魂の足とまりたり

Ajisai ni tamashii no ashi tomaritari

Hydrangeas

bloom at the gate ―

the dreamland

夢の国門に紫陽花咲きにけり

Yumenokuni mon ni ajisai sakinikeri

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Summer (5)

The other day I happened to see the Dove tree, which is known as the Pocket Handkerchief Tree because the white bracts can be seen to resemble a folded handkerchief around flower heads.

Handkerchiefs

folded on the tree ―

birds warbling

花開くハンカチの木や鳥歌ふ

Hana hiraku hankachi no ki ya tori utau

The handkerchief

tied to the tree ―

birds calling

結ばれしハンカチの木や小鳥なく

Musubare shi hankachi no ki ya kotori naku

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Summer (4)

The other day I visited the highlands in Akita, where I enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

There were small birds singing and revolving high up in the sky around the rape blossom fields.

I also enjoyed seeing Mt. Chokai (鳥海山）over there.

The skylark

flying up ―

Mt. Chokai

揚雲雀舞ひ上がりたり鳥海山

Agehibari maiagari tari Torimiyama

The skylark

flying into the scent ―

rape blossoms

雲雀の巣菜の花咲ひて香り満つ

Hibari no su nanohana saite kaori mitsu

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Summer (3)

Recently I happened to find an old pond at the foot of Mt. Taihei (太平山） in Akita.

Early summer ―

wild azalea reflected on

the old pond

初夏やつつじの映える古い池

Hatsunatsu ya tsutsuji no haeru furui ike

Early summer ―

carp floating up

the old pond

初夏や鯉顔を出す古い池

Hatsunatsu ya koi kao o dasu furui ike

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Summer (2)

There used to be a legendary fairyland called "the Peach Blossom Valley（桃源郷）(Tougenkyo)" under the slope, or 手這坂 (Tehaizaka), in Akita, Japan some hundred years ago.

The steep slope

leading down to peach blossoms ―

the utopia

坂の下桃の花咲くユートピア

Saka no shita momo no hana saku yutopia

The recluses' dream

coming true vividly

the peach blossoms

仙人の夢鮮やかに桃の花

Sen nin no yume azayaka ni momo no hana

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Summer (1)

Summer has already come here to Akita. According to the calendar, May 5 is the first day of summer.

Green hillside

changing its dress ―

wisteria

緑山の衣替えるや藤の花

Ryokuzan no koromo kaeru ya fuji no hana

Cuckoos singing

rice seedlings rooted

in the fields

郭公や水田に根づく稲の苗

Kakkou ya mizuta ni neduku ine no nae

― Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Spring (13)

I enjoyed hearing birds singing in verdure, and watching rice fields with young plants at the foot of Mt. Taihei (太平山)　in Akita （秋田）　the other day.

Rice planted

farmers whistling

in the sun

口笛や農夫日向で田植歌

Kuchibue ya noufu hinata de taueuta

Nests made

warblers singing

in the bushes

巣作りや鶯歌ふやぶの中

Sudukuri ya uguisu utau yabu no naka

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Spring (12)

There used to be Kakunodate High School (秋田県立角館高等学校）, its school yard and so on here at this site in Kakunodate, a castle town, Akita, Northern Honshu, Japan.

Now its school building is at another site.

Misty rain

making cherry blossoms dim

verdure up

霧雨や桜おぼろに緑浮く

Kirisame ya sakura oboro ni midori uku

Misty rain

making memories dim

new dreams up

霧雨や思い出遠し夢新た

Kirisame ya omoide toushi yume arata

― Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Spring (11)

Kakunodate(角館） in Akita , Northern Honshu, Japan, used to be a castle town, which is famous for the beautiful cherry trees.

The cherry walk

parallels Kajikase River

in full bloom

桜咲き鰍瀬川と並びたり

Sakura saki Kajikasegawa to narabitari

Kajikase River

flows in the breeze

blossom-viewing

風そよぐ鰍瀬川の花見かな

Kaze soyogu Kajikasegawa no hanami kana

―　Hidenori Hiruta