None is travelling

Matsuo Basho 1644 (Near Ueno) – 1694 (Osaka)



None is travelling
Here along this way but I,
This autumn evening.

The first day of the year:
thoughts come - and there is loneliness;
the autumn dusk is here.

An old pond
A frog jumps in -
Splash!

Lightening -
Heron's cry
Stabs the darkness

Clouds come from time to time -
and bring to men a chance to rest
from looking at the moon.

In the cicada's cry
There's no sign that can foretell
How soon it must die.

Poverty's child -
he starts to grind the rice,
and gazes at the moon.

Won't you come and see
loneliness? Just one leaf
from the kiri tree.

Temple bells die out.
The fragrant blossoms remain.
A perfect evening!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

37 sec read
92

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABA XCX XXX ABC XXD BXB XXD EXE XXA
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 601
Words 121
Stanzas 9
Stanza Lengths 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Matsuo Basho

Matsuo Bashō was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. more…

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