My Translation Missing my hat, Caught in the cold rain. What the hell… Original Japanese 笠もなきわれを時雨るるかこは何と Pronunciation GoogleTranslator: press speaker button to listen Kasa mo naki Ware wo shigururu ka Ko ha nan-to Literal Hat also none I am in a wintry shower What a …
Read MoreEnchanted Lady
This poem tells the story of a man visiting his lover, who cannot leave the palace. It was written by Li Yu (937–978 AD), last emperor of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and probably directed to his lover, his wife’s sister and a woman renowned for …
Read MoreFoliage
Parchment red and orange, Silently, the woods question: Sound… a squirrel jumps. Today I went to the Chuang Yen Buddhist monastery in Carmel, New York. The drive was beautiful, with puffs of foliage red, orange, yellow, and green. The air smelled of of dirt …
Read MoreWatching Rugby
Dog lying in lap, Sounds of the All Blacks in back Quiet on Sunday
Read MoreBeware the cat in heat!
This cute little haiku from Basho tells the story of a well-meaning dog that made the mistake of disturbing a cat in heat, and paid the price for it J. It also has the connotation that a cat in love no longer fears the dog …
Read MoreReading Chinese poetry
The anthology below is a good one for learning about Chinese poetry for English speakers that don’t want to study the Chinese itself. It has the original Chinese written in calligraphy to show their visual beauty, a word-for-word literal translation, and a figurative English translation. …
Read Moree.e. cummings’ “anyone lived in a pretty how town”
This is one of my favorite poems, both for the lyrically flowing words and the deep meaning. It is a love poem, telling the story of a man named “anyone” and a woman named “noone.” Once you get used to how cummings uses generic names …
Read MorePaul Verlaine’s “Chanson d’automne”
This is a famous French poem by Paul Verlaine, so beautiful yet so simple it is learned by elementary school students in France. Verlaine, despite being married, had a love affair with Arthur Rimbaud, another French poet. It ended in tragedy when Verlaine shot Rimbaud …
Read MoreNear
I touch your hair long, Searching your eyes, so distant. Rain dew on a rose.
Read MorePablo Neruda’s “Full woman, carnal apple, hot moon”
I love the vivid imagery in this poem and how he is representing the whole process of making love with imagery, from the first attraction to the final explosion. My Translation Full woman, carnal apple, hot moon, Thick smell of seaweed, mud and light entwined. …
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