Today's Kigo:   Sample Haiku from Japanese Saijiki (7)
                                                                                translated by Fay Aoyagi

(1) Haiku Saijiki, edited by Fusei Tomiasu et al, Heibonsha, Tokyo, 1971
(2)  Dai Saijiki (Comprehensive Saijiki) edited by Shuoshi Mizuhara et al,
Kodansha, Tokyo, 1982
(3)  Gendai Saijiki (Modern Saijiki), edited by Tota Kaneko, Momoko Kuroda, Ban’ya
Natsuishi, Seisei Shuppan, Tokyo, 1997
(4) Kiyose (Collection of Seasons), edited by Kadokawa Shote, Kadokawa Shoten,
Tokyo 2001
(5) Kadokawa Haiku Daisaijiki, edited by Kadokawa Gakugei Shuppan, Kadokawa
Shoten, Tokyo, 2006
HERE
November 3-7, 2007: Click:
October, 2007 (slightly different format):  Click
HERE
HERE
November 9-23, 2007:  Click
Nov. 24-Dec.  13, 2007:  Click
HERE
December 19, 2007 - January 19, 2008: click
HERE
HERE
January 22, 2008-February 27, 2008
April 25, 2008
"sumire (violet)"

shōnen ni sumire no sakeru himitsu no basho
a boy has
the secret place
where violets bloom
                        Shugyo Takaha (5)

********
amatsubu o tsukete sumire no kuni e yuku
 a rain drop
on my body
I go to the violet country
                                Toshio Obama (5)

********
sumire saku ima hashiraneba ishitsubutu
 violets bloom
if I will not run now
I will become the lost property
                                Hoyo Kitagawa (3)
February 29-April 24, 2008
HERE
April 29, 2008
"asuparagasu (asparagus)"

kōfuku ni asuparagasu o yudekobosu
  happiness
 I boil and drain
 asparagus
                         Soko Kurata (5)

 ********
asadori no asuparagasu no fuzoroini
  asparagus
 from the morning field
 uneven in sizes
                                 Minako Masuda (5)

 ********
koi owari asuparagasu no aosugiru
  end of a love affair
 these asparagus are
 too green
                         Chieko Jinbo (5)
April 30, 2008
"isoginchaku (sea anemone)"

mushi haite isoginchaku no hana yururu
   spitting an insect
  sea anemone’s flower
  swaying                                Nobiru Konno (1)

  ********
ruiruito isoginchaku no saku kodoku
   heaps
  of flowering sea anemone—
  their solitude
                                          Shakunage Dobashi (5)

  ********
tenjō ni chichihaha isoginchaku hiraku
   mother and father
  up in the heaven—
  sea anemone opens
                                          Mario Torii (5)
May 1, 2008
"chūrippu (tulip)"

chūrippu chiru ippenn wa gohho no mimi
  a tulip sheds its petals
 one of them is
 van Gogh’s ear
                                 Akito Arima (5)

   ********
fukuzatsu ni naru noga iyade chūrippu
  I do not want to be
 too complicated…
 tulips
                                 Yoko Sugawa (5)

   ********
chūrippu genshoku wa mina kodokunaru
   tulips
   all in primary colors are
   solitary
                                Masayuki Nakamura (3)
May 10, 2008
"hamaguri (clam)"

hamaguri o hiza ni nakasete yoru no kasha
     clams cry
    on her lap—
     a night train
                                    Yuji Ishizuka (5)

    ********
musūno hamaguri musūno tsubomi yoru no shima
     numerous clams
    numerous buds
    the island at night        
                                    Ryuta Iida (5)

    ********
hamaguri no sakamushi ni shi o izanawaru
     being invited
    to the death
    by clams cooked in sake
                                    Hekiteikan Isogai (5)
May 21, 2008
"hatsunatsu (beginning of summer)"

hatsunatu ya hō kara hō e tobu hikari
      beginning of summer
     a light travels
     from cheek to cheek
                             Takiji Yamagishi (3)

     ********
hatsunatsu ya uki dekigoto mo itsuka kako
      beginning of summer
     the unpleasant thing
     is already in the past
                             Haruko Takagi

     ********
hatsunatsu no nami o konomeri takanami o
      beginning of summer
     I am fond of the waves
     … these tall waves
                             Sayu Togo (2)