Welcome to the second collection of haiku from my Haiku of Japan series. This collection reprints no 11–20 of the series. As with the recent Beautiful Japan collection, Steemit isn't set up to allow me to change the numbers, so let's just pretend 1-10 is really 11-20.

I am giving the haiku themselves, along with a photo, usually a woodblock print. If you want commentary on the poem, click the poem title to visit my post on that specific haiku. All translations are mine unless otherwise stated.

Without further ado, here we go....

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1. Her Day Off
   
   
   

   身あがりに独ねざめの夜寒哉
   
   
   
   miagari ni hitori
   nezame no
   yosamu kana
   —Chiyo-ni
   
   
   on her day off
   the prostitute wakes up alone
   ah, the cold of night
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. Autumn Crow
   
   
   

   枯朶に烏のとまりけり秋の暮
   
   
   
   kareeda ni
   karasu no tomari keri
   aki no kure
   —Basho
   
   
   on a withered branch
   sits a crow
   autumn nightfall
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. Faint Footprints
   
   
   

   みじか夜や足跡浅き由比ヶ浜
   
   
   
   Mijika yo ya
   Ashiato asaki
   Yui-ga-hama
   —Buson
   
   
   short summer night
   Faint footprints on the sand
   Yui-ga-hama
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. Alone on the Road
   
   
   

   この道や行く人なしに秋のくれ
   
   
   
   Kono michi ya
   yuku hito nashini
   aki no kure
   —Basho
   
   
   on this road
   goes no one
   autumn evening
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

5. Autumn Begins
   
   
   

   星既に秋の眼をひらきけり
   
   
   
   Hoshi sude ni
   aki no manako wo
   hirakikeri
   —Ozaki Koyo
   
   
   The stars have already
   opened
   their autumn eyes
   
   
   (Tr. Janine Beichman)
   
   
   
   
   
   

6. Early Morning Moon-Viewing
   
   
   

   あさむつや月見の旅の明け離れ
   
   
   
   Asamutsu ya
   tsukimi no tabi no
   ake-banare
   —Basho
   
   
   six in the morning—
   my trip for moon-viewing
   ends at dawn
   
   
   (Tr. Gabi Greve)
   
   
   
   
   
   

7. Mistaken for a Scarecrow
   
   
   

   うかと来て我をかがしの替哉
   
   
   
   uka to kite
   ore wo kagashi no
   kawari kana
   —Issa
   
   
   absent-minded
   I'm the scarecrow's
   replacement
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

8. The Galactic River
   
   
   

   うすうすとしかもさだかに天の川
   
   
   
   usu-usu to
   shika mo sadaka ni
   amanogawa
   —Kiyozaki Toshio
   
   
   slightly faint
   yet clear
   the milky way
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

9. The Love of Cats
   
   
   

   うらやまし思ひ切る時猫の恋
   
   
   
   Urayamashi
   omoi-kiru toki
   neko no koi
   —Etsijin
   
   
   It’s enviable.
   The gracefulness of
   The cat’s love.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

10. Autumn Waterfall
    
    
    

    大瀑布秋の声を添ふ
    
    
    
    daibakufu
    hitosuji aki no
    koe o sou
    —Shinoda Teijiro
    
    
    big waterfall
    joining its constant roar
    autumn's voice
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

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And there we go. Hope you enjoyed. Remember, you can click on the title of each haiku to go to the original post on that haiku where I give some commentary on the poem and perhaps some insight.

Feel free to use any of these translations anywhere you want, but if you do, please credit me (or the proper translator). I ask that not so much because of my ego, but as a haiku reader myself I always want to know who did the translation so I can find more from them if I like it, so I'm always slightly annoyed when a web site or book doesn't provide that info.

Needless to say, if you enjoyed any of these, follow me for more. I try to post one a day. Sometimes I miss a day if work or family gets in the way, but I do try to keep up.

Which one was your favorite?

BTW, if you enjoyed this, check out the first haiku collection here

❦

David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. He blogs here and at laspina.org.