I stare at,
Rarely seen in Edo,
The moon in the mountain.
—Basho

詠むるや江戸には稀な山の月
(nagamuru ya / Edo niha marena / yama no tsuki)

For today's haiku, we return to the great Basho. In this autumn haiku, we feel the typical loneliness of the season, but there is also a sense of the awe of nature here, as well as a not-so-subtle rebuke of Edo† life (and city life in general), where you can't even see the moon.

†: Modern day Tokyo.

(Woodblock print is by Hiroshige. It is titled Shinano Kagakuda Every Month Bell Taishan)

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.