Three haiku by Morikawa Kyoroku

苗代の水にちり浮くさくら哉
nawashiro no mizu ni chiriuku sakura kana

cherry blossoms–
they fall around
on the rice-seedling water

Source: S. Hisamatsu, N. Imoto, eds., Koten haibungaku taikei, Shūeisha, 1975, p. 36

涼風や青田の上の雲のかげ
suzukaze ya aota no ue no kumo no kage

cool breeze–
cloud shadows
on the green paddies

Source: T. Īno, ed., Bashō jiten, Tōkyōdō Shuppan, 1959, p. 479

一番に案山子をこかす野分かな
ichiban ni kagashi wo kokasu nowaki kana

autumn storm–
the scarecrow
falls first

Source: R.H. Blyth, ed., Haiku, Vol. IV, Autumn/Winter, Hakuseido, 1952, p. 55

English translations by Luca Cenisi

Morikawa Kyoroku (1656-1715) was a Japanese poet of the Edo period. He first learned waka and haikai from Kitamura Kigin (1625-1705) and was later part of the Danrin School 談林派. He became a disciple of Matsuo Bashō (1644-1694) in 1692, owing to his relationship with Takarai Kikaku (1661-1707) and Hattori Ransetsu (1654-1707).

Picture: Watanabe Kazan, Kyoroku shōzō shinseki (19th century)