Category Archives: zen

The Monkey is Reaching

The monkey is reaching
For the moon in the water.
Until death overtakes him
He’ll never give up.
If he’d let go the branch and
Disappear in the deep pool,
The whole world would shine
With dazzling pureness.

-

Hakuin

Zen Haiku Poems – Dusk

For the man who says
He tires of his child
There are no flowers

Basho

The Burning sun
Sunk in the sea
By the Mogami river

Basho

That soon they will die
Is unknown
To the chirping cicadas

Basho

Zen Haiku Poems – Moonlight

The Autumn moon
Shining so brightly
So I wrote this.

Sekkei

Cry not, insects
For even stars in love
Must endure separation.

Issa

Watching the cormorant fishing boats
In time
I was full of sorrow.

Basho

Some villages have no sea bream
Some no flowers
But all see tonight’s moon.

Saikaku

Zen Haiku Poems – On Dawn

In field nor mountain, nothing stirs
On this snowy morning.

Chiyo – Ni

But for their cries,
The herons would be lost
Amidst the morning snow.

Chiyo – Ni

I break my fast
Amidst the morning glory.

Basho

In the spring rain
All things grow beautiful.

Chiyo Ni