Eight haiku by Matsuo Bashō, translated by R. K. Blyth. Wikipedia tells us the Shinto priesthood deified Basho in 1793, a sort of minor god of poetry, and for a time critical evaluation of his work was literally considered blasphemous.
1
Moonlight slants through
The vast bamboo grove:
A cuckoo cries
2
Ah, summer grasses!
All that remains
Of the warriors dreams.
3
Along this road
Goes no one;
This autumn evening.
4
From time to time
The clouds give rest
To the moon beholders.
5
The butterfly is perfuming
It’s wings in the scent
Of the orchid.
6
Yes, spring has come
This morning a nameless hill
Is shrouded in mist.
7
It is deep autumn
My neighbor
How does he live, I wonder.
8
The old pond
A frog jumps in
The sound of water.
