Comparison of selected Translations of Basho's Haiku by (1) Oseko; (2) Reichhold; (3) Barnhill

* Highlights of Poetry. * Index of poetry. * How to Write Poetry. New Books read.
* Yuki Teikei Haiku Society: * Join. * GEPPO magazine. * Annual anthologies.
The Yuki Teikei Haiku Society Retreat at Asilomar: * 2007. * 2008 (a haibun). * 2010.
Buy Oseko's brilliant book of Basho translations Buy Reichhold's Basho translations
* Toward an Aesthetic for English-Language Haiku by Lee Gurga.
* 2004 Pescadero Haiku Weekend Workshop (including exercises) with Christopher Herold.
How to write specific forms:
* Haibun. * Haiku. * Hay(na)ku. * Rengay. * Renku. * Tanka.
* Ballade. * Concrete. * Ghazal. * Lai. * Pantoum. * Prose poem. * Rondeau. * Rubáiyát.
* Sestina. * Skaldic verse. * Sonnet. * Terza rima. * Triolet. * Tritina. * Villanelle.
Poets: * Bashō. * Buson. * Hosai Ozaki.
* Ki no Tsurayuki. * Shiki.
Support us -- Buy at Amazon
Check How to Learn Japanese.

Matsuo Bashō
* Oseko's annotated translations.
* Comparison of Oseko and Reichhold translations.
* Examples of Oseko and Reichhold and Barnhill translations.
* Comparison of other translations from Bashō's haibun.

Other info on Matsuo Bashō: * Haiku. * Haibun. * Renga. * Time Line.

Examples of Oseko and Reichhold and Barnhill translations

The 'frog pond' poem: 


furu ike ya / kawazu tobikomu / mizu no oto

Oseko 43 (1686) 
An old pond
A frog jumps in,
The sound of water.
Reichhold 152 (1681-82) 
old pond
a frog jumps into
the sound of water

Her literal:
old pond ! /frog jumps into/water's sound
Barnhill 180 (1686) 
old pond —
a frog jumps in, 
water's sound.

The 'faintly white' poem: 


umi kurete / kamo no koe / honoka ni shiroshi

Oseko 26 (1684) 
The sea has darkened
And the voice of a wild duck
Is faintly white.
Reichhold 232 (1685) 
the sea darkens
and the duck's voice
is faintly white

Her literal:
sea darkens and/duck's voice
               /faintly in white
Barnhill 148 (Winter 1684) 
the sea darkening,
a wild duck's call
faintly white

The 'azaleas and cod' poem: 


tsutsuji ikete / sono kage ni hidara / saku onna

Oseko 32 (1685) 
Behind the pail of azaleas
A woman is tearing up 
A dried cod.
Reichhold 244 (1685) 
arranged azaleas
in the shadow a woman 
splits a dried cod

Her literal:
azalea arrange/this shadow in
              /dried codfish tear woman
Barnhill 160 (1686) 
azaleas all arranged: 
in their shade, a woman 
tearing dried cod

The 'butterflies and field' poem: 


chō no tobu / bakari nonaka no / hikage kana

Oseko 26 (1684) 
Only butterflies 
Are flying about in a field
In the bright sunshine.
Reichhold 247 (1685) 
a butterfly flies
only in the field
of sunshine 

Her literal:
butterfly of flying 
/ only in a field / sunshine
Barnhill 163 (Winter 1685) 
butterflies only
fluttering in this field
of sunlight

The 'snowball' poem: 


kimi hi o take / yoki mono misen / yuki maruge

Oseko 50 (1686) 
Make a fire, my friend!
I'll show you something good:
A large snowball.
Reichhold 280 (1686) 
if you start a fire,
I'll show you something good
a huge snowball

Her literal:
you fire (object) burn 
/ good thing show (speaker's will)
/ huge snowball
Barnhill 192 (1686) 
you start a fire,
I'll show you something fun:
a great ball of snow

Links and Books.

Links and Books.

Related pages: * Poetry index. * How to Write Poetry.
How to write specific forms: * Haibun. * Haiku. * Hay(na)ku. * Rengay. * Tanka.
* Books of Poetry Form.
Support us -- Buy at Amazon
Copyright © 2016-2016 by J. Zimmerman, except for the quoted poems.
All rights reserved.

[Thanks for visiting.]