Old pond, leap-splash – a frog.
MATSUO BASHOOld pond, leap-splash – a frog.
MATSUO BASHOA flute with no holes is not a flute.
MATSUO BASHOWhen I speak My lips feel cold – The autumn wind.
MATSUO BASHOThe journey itself is my home.
MATSUO BASHOFrom the pine tree, learn of the pine tree; And from the bamboo, of the bamboo.
MATSUO BASHOA thicket of summer grass / Is all that remains / Of the dreams of ancient warriors.
MATSUO BASHOThe fact that Saigyo composed a poem that begins, “I shall be unhappy without loneliness,” shows that he made loneliness his master.
MATSUO BASHOGo to the pine if you want to learn about the pine, or to the bamboo if you want to learn about the bamboo. And in doing so, you must leave your subjective preoccupation with yourself. Otherwise you impose yourself on the object and you do not learn.
MATSUO BASHOPlunge Deep enough in order to see something that is hidden and glimmering.
MATSUO BASHOYear’s end, all corners of this floating world, swept.
MATSUO BASHOYear by year, the monkey’s mask reveals the monkey.
MATSUO BASHOWith every gust of wind, the butterfly changes its place on the willow.
MATSUO BASHOThe moon and sun are travelers through eternity. Even the years wander on. Whether drifting through life on a boat or climbing toward old age leading a horse, each day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.
MATSUO BASHOBetween our two lives there is also the life of the cherry blossom.
MATSUO BASHOAn autumn night – don’t think your life didn’t matter.
MATSUO BASHOSummer grasses — all that remains of great soldiers’ imperial dreams.
MATSUO BASHO