The butterfly is perfuming

To the moon beholders..

Just enough to wet the throatOf a sewer rat.

All the day long-yet not long enough for the skylark,singing, singing.

on that blade of grass.Translated by Robert Hass

the most famous of all haiku:Furuike yakawazu tobikomumizu no oto– BashoLiteral TranslationFu-ru (old) i-ke (pond) ya,ka-wa-zu (frog) to-bi-ko-mu (jumping into)mi-zu (water) no o-to (sound)Translated by Fumiko SaishoThe old pond-a frog jumps in,sound of water.Translated by Robert HassOld pond…a frog jumps inwater’s sound.Translated by William J. HigginsonAn old silent pond…A frog jumps into the pond,splash! Silence…

bending together