種田山頭火Taneda Santōka1882 – 1940

Hiroaki Satō

Santoka: Grass and Tree Cairn

2002

In pine winds at dawn and dusk striking the bellMatsukaze ni akekure no kane tsuite
I go in I go in still the blue mountainsWakeitte mo wakeitte mo aoi yama
In the midst of life and death the snow falls ceaselesslySeishi no naka no yuki furishikiru

Scott Watson

The Santoka: Versions

2005

forsaken still something in these legs
it's come to these tired legs to stop this dragonsly
slipping and falling mountain silence

Scott Watson

Walking By My Self Again

2011

over morning noises a long bridge spans
all day today too no one came fireflies
until my clothes dry / this grassy breeze

Gilles Fabre

Haiku Spirit: Santoka

unknown

The path straight ahead solitude
Silently I put on today's straw sandals
Today again soaken wet walking on a strange path

Cid Corman

Walking Into the Wind

1997

where the walls are falling apart the vines the grass
men women and the shadows too dancing
the waves sound sometimes close and sometimes far away how much more of life

Emiko Miyashita, Fumiko Yamamoto

Santôka

2006

washed / the daikon absolutely whitearaeba daikon iyoiyo shiroshi
cherry tree / cherry blossoms / cherry blossoms scatter / cherry treesakura sakura saku sakura chiru sakura
as my mind calms down / the sound of waterkokoro ochitsukeba mizu no oto

Dennis Keene

Rain in the Wind

1990

Rain in late autumn / managing not yet / to dieshigururu ya / shinanaide iru
Rain in late autumn / walking in the hills / with the autumn rainshigururu ya shigururu yama e ayumi iru
Whose back going / into the autumn rain / fadingushiro sugata no shigurete yuku ka

Okami

Weeds, Falling Rain

unknown

Unpleasant days: days I don't walk, days without booze, haikuless days.
Sake for flesh, haiku for soul: sake is the haiku of the flesh haiku is the sake of the soul.
Walking on and on - my only course.

Stephen Addiss

Haiku: An Anthology of Japanese Poems

2009

Endless scorching sun- / the wind blowsenten hateshinaki kaze fuku
Snow / falls on snow- / and remains silentyuki e yuki furu shizukesa ni oru
Dragonfly on a rock- / absorbed in / a daydreamishi ni tombo wa mahiru no yume miru

Akira Yamamoto

Long Dream: Santoka

2012

From deep beneath my hometown soil a gong is struckふるさとの土の底から鉦たたき
Sweat collects in my belly buttonへそが汗ためてゐる
Can’t stop coughing No hand to tap me on the back咳がやまない背中をたたく手がない

R. H. Blyth

Santoka

1964

My back view as I go, / Wetted with the winter rain?Ushiro-sugata no shigurete yuku ka
Up to the very end, it is journeying, / And cutting our (toe-) nails.Itsumademo tabi wo suru koto no tsume wo kiru
My native place / Far away: / The buds on the trees.Furusato wa tokushite ki no me

James Abrams

Hail in the Begging Bowl

1977

A soft whirling drunk a scattering of leaves.Horohoro yoppaute ki no ha chiru.

William J. Higginson

Thistle Brilliant Morning

1973

further in yet / further in yet / green hills
taking a leisurely pee / in lush sprouting grass
tree leaves fall / walking on and on

Takashi Nonin

Grass Tree Stupa (Somokutoh)

unknown

Pine trees With branches all drooping—Namu-kanzeon sutra.Matsu wa mina / eda tarete / namu-kanzeon
Ringing the temple-bell To the sound of pine trees; Mornings and evenings.Matsukaze ni / ake kure no / kane tsuite
Sweeping the yard for a change, Flowers in the hedge are in bloom.Hisashiburini haku / kakine no hana ga saita

Jesse Glass

Santoka Translations

2005

This journey without goal weeping locust.
Between life death / snow still falling.
Road no end loneliness.

Kametaro

Santôka

1980

One washes rice in a metal pot; only one pot, that's enough for me.Hitotsu areba koto taru nabeno kome o togu.
I wash rice in a metal pot; one pot's enough.Hitotsu areba koto taru nabeno kome o togu.
Washing rice in a metal pot; one pot's enough.Hitotsu areba koto taru nabeno kome o togu.

Michael Hoffman

The Poetry of Santoka

1988

No path but this one—I walk alone.
Walking into the wind, heaping abuse upon myself.
Stretching out my feet; Some daylight still remains.

Sean Somers

Taneda Santôka

2007

the Hotei statue: / rubbed rather bald, but laughing still.sukkari hagete hotei wa waraitsuzuketeiru
A great harvest, / sighs, the moon content.yoi o-minori no sayasaya o-tsuki-sama
Roadside, taking a piss, / soaking the scrub-grass.nonbiri shito suru kusa no me darake

John Stevens

The 5th Season

2007

wordless / i put on my waraji / for todaydamatte kyô no waraji haku
lips clenched / i put on today's footweardamatte kyô no waraji haku
New Year's Eve / is dumb and New Year's / even dumberômisoka oroka nari ganjitsu nao oraoka nari

John Stevens

Cherry Blossom Epiphany

2007

the blossoms / have become leaves so / tokyo, i leavehana ga ha ni naru tôkyô yo sayônara
hey, tokyo / your blossoms are leaves: / good-bye!hana ga ha ni naru tôkyô yo sayônara
well, the cherries / they blossomed in a wink / we meet, we partitsu to naku sakura ga saite atte wa wakareru