sweet

Masajo真砂女　1969　age 64

白玉や愛す人にも嘘ついて

shiratama ya aisu hito nimo uso tsuite

sweet rice dumplings---

even to my love

a little white lie

This is one of my favorite haiku. I fibbed and knew it well. This happened

one day---the cute fib of a woman.

Seasonal word: sweet rice dumpling( summer )

Trans; Lee & Emiko

Note:Shiratama is a rice-flour dumpling chilled and served with brown

sugar syrup, a popular summer sweet. The whit of the shira( white)

tama( ball-shped thing) is very refreshing in the heat.

Iris

the long skinny snake's
Shinto shrine...
irises

hoso-nagai hebi no yashiro ya
kakitsubata

細長い蛇の社や杜若

by Issa, 1818

With a smile, Issa suggests that the shrine belongs to the snake.

Trans:David Lanoue

firefly in a cage

Masajo 真砂女　1976　age 70

蛍篭見られて悪き手紙も来ず

Lee & Emiko's English

firefly in a cage---

clandestine letters

come no more

Seasonal word: firefly ( summer)

Note: While Masajo stayed in her marriage, she recieved secret letters

from her lover. Now she is out of that marriage, there are no more such letters, nor such excitment.

sakuo haiga

100525northern rain

Issa, 1803 age 42

北時雨火をたく顔のきなくさき

cold northern rain--
the fire-starter's face
smells burnt

Tran by Dr.David

http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

deep plum rain

Masajo　真砂女　1976、　age70

梅雨ふかし見えざる糸を誰が引く

tsuyu fukashi miezaru ito wo dare ga hiku

Lee & Emiko’s　English

deep plum rain---

this invisible string

who is pulling it?

seasonal word ( summer ) 

Sakuo haiga