[For Seniors] Spring Haiku. Spring Activity

Sparrow chicks, out of the way, out of the way—His Lordship’s horse is passingNEW!Kobayashi Issa

The seasonal word “sparrow’s chick” is a term that signifies spring.

Also, this verse is in a broken meter, meaning it departs from haiku’s standard 5-7-5 pattern.

By doing so, it creates impact and a rhythm that’s easy to hum.

In this poem, the speaker tells the sparrows, “Move away quickly, or the horse will trample you.” It conveys the gentle character of someone who wishes to protect the tiny sparrows’ lives.

This haiku is included in Ora ga Haru (My Spring), a collection of verses Kobayashi Issa composed while he was in Shinano.

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In both hands, peach and cherry, and kusa-mochiNEW!Matsuo Bashō

A verse in which Matsuo Bashō feels the delights of spring just as they are.

In spring, as he takes in the beauty of peach and cherry blossoms in full bloom, Bashō feels as if he is cradling spring’s fragrance and colors in both hands.

The kusa no mochi that appears here is a spring wagashi made with mugwort, embodying the very essence of spring in both scent and taste.

Kusa-mochi has long been eaten during spring festivals and seasonal observances and is a familiar seasonal word.

Reading this verse, you can sense spring’s joy gathering in your palms, as if savoring at once the blossoms’ hues and aromas and the gentle flavor of kusa-mochi—an uplifting, buoyant feeling.

Bashō gently wrapped the blessings of spring he saw and felt in simple, tender words.

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If only I were a flower that bursts into laughter in the spring breeze.NEW!Matsuo Bashō

“Fukidashi-warau” is an expression that describes the blooming of spring flowers.

It’s lovely to portray flowers blossoming in spring as if living creatures were popping out and laughing.

From this piece, you can feel not only the beautiful spring scenery but also its light and gentle atmosphere.

Spring has pleasant weather and many perfect days for outings.

It’s also the season when grasses and flowers sprout and brim with life, so why not go out to see flowers like those in this work? It will surely become an unforgettable memory.

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With the scent of plum blossoms, the sun suddenly rises on a mountain path.NEW!Matsuo Bashō

This is a spring verse by Matsuo Bashō.

“Ume ga ka ni” conveys the gentle waft of plum blossoms’ fragrance.

In the still slightly chilly early morning, as you walk along a mountain path, that plum scent feels pleasantly comforting.

In that moment, when you lift your gaze, the sun, as if lured by the fragrance, quietly “notsu-to” shows its face.

The word “notsu-to” gently expresses something appearing suddenly yet quietly.

You can feel the quiet joy of a spring morning.

Imagining the sunrise rising together with the plum’s scent, you can picture a warm sense of spring softly spreading through Bashō’s heart.

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Bush warbler—behind the willows, before the thicketNEW!Matsuo Bashō

The bush warbler is a small bird that sings “hoo-hokekyo” when spring arrives, heralding the season’s coming.

Matsuo Basho watched as the bird, chirping all the while, flitted busily from behind a willow to the edge of a thicket.

The particle “ya” is a light sound that feels like a call to the bird’s voice.

Basho pauses his steps and, as if chasing the warbler, traces its movements with his eyes.

In a spring field surrounded by the green of willows and the trees of the thicket, one can picture the tiny bird darting here and there—busy yet brimming with life.

Readers, too, can savor a tranquil moment within the spring scene, accompanied by the warbler’s song.

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Hometown—whichever way I look, the mountains smile.NEW!Masaoka Shiki

Let me introduce a work that evokes a bright spring scene.

This haiku is said to have been composed by Masaoka Shiki as he thought of spring in his hometown.

The seasonal word is “yamawarau” (“the mountains smile”), which conjures a warm landscape brimming with life, as if the grasses and flowers on the spring mountains are sprouting all at once.

The phrase “whichever way you look” tells us that you can feel the signs of spring no matter where you look.

Spring is a season that makes everyone’s heart dance; Masaoka Shiki, who composed this poem, surely felt the same.

It is a piece that makes you recall your hometown’s spring and gently close your eyes.

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Bamboo shoots—are there beauties in Meguro or not?NEW!Masaoka Shiki

This is a haiku by Masaoka Shiki that captures the pleasures of spring.

The seasonal word is “bamboo shoot.” Bamboo shoots are the young buds of bamboo that poke up from the earth in spring, long enjoyed in Japan as a taste of the season.

The “Meguro” that appears in the verse is now part of Tokyo; at the time, it was famed for bamboo shoots.

Restaurants serving bamboo-shoot rice lined the area, and it’s said that the young women standing there were also part of the spring scenery.

Seeing these lively spring sights, Shiki let his heart play lightly: “There are bamboo shoots—and might there be beauties in Meguro, too?” The phrase “ari ya nashi” sounds like a gentle, friendly question—“Are they there or not?”—as if speaking to a companion.

It feels like a lighthearted spring journey that brings a quiet chuckle.

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