Read poems below or click on their numbers to comment and share. Students of Japanese are welcome to ask language-related questions.
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6
It tries to land on the very hand that tries to hit it, this fly
うたうとするその手へとまらうとする蝿で
utō to suru sono te e tomarō to suru hae de
(Santōka 山頭火)
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5
A kite broken loose, its string tangled in plum branches
きれ凧の糸かかりけり梅の枝
kiretako no ito kakarikeri ume no eda
(Ozaki Hōsai 尾崎放哉)
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4
Nasal mucus; on the very tip of the nose, sunset afterglow still lingers
水洟や鼻の先だけ暮れ残る
mizubana ya hana no saki dake kurenokoru
(Akutagawa Ryūnosuke 芥川龍之介)
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The verb kurenokoru refers to something being lit by the afterglow that lingers in the sky for a while after the sun has set. In the poem, the redness of the runny nose is likened to this kind of faint, indirect light.
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3
Enjoying the coolness in the bamboo grove’s shade as mosquitoes bite me hard
藪陰に涼んで蚊にぞ喰はれける
yabukage ni suzunde ka ni zo kuwarekeru
(Natsume Sōseki 夏目漱石)
Nippoem 