Knocking on your door.

Matsuo Bashô # 943/884/948/960:

Ôtsu lived far from the birds of Lake Biwa, so he never heard
the knocking sound water rails make:

This dwelling doesn't
know any water rails, save
my knocking on your door ?!


"The courtship song, given by both sexes, is a tyick-tyick-tyick
often ending with a trill from the female; the male may sing for hours."
See for more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_rail

"Wasserrallen sind Einzelgänger, die auch im Winter
ihre Nahrungsreviere verteidigen."
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasserralle

[白狐]

[MB943, summer, year unclear.]
kono yado wa / kuïna mo shira nu / toboso ka na.

"this dwelling/lodging (nom.) // water-rail one-know-not //
toboro=tobira = door; titel page / ka na = I wonder ?!"
_ _ _

Taking the occasion
to hold a Year Forget Party
in a good mood I was ?!


[白狐]

[MB884, New Year, year unclear.]
setsu karete / toshi wasure suru / kigen ka na.

"season/occasion reaping/plucking // year forget do/hold //
(good) mood [< (iï) kigen] I-wonder-?!"
_ _ _

That bodes well --
the chrysanthemums
after the storm.

Dat belooft veel goeds
-- de goudbloemen zijn niet
door de storm verwaaid.


[白狐]

[MB948, autumn, year unclear.]
mi-dokoro no / are ya nowaki no / nochi no kiku.

"of-thing-to-note/good-prospects // that/there's -- storm's [<] //
after's [<] chrysanthemum(s)."
_ _ _

Plates and bowls dimly
in the dark evening's
refreshing air.

Kom en bord vaaglijk
in de verkoelende wind
van't avonddonker.


[白狐]

[MB960, summer, 1694.]
sara-bachi mo / honoka ni yami no / yoï suzumi.

"plate--bowl and/too // dim-ly dark(-ness's) // evening "cool-taste"."
_ _ _

Source: "Bashô - The Complete Haiku", translated by Jane Reichhold.

And many thanks to: http://tangorin.com/