Three haiku by Morikawa Kyoroku

苗代の水にちりうくさくらかな
nawashiro no mizu ni chiriuku sakura kana

cherry blossoms–
they fall around
on the rice-seedling water

涼風や青田の上の雲の影
suzukaze ya aota no ue no kumo no kage

cool breeze–
cloud shadows
on the green paddies

一番にかがしをこかす野分かな
ichiban ni kagashi wo kokasu nowaki kana

autumn storm–
the scarecrow
falls first

English translations by Luca Cenisi

Morikawa Kyoroku (1656-1715) was a Japanese poet of the Edo period. He first learned waka and haikai from Kitamura Kigin (1625-1705) and was later part of the Danrin School 談林派. He became a disciple of Matsuo Bashō (1644-1694) in 1692, owing to his relationship with Takarai Kikaku (1661-1707) and Hattori Ransetsu (1654-1707).

Picture: Watanabe Kazan, Kyoroku shōzō shinseki (19th century)