Four Seasonal Haiku of Sōgi [w/ Audio]

SPRING

Despite the storm,
Spring's herald makes it through:
Scent of plum blossom.

SUMMER

Abundant fireflies
This year, but this morning
None are to be seen.

AUTUMN

Autumn sea:
A boat moves, leaf-like,
In the floating world.

WINTER

Winter rains
Cross the mountains
On rising clouds.

“The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow [w/ Audio]

The tide rises, the tide falls,
The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;
Along the sea-sands damp and brown
The traveller hastens toward the town,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.

Darkness settles on roofs and walls,
But the sea, the sea in the darkness calls;
The little waves, with their soft, white hands,
Efface the footprints in the sands,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.

The morning breaks; the steeds in their stalls
Stamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;
The day returns, but nevermore
Returns the traveller to the shore,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.

Four Seasonal Haiku of Masaoka Shiki [w/ Audio]

SPRING

on wet feet,
the sparrows hop
down the hall.

SUMMER

the owl naps,
and dreams of a
summer grove.

AUTUMN

sunny autumn day:
smoke from something burning
rises skyward.

WINTER

a snowy night;
the sound of bamboo
rustling.

“The Splendour Falls” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson [w/ Audio]

The splendour falls on castle walls
And snowy summits in old story:
The long light shakes across the lakes,
And the wild cataract leaps in glory.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying.

O hark, O hear! how thin and clear,
And thinner, clearer, farther going!
O sweet and far from cliff and scar
The horns of Elfland faintly blowing!
Blow, let us hear the purple glens replying:
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying.

O love, they die in yon rich sky,
They faint on hill or field or river:
Our echoes roll from soul to soul,
And grow for ever and for ever.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,
And answer, echoes, answer, dying, dying, dying,

“Where Go the Boats?” by Robert Louis Stevenson [w/ Audio]

Dark brown is the river,
 Golden is the sand.
It flows along for ever,
 With trees on either hand.

Green leaves a-floating,
 Castles of the foam,
Boats of mine a-boating --
  Where will all come home?

On goes the river,
 And out past the mill,
Away down the valley,
 Away down the hill.

Away down the river,
 A hundred miles or more,
Other little children
 Shall bring my boats ashore.