A cicada shell;
it sang itself
utterly away
Midnight frost --
I'd borrow
the scarecrow's shirt
A bee
staggers out
of the peony
Year after year
on the monkey's face
a monkey face
My summer robes --
there are still some lice
I haven't caught
The dragonfly
can't quite land
on that blade of grass
Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) was not only the most famous Japanese poet of his time; today, after centuries of commentary, he is recognized as the greatest master of haiku. His poetry is internationally renowned, and, in Japan, many of his poems are reproduced on monuments and traditional sites.
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