In traditional Japanese haiku, a pivotal element is the use of a kigo, a reference to the season, and because of this, haiku are often associated with the time of year. In this article, we share some of the most famous fall haiku by Japanese poets. These classical verses capture the essence of change and transformation linked to the fall season. Enjoy!
Yosa Buson (1716–83)
Along with Issa and Basho, Buson is widely considered to be one of the greatest haiku poets of all time. Buson was both a painter and a poet and his haiku are often accompanied by a painting, a style of art known as haiga. Like Basho, Buson traveled widely through Japan for many years before settling down in Kyoto.
Blown from the west
collecting in the east—
falling leaves
—BUSON
Issa (1763–1827)
A poet whose existence was brimming with personal sorrows, Issa emerged as the most empathetic among haiku masters, displaying a unique sensitivity towards children and ordinary folks. The following fall haiku conjures up images of the season.
In the harvest moonlight
standing nonchalantly—
the scarecrow
—ISSA
Matsuo Bashō (1644 – 1694)
Bashō was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan and is still recognized as Japan’s most popular poet. His most famous haiku, perhaps the most famous haiku ever written, is about a frog jumping into the water of an old pond.
Autumn begins—
ocean and fields
all one green
—BASHŌ
Whiter than the stones
of Stone Mountain —
the autumn wind
— BASHŌ
The pine wind
circling around the eaves—
autumn deepens
—BASHŌ
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