With more than 6000 haiku translated
Thank you for visiting and sharing.
Fay Aoyagi
January 2026
San Francisco, CA
Posted in Uncategorized
In January 2009, I started translating tanka from “Gendai Tanka no Kansho 101” (Apreciation of Modern Tanka 101), an anthology written and edited by Ken Kodaka. It took longer than I thought, but I am happy to announce that the mission was completed at last!
Since I do not write tanka and some poets use classic Japanese, I found tanka translation more difficult than haiku translation. From now on (at least for a while), this blog will concentrate on haiku.
I appreciate your support and encouragement in the past 3 years!
Fay Aoyagi
November 30, 2011, San Francisco
八月のつと立ち上がる絵画かな 岡本順子
hachigatsu no tsuto tachiagaru kaiga kana
August
the painting stands up
suddenly…
Junko Okamoto
from Gendai Haiku, #732, July 2026 Issue, Gendai Haiku Kyokai, Tokyo, Japan
墓参り遥々来しが永くゐず 山口波津女
hakamairi harubaru kishiga nagaku izu
visiting a grave
I came from afar
but not stay long
Hatsujo Yamaguchi
from Haiku Dai-Saijiki (Comprehensive Haiku Saijiki), Kadokawa Shoten, Tokyo, 2006
Fay’s Note: Hatsujo Yamaguchi(1906-1985)
友は健在年に一度の鮭だより 加藤楸邨
tomo wa kenzai nen ni ichido no sake-dayori
my friend is fine
the once-a-year letter
about spawning salmons
Shuson Kato
from Haiku Dai-Saijiki (Comprehensive Haiku Saijiki), Kadokawa Shoten, Tokyo, 2006
Fay’s Note: Shuson Kato (1905-1993)
音ならぬ音を拾へり曼珠沙華 五島高資
oto naranu oto o hiroeri manjushage
picking a sound
that is not a sound
tiger lilies
Takashi Goto
from Gendai Haiku, #732, July 2026 Issue, Gendai Haiku Kyokai, Tokyo, Japan
沈黙の紅祈りの白や大蓮 きだりえこ
chinmoku no beni inori no shiro ya ōhachisu
red in silence
and white in prayer−
giant lotuses
Rieko Kida
from Haiku Shiki (Haiku Four Seasons), October 2025 Issue, Tokyo Shiki Shuppan, Tokyo
Blue Willow Haiku World (by Fay Aoyagi) 