いくたびも雪の深さを尋ねけり
iku tabi mo yuki no fukasa wo tazunekeri
repeatedly I ask
how high
is the snow
—Shiki
(Tr. David LaSpina)
("Snow at Tsukijima" by Hasui Kawase)
This is one of four haiku Shiki wrote in 1896 as he laid on his back, unable to so much as turn his head without incredible pain from the tuberculosis as it attacked his spinal cord. I previously translated another of these four here. In this one we can feel his passion for the snow and yearning to see it as he begs his mother and sister to give more details for his mind's eye.
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| Don't miss other great haiku in the Haiku of Japan series! |
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Recent Haiku
- 71 — Born Lucky
- 72 — Late New Year's
- 73 — New Year's Cleaning
- 74 — Dreams of Turtles
- 75 — An Early Spring
- 76 — Fan After Bath
Collections
- Collection 1 :: Haiku 1–10
- Collection 2 :: Haiku 11–20
- Collection 3 :: Haiku 21-30
- Collection 4 :: Haiku 31-40
- Collection 5 :: Haiku 41-50
- Collection 6 :: Haiku 51-60
- Collection 7 :: Haiku 61–70
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I post one photo everyday, as well as a haiku and as time allows, videos, more Japanese history, and so on. Let me know if there is anything about Japan you would like to know more about or would like to see.
| Who is David? | |
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 | David LaSpina is an American photographer lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time. |