Haijin (俳人) is the term for a haiku poet. There were four haiku
masters from Japan, known as the Great Four: Matsuo Basho,
Kobayashi Issa, Yosa Buson, and Masaoka Shiki. Their work is still
appreciated and recognized by modern readers.
Here are three examples of haiku poems from each master.
Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)
An old silent pond . . .
A frog jumps into the pond,
splash! Silence again.
Autumn moonlight-
a worm digs silently
into the chestnut.
In the twilight rain
these brilliant-hued hibiscus . . .
A lovely sunset.
Yosa Buson (1716-1784)
A summer river being crossed
how pleasing
with sandals in my hands!
Light of the moon
Moves west, flowers' shadows
Creep eastward.
In the moonlight,
The color and scent of the wisteria
Seems far away.
Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828)
O snail
Climb Mount Fuji,
But slowly, slowly!
Trusting the Buddha, good and bad,
I bid farewell
To the departing year.
Everything I touch
with tenderness, alas,
pricks like a bramble.
Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902)
A lightning flash:
between the forest trees
I have seen water.
After killing
a spider, how lonely I feel
in the cold of night!
The summer river:
although there is a bridge, my horse
goes through the water.