Songs of

Cherry Blossoms Falling

by Bashõ

edited by Raymond Soulard, Jr.

& Kassandra Kramer
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 Songs of
Cherry Blossoms Falling
by Bashõ

edited by Raymond Soulard, Jr.

& Kassandra Kramer

Number Thirty-six
Songs of Cherry Blossoms Falling
(circa A.D.1667-1694)
by Bashõ

Open out to these songs.

Burning Man Books is Let their music prime life’s mysteries.
an imprint of
Scriptor Press
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This volume was composed

in the AGaramond font
in PageMaker 7.0 on the
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Autumn moonlight
a worm digs silently
into a chestnut

***

The oak tree:

not interested
in cherry blossoms

***

A bee
staggers out
of the peony

Songs of Cherry Blossoms Falling • 5

 Midfield First snow
attached to nothing falling
the skylark singing on the half-finished bridge

*** ***

It’s not like anything The morning glory also

they compare it to— turns out
the summer moon not to be my friend

*** ***

A cicada shell All this foolishness

it sang itself about moons and blossoms
utterly away pricked by the cold’s needle

6 • BASHÕ Songs of Cherry Blossoms Falling • 7

 The beginning of art— You could turn this way,
a rice-planting song I’m also lonely
in the backcountry this autumn evening

*** ***

The spring we don’t see— Summer grasses . . .

on the back of a hand mirror traces of dreams
a plum tree in flower of ancient warriors

*** ***

Winter solitude— The sea darkens—

in a world of one color the voices of the wild ducks
the sound of wind are faintly white

8 • BASHÕ Songs of Cherry Blossoms Falling • 9

 I still want to see A weathered temple,
in blossoms at dawn the face blossoming peach, and, hulling rice,
of the mountain god just one old man

*** ***

The bush warbler Weather-beaten bones,

in a grove of bamboo sprouts I’ll leave your heart exposed
sings of growing old to cold, piercing winds

*** ***

All day long, singing, Things beyond number

yet the day’s not long enough all somehow called to mind by
for the skylark’s song blossoming cherries

10 • BASHÕ Songs of Cherry Blossoms Falling • 11

 If my voice was good, A harvest moon,
I’d sing a song of cherry and creeping up to my gate,
blossoms falling the rising tide

*** ***

The wandering crow Drinking sake

finds only plum blossoms brings on insomnia—
where its nest had been it snowed all night

*** ***

The moon disappears The cry of the dove

into darkening treetops penetrates even the stone
collecting the rain door of this dark cave

12 • BASHÕ Songs of Cherry Blossoms Falling • 13

 In the old cow barn, With clear melting dew,
dusky sounds of mosquitoes— I’d try to wash away the dust
summer heat lingers on of this floating world

*** ***

A winter garden— For today only,

the moon also a thread, we’ll grow old together in
like the insect’s song the first winter rain

*** ***

On the coldest night, Freshly reburnished,

we two sleeping together— the temple mirror is clear—
how comfortable! blossoming snowflakes

14 • BASHÕ Songs of Cherry Blossoms Falling • 15

 The whole household—
each with white hair and cane—
visiting a grave

***

Even the whitefish

opens black eyes to the law
of Buddha’s net

***

Sick on my journey,
only my dreams will wander
these desolate moors

16 • BASHÕ