Shuji Niwano’s pilgrimage haiku

My thanks and great gratitude to Emiko Miyashita and Michael Dylan Welch for translating the poems.

1) 山桜山ほんのりと赤らめり

yamazakura yama honnorito akarameri
Mountain-cherry blossoms
the mountain becomes
slightly pink.

 

2) 米寿なる遍路婆らの賑やかに

beiju naru henrobāra no nigiyaka ni
Eighty-eight-year-old women
on a pilgrimage
such cheerfulness.

3) お大師に早くも逢ひし遍路かな

odaishi ni hayakumo aishi henro kana
A holy person
met so soon
on this pilgrimage.

4) うつむきし野地蔵をゆく遍路かな

utsumukishi nojizō wo yuku henro kana
Passing a Jizõ
with cast-down eyes
spring pilgrimage.

5) 野地蔵の苔を纏ひて遍路道

nojizō no koke wo matoite henromichi
A moss-worn Jizõ
in a field
pilgrim’s road

6) お遍路の白き一団焼山寺

ohenro no shiroki ichidan shōzanji
A troop of pilgrims
dressed in white
Shōzanji Temple

7) 黙黙と歩き遍路や雨の中

mokumoku to aruki henro ya ame no naka
Silently
the pilgrims walk —
rainfall

8) うぐひすの教えてくれし雨上がり

uguisu no oshiete kureshi ameagari
A bush warbler
tells me that the rain
has stopped

9) 甘茶飲む道連れのゐて津照寺

amacha nomu michizure no ite shinshōji
Drinking hydrangea tea
with my traveling companion
Shinshōji Temple

10) 遍路宿皿鉢料理を振舞はれ

henroyado sawachi ryōri wo furumaware
Pilgrim’s inn —
our treat
of Sawachi dishes

11) 阿波の桜土佐の桜と愛でにけり

awa no sakura tosa no sakura to medeni keri
First in Awa
and then in Tosa —
admiring cherry blossoms

12) 後なれば抜きつ抜かれつ遍路道

ato nareba nukitsu nukaretsu henromichi
At first I follow
then pass and get passed —
pilgrim’s path

13) 穏やかな青年二人遍路宿

odayakana seinen futari henroyado
Two young men
at peace
at the pilgrim’s inn

14) 雲水の姿の佳かり遍路笠

unsui no sugata no yokari henrogasa
Itinerant monks
in fine style —
straw pilgrim hats

15) 黙々となお黙々と遍路道

In silence
and still in silence
along the way

16) 丸顔の遍路婆らのよく笑ふ

marugao no henrobabara no yoku warau
Round-faced,
the old women pilgrims
laughing well

17) また逢ひし丸顔の婆遍路道

mata aishi marugao no baba henromichi
Meeting again
that old lady with a round face —
pilgrimage road

18)

青き目の遍路もゐたり青龍寺

aoki me no henro mo itari seiryūji
A pilgrim, too,
with blue eyes —
Seiryūji Temple

19) 湯のあれば雨もまたよし遍路宿

yu no areba ame mo matayoshi henroyado
Ah, a hot bath,
so rain will be okay —
pilgrim’s inn

20) よき人の道連れとなり遍路宿

yoki hito no michizure to nari henroyado
I become a good person’s
traveling companion —
pilgrim’s inn

21) 土佐を出て三つ葉つつじの伊予に入る

tosa wo dete mitsubatsutsuji no iyo ni iru
Leaving Tosa
I enter Iyo
and its rhododendrons

22) うぐひすの迎へてくれし峠路

uguisu no mukaete kureshi tōgemichi
Welcomed by
bush warblers
the mountain pass

23) 遍路して俳句の国に入りにけり

henro shite haiku no kuni e iri ni keri
On my pilgrimage
I walk into
haiku country

24) 道連れの増えて遍路の賑やかに

michizure no fuete henro no nigiyaka ni
With more companions
to pilgrimage with
now we travel merrily

25) 街並のやさしき伊予路遍路笠

machinami no yasashiki iyoji henrogasa
A laidback townscape
along the road to Iyo —
bamboo pilgrim’s hat

26) うぐひすやあと一里またあと半里

uguisu ya ato ichiri mata ato hanri
Bush warblers —
another league to go
another half league

27) やはらかき俳句の国の藤の花

yawarakaki haiku no kuni no fuji no hana
So delicate
the wisteria flowers
of haiku country

28) 旅半ば変わりのありや花みずき

tabinakaba kawari no ari ya hanamizuki
Journey half done —
have the dogwood blossoms
changed at all?

29) 旅半ば何も見えてこず春の風

tabinakaba nani mo miete kozu haru no kaze
Although halfway there,
nothing comes to view —
spring wind

30) 遍路杖心無にして空にして

henrozue kokoro mu ni shite kara ni shite
Pilgrim’s staff —
I fill my mind
with emptiness

31) ただ登る峠に春の風あれば

tada noboru tōge ni haru no kaze areba
Just climb
the mountain pass
spring wind

32) 微笑みし野地蔵のゐて里若葉

hohoemishi nojizō no ite satowakaba
The roadside Jizõ
smiling in a field —
village of young leaves

33) 結願のビールのうまし大窪寺

ketsugan no biiru no umashi ōkuboji
Pilgrimage over —
our beer is tasty
at Ōkugoji Temple