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