Matsuo Bashō is one of the most famous haiku masters. he wrote in the 17th century. his ‘frog haiku’ is probably the most well-known haiku ever written.
original japanese
古池や 蛙飛び込む 水の音
you can see that written japanese characters are not at all related to the latin alphabet we use in the english language, although there are many corresponding sounds.
japanese transliteration
Furu ike ya
kawazu tobikomu
mizu no oto
a transliteration attempts to make the original japanese sounds readable to english speakers by writing the sounds in the latin alphabet. if you read the transliteration out loud, you’ll hear the 5-7-5 format. (remember to pronounce all the letters, specifically “ike” as “eek-eh”.)
some translations
since i speak english, and don’t also speak japanese, my appreciation of japanese haiku depends mostly on the translation. as you can see below, there are many different ways to translate Bashō’s frog haiku.
NOTE: i copied all these translations from the Bureau of Public Secrets website. i didn’t simply link to the site, because it does not have an ssl certificate to keep things secure. if you want to visit that site anyway, here is the link.
Old pond — frogs jumped in — sound of water.
translated by Lafcadio Hearn
A lonely pond in age-old stillness sleeps . . .
translated by Curtis Hidden Page
Apart, unstirred by sound or motion . . . till
Suddenly into it a lithe frog leaps.
Into the ancient pond
translated by D.T. Suzuki
A frog jumps
Water’s sound!
The old pond;
translated by R.H. Blyth
A frog jumps in —
The sound of the water.
An old pond —
translated by Kenneth Rexroth
The sound
Of a diving frog.
Pond, there, still and old!
translated by Eli Siegel
A frog has jumped from the shore.
The splash can be heard.
Old pond
translated by Harold G. Henderson
and a frog-jump-in
water-sound
The old pond, yes, and
translated by G.S. Fraser
A frog-jumping-in-the-
Water’s noise!
The ancient pond
translated by Donald Keene
A frog leaps in
The sound of the water.
old pond
translated by Cid Corman
frog leaping
splash
The old pond,
translated by Alan Watts
A frog jumps in:
Plop!
Breaking the silence
translated by Nobuyuki Yuasa
Of an ancient pond,
A frog jumped into water —
A deep resonance.
The quiet pond
Translated by Edward Seidensticker
A frog leaps in,
The sound of the water.
The old pond —
translated by Makoto Ueda
A frog leaps in,
And a splash.
old pond
translated by Cana Maeda
a frog in-leaping
water-note
The old pond
translated by Allen Ginsberg
A frog jumped in,
Kerplunk!
The old pond is still
translated by Earl Miner & Hiroko Odagiri
a frog leaps right into it
splashing the water
old pond . . .
translated by William J. Higginson
a frog leaps in
water’s sound
Old dark sleepy pool
translated by Peter Beilenson
quick unexpected frog
goes plop! Watersplash.
Listen! a frog
translated by Dorothy Britton
Jumping into the stillness
Of an ancient pond!
Old pond
translated by Lucien Stryk
leap — splash
a frog.
The old pond;
translated by Robert Aitken
A frog jumps in —
The sound of the water.
The old pond —
translated by Robert Hass
a frog jumps in,
sound of water.
At the ancient pond
translated by Sam Hamill
a frog plunges into
the sound of water
dark old pond
translated by Dick Bakken
:
a frog plunks in
Ancient silent pond
translated by John S. Major
Then a frog jumped right in
Watersound: kerplunk
old pond
translated by Ross Figgins
a frog leaps in —
a moment after, silence
ancient is the pond —
translated by Tim Chilcott
suddenly a frog leaps — now!
the water echoes
pond
translated by James Kirkup
frog
plop!
old pond
translated by Jane Reichhold
a frog jumps into
the sound of water
Within aging pond
translated by Sarah Isbell
frogs jumping vibrate the calm
water’s resonance