Zen Haikus of Zen Masters

Zen Haikus

1. The thief
   Left it behind –
   The moon at the window. – Ryokan
2. Dying cricket –
   How full of Life,
   his song. – Basho
3. Joy in the morning,
   Sleep in the evening,
   What else? – Ekon’s
4. A cloud,
   Trying to enwrap the moonbeams,
   A monsoon shower. –  Basho
5. May he who brings flowers
   Tonight,
   Have moonlight. – Kikaku
6. Not yet having become a buddha,
   This ancient pine tree,
   Idly dreaming – Issa
7. Old pond frog jump
   in water
   sound – Basho
8. In my ten-foot bamboo hut
   This spring,
   There is nothing:
   There is everything. – Sodo
9. I have nothing at all –
   But this tranquility!
   This coolness! – Issa
10. Sitting silently,
    Doing nothing
    And the grass grows by itself. – Basho
11. The moon on the pine;
    I keep hanging it — taking it off
    And gazing each time. – Hokushi
12. A brilliant full moon!
    On the matting of my floor
    Shadows of pines fall. – Kikaku