Poems of Taneda Santoka Translated by Anthony Opal

"'Haiku that seem like haiku aren’t bad. But haiku that don’t seem like haiku - that’s what I want these days.'

— Taneda Santoka, 12/08/1936

 I go in

still

     the blue mountains

Santoka’s work can appear spare, anemic even. But each poem is firmly dug in - small offerings, dark generosities-

The house I was born in

nothing

     fireflies

Poems of Taneda Santoka is a short and varied collection of Santoka’s haiku. Each translation is accompanied by the original Japanese text and English transliteration (romaji).