Famous Haiku

The following are some of the more famous haiku that were penned by the early Japanese haiku masters such as Bashō, Issa, Buson and Shiki.

As original haiku are in Japanese and our English 5-7-5 syllables are an approximation at best, much of the poetry below does not appear in 5-7-5. Should you wish to expand your knowledge of haiku poetry, please visit our "What is Haiku?" page.

The wren
Earns his living
Noiselessly.

- Kobayahsi Issa

First autumn morning
the mirror I stare into
shows my father's face.

- Murakami Kijo

The lamp once out
Cool stars enter
The window frame.

- Natsume Soseki