Matsuo Basho
Matsuo Basho
Matsuo Bashō, born 松尾 金作, then Matsuo Chūemon Munefusa, was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. During his lifetime, Bashō was recognized for his works in the collaborative haikai no renga form; today, after centuries of commentary, he is recognized as the greatest master of haiku. Matsuo Bashō's poetry is internationally renowned; and, in Japan, many of his poems are reproduced on monuments and traditional sites. Although Bashō is justifiably famous in the West for his...
NationalityJapanese
ProfessionPoet
CountryJapan
Old pond, leap-splash - a frog.
At the ancient pond the frog plunges into the sound of water
The old pond, ah! A frog jumps in: The water's sound.
Old dark sleepy pool... Quick unexpected frog Goes plop! Watersplash!
Breaking the silence Of an ancient pond, A frog jumped into water - A deep resonance.
Old pond, frog jumps in - plop.