Inahata Teiko’s seven haiku in English

Kureyukeru fuji o oshimite fuyu-yuyake

    Longing for Mt. Fuji
    Swallowed by darkness;
    Winter sunset glow

Fuji o keshi hoshi umu yami no samusa-kana

    How utterly cold!
    Darkness that blankets Mt. Fuji,
    Giving birth to stars

Me no sameru tabini fuji miru tabi no fuyu

    Every time I awake
    I looked at Mt. Fuji
    On this winter journey

Umi miete kazahana hikaru mono to naru

    Light snow begins to
    Flicker and glisten, as comes
    The sea into view

Usuusuto fuyuhi wa nami o watarikeri

    Faint and frail
    Winter sun is crossing
    On waves

Akarusa wa umi yori no mono nozuisen

    Shimmering brilliance
    Comes from the sea--- a field of
    Wild Narcissus

Kosumosu no iro no wakareme tooresou

    We may cross
    Where the colors change ---
    Tangled field of cosmoses

Inahata Teiko is the granddaughter of Takahama Kyoshi. Her father, Takahama Toshio, was Kyoshi'sson who took over the presidency of Hototogisu, and Teiko Inahata is one of his daughters who married Inahata Junzou.

Click here to read Inahata Teiko's article, "The World of Kyoshi," in this issue of Simply Haiku.

Copyright 2005: Simply Haiku