Well into Winter – Haiku

寒雨連江夜入吳，
平明送客楚山孤。
洛陽親友如相問，
一片冰心在玉壺。
芙蓉樓送辛漸
王昌龄
When I arrived at Wu last evening, cold rain hit the river,
In the morning I see you off to cross the lonely mountain of Chu.
When you meet my family and friends in Luoyang and they ask,
Tell them my heart is still pure as ice in a jade pot.
Parting with Xin Jian at Hibiscus Inn
Wang Changling*

Gentle north wind

Snowflakes dancing

Steam from the tea 

 

Frosty night

Shivering

Like the stars

 

Mainichi Japan, selected by Dhugal J. Lindsay

 

Moon bleaches

The fresh fallen snow

On the roof 

 

Winter rather

Trying rain and drizzle

But tea and ingle

 

Freight train

Snow piling up

Hobo’s waiting, too

 

Still dark

Some snow and rain

Dad’s Christmas boots

 

Waning moon

Through bubbled glass

But honking geese 

 

Manic Monday

Just two weeks away

Zoo closed, too

 

 

* Wang Changling (王昌齡) was another important poet of the Tang dynasty and lived from 698 (?) to 756. There might be questions about his birth date, but the death is certified as he has been executed in connection with the An Lushan Rebellion. Wu is the name of a region and the language family south of the Yangzi (長江 / Changjiang) or simply Jiang as in the poem. Luoyang lies about 900 km to the northwest of the Wu region.

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