Me ni ha aoba

目には青葉/山時鳥/初鰹
(山口素堂 1642-1716)

me ni ha aoba / yama hototogisu / hatsugatsuo
(Yamaguchi Sodo 1642-1716)

new leaves for the eyes
a mountain cuckoo…
the first bonito…

I'm certain this is a famous haiku in Japan, but translations on the internet are hard to find. The poem conjures up spring for all the senses, though taste and hearing are only indirectly invoked. The cuckoo, or hototogisu, regularly appears in Japanese poetry, so it is much to my shame that I cannot see one in my mind's eye. If you wish to see one go here and scroll down; you will also find much else of interest. The bonito, or katsuo (which has here become gatsuo), is a rather tasty fish.

Having announced my intentions to fill in gaps, I must admit that there are translations available for this poem, even if I could not find them immediately. If you google 'me ni wa aoba' you will find alternate translations. Even if writing 'wa' for 'は' strikes me as somehow inelegant it may be my own prejudice. So I will include alternate possible searches at the bottom of each post. Please ignore.

'me ni wa aoba' 'hatsu gatsuo'