Frog Haiku (Japanese)

Matsuo Bashō

Matsuo Bashō portrait

1644 to 1694

Poem Image
Track 1

Reconstruct the poem by dragging each line into its correct position. You can also use the up (↑) and down (↓) arrows to move a line one place at a time, or the top (⇑) and bottom (⇓) arrows to move a line directly to the top or bottom. Your goal is to reassemble the original poem as accurately as possible. As you move the lines, you'll see whether your arrangement is correct, helping you explore the poem's flow and meaning. You can also print out the jumbled poem to cut up and reassemble in the classroom. Either way, take your time, enjoy the process, and discover how the poet's words come together to create something truly beautiful.

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A moment sublime
A moment sublime
One ripple in time
One frog, one jump
Old pond waits, for the next surprise
古池や 蛙飛び込む 水の音
Of change and constants, young and old
Old pond sits still, memories deep
One ripple in time
A frog leaps in
In that sound, a truth unfolds
Old pond / A frog leaps in / Sound of water,
Where stillness and motion harmonize
Old pond
Old pond, new sound
(Furu ike ya / kawazu tobikomu / mizu no oto)
(Furu ike ya / kawazu tobikomu / mizu no oto)
The cycle of life complete
Past and present meet
Then in a moment, life leaps in
古池や 蛙飛び込む 水の音
A splash that breaks the quiet's reign
Nature's poetry unspoken
(Furu ike ya / kawazu tobikomu / mizu no oto)
One frog, one jump
Old pond, new sound
Water's voice, briefly awoken
Sound of water
In the span of a heartbeat
Centuries of silence it keeps
古池や 蛙飛び込む 水の音
A simple act, profound and neat

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Poet portrait