夏の山【なつのやま】 natsu no yama summer mountain(s) (all summer)
- 夏山【なつやま】 natsu yama summer mountain(s)
- 夏嶺【なつね】 natsune summer peak(s)
- 青嶺【あおね】 aone green peak(s)
地理【ちり】 chiri The Earth
雪渓【せっけい】 sekkei snowy valley/ravine/gorge (late summer)
- クレバス kurebasu crevasse
お花畑【おはなばたけ】 ohanabatake alpine flower-meadows (late summer)
- お花畠【おはなばた】 ohanabata alpine flower-meadows
出水【でみず】 demizu （でみづ）, flood (mid summer)
- 梅雨出水【つゆでみず】 tsuyu demizu rainy-season flood
- 夏出水【なつでみず】 natsu demizu summer flood
卯波【うなみ】 unami billowing waves (early summer)
- 卯月波【うづきなみ】 uzukinami billowing waves [literally "waves of the month of the hare", for the time they occur--early summer (May)]
土用波【どようなみ】 doyōnami dog-day waves [of the sea] (late summer)
青田【あおた】 aota （あをた）, green (rice) paddy/paddies (late summer)
- 青田風【あおたかぜ】 aota kaze green (rice) paddy breeze(s)
- 青田波【あおたなみ】 aota nami green (rice) paddy waves
- 青田時【あおたどき】 aotadoki time of green (rice) paddy/paddies
- 青田道【あおたみち】 aota michi green (rice) paddy path(s)
The rice field, shortly after seed-planting, is called ueta (植田[うえた]). When
this field eventually turns lush with grown rice, it is then called the "green field"(青田 [あおた]
aota). Traditionally, the term aota referred to the field after the first picking ended,
which occurred around the summer dog days (doyou). But because the seed-planting is done much
earlier in the year nowadays, the rice fields can be called aota as early as July. The fresh
green field that stretches itself out under the strong sun offers breathtakingly colorful scenery. The
breeze that wafts across the field is called aota kaze (青田風[あおたかぜ]); the wave
of paddy created by the wind is aota nami (青田波 [あおたなみ]); the time is aota doki
(青田時[あおたどき]); and the path that cuts across the field is aota michi (青田道[あおたみち]).
Often, especially impoverished farmers could not wait for the autumn harvest to start negotiating the
rice sales. Instead, they closed deals in summer, around the time of aota, by speculating their
potential rice production based the condition of the field. These farmers were called green paddy merchants
( 青田売 [あおたうり],aota uri). The haiku incisively evokes the image of a helpless
farmer who is forced to laugh at his own predicament, "sensubemonakute waraeri."
一点の偽りもなく青田あり
山口誓子
itten no itsuwari mo naku aota ari
without even a blot
of falseness--
the green rice paddy field
Yamaguchi Seishi
大粒の雨降る青田母のくに
成田千空
ōtsubu no ame furu aota haha no kuni
large drops of rain
fall on the green rice paddy--
the motherland
Narita Senkū
別れけり青田の風に髮打たせ
俣野佐和子
wakarekeri aota no kaze ni kami utase
saying farewell
letting the wind of the green rice paddy
strike against my hair
Matano Sawako
せんすべもなくてわらへり青田売
加藤楸邨
sensube mo nakute waraeri aota uri
at a loss for means
laughs
the green paddy merchant
Katō Shūson
泉【いずみ】 izumi （いづみ）, wellspring [best not translated as just "spring", to avoid confusion with the season] (all summer)
This refers to a water source which wells up steadily from underground to maintain a pure spring. While
most often seen in mountainous regions, springs can also be found in flat regions near cliffs or in other
regions where there is vegetation. Springs are generally not seasonal; many springs can be seen year
round where underground water wells up naturally. However, wellsprings are often associated with summer,
because of the increased precipitation during the rainy season, and also because of the soothing refreshment
they offer during particularly hot days. Allusions to seasons other than summer usually require words
that specify the season, as in the case of "winter wellspring" (冬泉 [ふゆいずみ], fuyu izumi).
When a spring creates a stream, it is called a "wellspring river" izumi gawa(泉川 [いずみがわ]).
Similarly, spring water that runs as it steadily wells up, seen in mountains or rocks and cliffs in
the flat lands, is referred to as shimizu (清水 [しみず]). Terms that derive from this are
yama shimizu (mountain spring water), iwa shimizu (rock spring water), kado shimizu
(front garden spring water), niwa shimizu (garden spring water), etc.
Deep in contemplation, the poet listens to the steady sound of spring water as it continues to well up,
and he feels a yearning for the eternal. The poet's thoughts then turn to women, who he regards as eternally
bright and unchanging. The poem is a celebration of all that "Woman" represents.
掬ぶよりはや歯にひびく泉かな
芭蕉
musubuyori haya hani hibiku izumi kana
scoooping up with palms
already affects the tooth
ah, the wellspring
Bashō
いのち短かし泉のそばにいこひけり
野見山朱鳥
inochi mijikashi izumi no soba ni ikoi keri
life is short
near the spring
I repose
Nomiyama Asuka
顔つけしあとの泉明るしや
鷲谷七菜子
kao tsukeshi ato no izumi akarushi ya
after dipping my face
how the spring
seems to glow
Washitani Nanako
終生まぶしきもの女人と泉奏づ
中村草田男
shūsei mabushiki mono nyonin to izumi kanazu
all through life
radiant is Woman
proclaims the wellspring
Nakamura Kusatao
滴り【したたり】 shitatari dripping/trickling [in the mountains] (all summer)
- 山滴り【やましたたり】 yama-shitatari mountain-dripping/trickling
- 岩滴り【いわしたたり】 iwa-shitatari rock-dripping / trickling among rocks
- 崖滴り【がけしたたり】 gake-shitatari cliff-dripping / trickling down a cliff
滝【たき】 taki waterfall / cascade / rapids (all summer)
- 瀑布【ばくふ】 bakufu waterfall / cataract
- 飛瀑【ひばく】 hibaku waterfall / cataract
- 滝壷【たきつぼ】 taki-tsubo waterfall basin
- 滝道【たきみち】 taki-michi waterfall path
- 滝見【たきみ】 taki-mi waterfall-viewing
- 滝見茶屋【たきみちゃや】 taki-mi chaya waterfall-viewing tea house
- 滝行者【たきぎょうじゃ】 taki gyōja waterfall ascetic
- 滝垢離【たきごり】 takigori waterfall purification (of a person)
- 滝浴【たきあび】 taki-abi waterfall bath / waterfall shower
- 滝しぶき【たきしぶき】 taki shibuki waterfall spray
- 滝風【たきかぜ】 taki kaze waterfall breeze
This refers to the water that falls straight down from a cliff or precipice. The size-range of
falls can vary from big well-known waterfalls like Nachi Falls (那智の滝 [なちのたき]
Nachi no Taki) and Kegon Falls, (華厳の滝 [けごんのたき] Kegon no Taki),
to smaller, narrow strands of water that one might come upon in mountain paths. Waterfalls are numerous
and are said to be particularly beautiful in Japan, because of its geographical terrain where high mountains
often rise unexpectedly from beaches or flat lands. In the summertime, one sometimes sees "waterfall-viewing
tea houses" (滝見茶屋 [たきみちゃや] taki-mi chaya) built to accommodate people who
seek refreshment while viewing the falls. Sometimes people make artificial waterfalls in large gardens;
these are called fixture waterfalls (作滝 [つくだき] tsukuri daki). In order to enjoy cooling
down in the evening, people sometimes set up "waterfall palaces" (滝殿 [たきどの] taki-dono).
Some, like the waterfall ascetic (滝行者 [たきぎょうじゃ] taki gyōja), interact
with the waterfalls through practicing waterfall purification (滝垢離 [たきごり] takigori)
or taking a waterfall bath (滝浴 [たきあび] taki-abi). Twin waterfalls are called husband
and wife waterfalls (夫婦滝 [めおとだき] meoto daki)；one waterfall is referred to as
a male waterfall (男滝 [おだき] odaki), and the other waterfall is called a female waterfall
(女滝 [めだき] medaki).
The waterfall roars as the powerful rapids fall. The sketch-like expression "gunjō sekai" (dark
blue world) effectively conveys the impression of a big waterfall, alluring readers into the world of
waterfalls. The following haiku is also by the same poet:
雲の中滝かゞやきて音もなし
山口青邨
kumo no naka taki kagayakite oto mo nashi
hidden in clouds
the waterfall sparkles
without a sound
Yamaguchi Seison
滝の前しづかにをりて力充つ
宮下翠舟
taki no mae sizuka ni worite chikara mitsu
in front of the waterfall
I descend calmly
the force fills me
Miyashita Suishū
塩湿る滝壺茶屋の茹卵
草間時彦
shio jimeru takitsubo jaya no yude tamago
salt moistens
the waterfall tea house,
its boiled egg
Kusama Tokihiko
滝落ちて群青世界とどろけり
水原秋桜子
taki ochite gunjō sekai todorokeri
the rapids fall
and a dark blue world
roars
Mizuhara Shūōshi
瑠璃沼に滝落ちきたり瑠璃となる
ruri numa ni taki ochi kitari ruri to naru
to the lapis lazuli swamps
the waterfall comes down
and becomes lapis lazuli
