The old pond Analysis

Following are several translations
of the 'Old Pond' poem, which may be
the most famous of all haiku:

Furuike ya
kawazu tobikomu
mizu no oto

        -- Basho

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Literal Translation

Fu-ru (old) i-ke (pond) ya,
ka-wa-zu (frog) to-bi-ko-mu (jumping into)
mi-zu (water) no o-to (sound)


Translated by Fumiko Saisho

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    The old pond--
a frog jumps in,
    sound of water.


Translated by Robert Hass

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Old pond...
a frog jumps in
water's sound.


Translated by William J. Higginson

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An old silent pond...
A frog jumps into the pond,
splash! Silence again.


Translated by Harry Behn

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There is the old pond!
Lo, into it jumps a frog:
hark, water's music!


Translated by John Bryan

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The silent old pond
a mirror of ancient calm,
a frog-leaps-in splash.


Translated by Dion O'Donnol

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old pond
frog leaping
splash


Translated by Cid Corman

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Antic pond--
frantic frog jumps in--
gigantic sound.


Translated by Bernard Lionel Einbond

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MAFIA HIT MAN POET: NOTE FOUND PINNED TO LAPEL
OF DROWNED VICTIM'S DOUBLE-BREASTED SUIT!!!

'Dere wasa dis frogg
Gone jumpa offa da logg
Now he inna bogg.'

        -- Anonymous
        

Translated by George M. Young, Jr.

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Old pond
leap -- splash
a frog.


Translated by Lucien Stryck

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The old pond,
A frog jumps in:.
Plop!


Translated by Allan Watts

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The old pond, yes, and
A frog is jumping into
The water, and splash.

Translated by G.S. Fraser

.: :.

The old pond is a haiku. A haiku is a form of Japanese form of poetry. It consists of a very simple story. The old pond is a story about a frog that jumps into the old pond and you can hear the rippling sound of water.
When I read the poem, I thought “how boring”. But I read it again and I really tried to visualize it. I visualized myself at an old peaceful garden with and old pond in the middle. Suddenly I hear a “splash!” and then the peaceful sound of rippling water follows. It’s amazing how beautiful this is, how simple yet how beautiful.

| Posted on 2009-11-10 | by a guest

.: :.

I believe that this was written by a person, high on drugs.

| Posted on 2009-03-28 | by a guest

.: :.

I believe the ancient pond refers to the world that is today.
The pond grows dirtier and infested from the sticks and leaves that fall in it. The pond becomes dirtier, and less clear. In today's world, we human beings as a whole, are becoming infected. Our morals are changing, and our views on affecting the lives of one other are mostly for the worse. Instead of helping society as a whole grow and flourish, we strive to become better than our fellow man. Our intentions our rotten, just as the water is dirty.
The frog represents human life. It can change everything on this world. We, as life, affect the entire world around us. With the jump of the frog, or the step of the human race, the entire pond, or the entire world can change.
The sound of water is the result of the actions the life had taken. The splash is a result of the frog jumping, a new world with new voices being heard, changing our economy, our politics, our society itself. The world can be affect, a new revolution can occur. The sound of water, the reformation of the dying world we live on.
~K. Yihmin L.

| Posted on 2009-02-01 | by a guest