Japanese Peony Poems
About to bloom,
And exhale a rainbow,
The peony!
– Buson
When the peonies bloomed,
It seemed as though were
No flowers around them.
– Kiitsu
The stamens and pistil
Of the peony gush out
Into the sunlight.
– Taigi
The peonies do not allow
The rain-clouds a hundred leagues round
To approach them.
– Buson
In the stillness,
Between the arrival of guests,
The peonies.
– Buson
Dusk on the flower
Of the white peony,
That embraces the moon.
– Gyodai
The peony
Made him measure it
With his fan.
– Issa
Dear, dear,
What a fat, happy face it has,
This peony!
– Issa
The peonies have fallen,
We parted
Without regret.
– Hokushi
a bee
staggers out
of the peony
~Basho
a rice bowl
filled to the brim
one peony
~ Buson
what peonies!
one poem per flower
will not do
~ Ryumin
the feeling of
being drunk with tea
thanks to peony
~ Chisoku
the peony flower:
it’s a woman with plenty
of meat on her bones
~ Hakuo
the applause
of one and all shower
the peony
~ Issa
for peony blossom viewing
a pale kimono is good
and chinese tea
~ Torin
half a mind
to dress up and bow down
to the peony
~ Shiki
though mine
I hesitate to pluck
the peonies
~ Baishitsu
that peony!
I want to dash cold water
on her face
~ Kaken