Soon they have to die

by Matsuo Basho

Translated from Complete Basho Haiku in Japanese by Dmitri N. Smirnov in 2006. Soon they have to die was written by Matsuo Basho in 1690. Basho was considered the master of the haiku poetry form.

Soon they have to die,
but there is no sign of it
in cicadas’ cries.

Japanese: （やがてしぬけしきはみえずせみのこゑ） yagate shinu / keshiki wa miezu / semi no koe

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