Moonjoy! 7/01
From: Chiyo-ni
a gentle nibble
tugs on the fishing line
the summer moon
—Chiyo-ni (1703-1775)
translated from Japanese by Susan Polizzotto
Sumi ink and watercolor on handmade mulberry paper, by Susan Polizzotto
Translator’s note: Chiyo-ni is Japan’s most celebrated woman haiku poet. She composed her first poem at age six and published two collections of haiku in her lifetime. This translation is taken from my book in progress—a selection of Chiyo-ni’s haiku which I’ve translated into English—forthcoming from World Poetry in 2028. —Susan Polizzotto
Moonjoy! A haiga mini-series 2026
Such an evocative drawing Susan! Really looking forward to your book
A fish never appears.
Yet somehow,
nothing is missing.