寝て起て大欠して猫の恋
nete okite oakubi shite neko no koi
sleeping then waking
then a big yawn
the cat goes out in search of love
—Issa
Cats would seem to be beloved everywhere, even in pre-modern Japan. And why not, eh? Indeed, who doesn't love a cute cat?
The kigo (season word) here is neko no koi, cat's love. It is a season word for early spring. I don't watch cats enough to know how true it is, but evidently this has long been considered the time of the year when cats are getting it on with each other.
❦
All poets and poetry lovers are encouraged to join Blockchain Poets, a Hive community started by 
Thank you all for submiting your wonderful work and reading. You rock!
| David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. |
If this blog post has entertained or helped you, please follow/upvote/reblog. If you want to further support my writing, donations are welcome.
That is, me! If you like this translation, feel free to use it. Just credit me. Also link here if you can. ↩