“ When a country is defeated, there remain only mountains and rivers, and on a ruined castle in spring only grasses thrive. I sat down on my hat and wept bitterly till I almost forgot time.A thicket of… Bashō Matsuo
“ At one time I was weary of verse writing, and wanted to give it up. At another time I was determined to be a poet until I could establish a proud name over others. The alternatives battled in my mind… Bashō Matsuo
“ Had I crossed the passSupported by a stick,I would have spared myselfThe fall from the horse. Bashō Matsuo
“ It is only a barbarous mind that sees other than the flower, merely an animal mind that dreams of other than the moon. Bashō Matsuo
“ When composing a verse let there not be a hair's breath separating your mind from what you write; composition of a poem must be done in an instant, like a woodcutter felling a huge tree or a swordsman… Bashō Matsuo
