All Things Japan - Basho's Poetry

Basho is a classic in Poetry history, famous for his haikus - books of them, all written in Japanese, with succinctness and"beauty of concept".
There.
Here is a site with all lists and info - follow it up! Yeah!
Here's the first para from That Site - no copyright infringements intended:
 Bashō was born Matsuo Kinsaku around 1644, somewhere near Ueno in Iga Province. His father may have been a low-ranking samurai, which would have promised Bashō a career in the military but not much chance of a notable life. It was traditionally claimed by biographers that he worked in the kitchens. However, as a child Bashō became a servant to Tōdō Yoshitada, who shared with Bashō a love for haikai no renga, a form of cooperative poetry composition. The sequences were opened with a verse in the 5-7-5 mora format; this verse was named a hokku, and would later be renamed haiku when presented as stand-alone works.

Annnd here are some of his popular poems, translated into English:
  From, once again That Site.

A Ball of Snow

you make the fire
and I’ll show you something wonderful:
a big ball of snow!

Matsuo Basho

A caterpillar

A caterpillar,
this deep in fall--
still not a butterfly.


Translated by Robert Hass

Matsuo Basho

A cold rain starting

A cold rain starting
And no hat --
So?

Matsuo Basho

..and you know what? I'm really thinking that they must lose a Heck of a lot in the translating process.

 

I apologise to all people who came here in seriousness or interest to find the excellent works of Basho. I'll have to update this page later, when I get a good long chance.