"offa" poems
Following are several translations
of the 'Old Pond' poem, which may be
the most famous of all haiku:
Furuike ya
kawazu tobikomu
mizu no oto
-- Basho
Literal Translation
Fu-ru (old) i-ke (pond) ya,
ka-wa-zu (frog) to-bi-ko-mu (jumping into)
mi-zu (water) no o-to (sound)
The old pond--
a frog jumps in,
sound of water.
Translated by Robert Hass
Old pond...
a frog jumps in
water's sound.
Translated by William J. Higginson
An old silent pond...
A frog jumps into the pond,
splash! Silence again.
Translated by Harry Behn
There is the old pond!
Lo, into it jumps a frog:
hark, water's music!
Translated by John Bryan
The silent old pond
a mirror of ancient calm,
a frog-leaps-in splash.
Translated by Dion O'Donnol
old pond
frog leaping
splash
Translated by Cid Corman
Antic pond--
frantic frog jumps in--
gigantic sound.
Translated by Bernard Lionel Einbond
MAFIA HIT MAN POET: NOTE FOUND PINNED TO LAPEL
OF DROWNED VICTIM'S DOUBLE-BREASTED SUIT!!!
'Dere wasa dis frogg
Gone jumpa offa da logg
Now he inna bogg.'
-- Anonymous
Translated by George M. Young, Jr.
Old pond
leap -- splash
a frog.
Translated by Lucien Stryck
The old pond,
A frog jumps in:.
Plop!
Translated by Allan Watts
The old pond, yes, and
A frog is jumping into
The water, and splash.
Translated by G.S. Fraser
11.2k
*HEAR THE COMPLETED SONG HERE:
https://soundcloud.com/nataliejcopeland/you-said*
You said, “Why’d you fold my clothes?
I don’t want anyone
taking care of me.”
You turned back to your razor,
ignoring
the sick-stained sheets.
You said, “Let’s just watch tv.
I don’t know anyone
when I’m asleep.”
You turned back to the wall,
ignoring
the two empty feet.
But that wasn’t where
the worst
pain
was felt,
Cuz I didn’t think
that my warm
heart
could melt
All the icy hands
That her cold heart
had dealt.
But then you said,
“That’s all broken.”
And you said,
“That’s all dead.”
You said “I can’t love again.
I don’t want anyone
wrapped up in my fate.”
Well, we turned back to our peaches,
ignoring
how we knew I would wait.
They said, “Is that your pretty girlfriend?”
And you said, “She’s so pretty…”
And that was the end
Cuz we turned back into clowns,
ignoring
the message we sent.
If you wanna know
the worst
pain
I felt
It’s when I lost hope that
my warm
heart
could melt…
Cuz the final blow
that cracked my world
was dealt
When you said…
When you said..
When you said…
When you said…
…. Nothing.
You said, “I’ll still be your friend
When he comes sweepin’ you
offa your feet.”
You put out your cigarette,
ignoring
my tears on the street.
Jun 4, 2013
Jun 4, 2013 at 5:27 AM UTC
They were so not interested when the brother was so very available
Lonely even and longing to be needed longing to be loved it
Didn’t seem like it cuz he could be so very surly but desperately longing
To laugh out loud and secretly longing to dance to no music but that which
was in his lover’s heart but they would have had to but didn’t care to
dig under the bravado or be lurking behind the door to his otherwise
empty sanctuary when he locked out the needy and narcissistic and
peeled the ess offa his chest before hanging his all-purpose multi tool belt
on the all-purpose multi tool belt nail and became
merely his naked self to see that what he truly had to offer could
not be built or repaired or paid for or driven or
traded for the promise of some ***** which he would have settled for in
lieu of real companionship cuz that’s all people seem to be about these days and
*** is easy and love is hard and therefore a fella could hardly hope
for something that songs are written about and hope deferred
is unpretty at best and ****** tragic at worst so imagine
their surprise when one day he walked in with his large workman’s hand wrapped
around a smaller softer hand and he was suddenly not so surly maybe joyful even
and they wondered how they didn’t notice how **** he is and they
asked themselves did he grow two inches cuz he sure seems taller and
they don’t understand when he no longer comes just cuz they call and they find
that for some reason they hate that ***** that he is with and she ain’t so cute
so why is he not noticing how he is now coveted or catching the
obvious and disrespectfully thrown hint… and
in their selfishness would see him unhappy before seeing him
with her before seeing him not sniffing around them
trying and hoping to be noticed and their arrogance
dictates to them that he is not unavailable… not truly… that she is just a
passing whim and their ignorance whispers to them that he has forgotten
how not so long ago and for years and years
they were so not interested
…now ain’t that somethin
May 6, 2013
May 6, 2013 at 10:03 AM UTC
1.
sterile crowd walks out
cook offers to step in!
2.
sandy shores
silly dreams
hope and fear hold hands
tremulous.
3.
cloaked in tags
covered in labels
RIP-'em freakin' OFFA ME!
S T, 12 May 2013
May 12, 2013
May 12, 2013 at 5:47 AM UTC
It's hot
It's kickin'
It's funk!
You gotta drown your Martini
With junk
Until this depression is sunk
You gotta remember it's disco
and funk,
You gotta walk around day-glo and punk.
You gotta hit the wall
To destroy your attitude
Even if there's no attitude
At all
You gotta dizzy shake a palm tree
And smile at the clock of reason
You gotta move up offa dat ting
You gotta set fire to your ring
And let your ****** sing
You gotta Boomshakalak
You gotta twist and grind
You gotta Boomshakalak
And it's fun
****** react
No doubt about dat
May 3, 2014
May 3, 2014 at 7:10 PM UTC
bullet bitten
coffee smelt
road been beaten
ducks in a row
pigs grounded
box shredded
roses smelt
chewing the elephant
as we speak
no looking back
dusting the cowbwebs
offa the shelf
and the tigers in my eyeline now me and my betterself gonna take a timeout
talk about my life
got the box list here
love check,check,check
life double check
home check
health check
wow !!!
all silver and gold affirmitive wealth
so now i can,
kick back,
relax and grow
disgracefully old.
jeez i just love
this new
self management gig .....lol
Jul 12, 2014
Jul 12, 2014 at 5:51 PM UTC
( • )
/) (\
( )
) (
( )
) (
•
since they suppressed the hippies
Ain't been no Christians in AMERIKKKA at all !!!!
//////
Ignorant bible - bashers with guns !
••
What **** !
////
And you all eatin it !!!
••
No wonder all dem kids be cuttin they selves
•
Now it's
GET YERSELF A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS
AN GO
BACK TO THE COUNTRY !
!!!!!!
**** DEM LIBERALS
AND GET YE SOME SLAVES
AND IT BE HEAVEN ON EARTH AGAIN !
//
Yeah
Once they suppressed the hippies
We all be ****** !
///
But you don't care
Ya jes sittin there bleedin
Bein the fool they want you to be !
With their **** comin outta yer mouths
And all their lies Rollin offa yer tongues !
Nov 14, 2014
Nov 14, 2014 at 5:03 PM UTC
they say its hard
but at the end they do
find their perfect match
like me and you
i didnt climb mountains
or didnt touch stars
instead i saw you with a couple of friends
standing at the entrance of a bar
you double took to see
whats coming forth thee
a girl with socks and sandals
....and 3 quarters !
what a thing stood before you
we entered as a couple
and my.... i couldn't take my eyes offa you
sitting there with that **** smile
and glaring at d bar
i wanted you to look at me
but i bet u knew that too
tried to get your attentions
so asked you for a dance
didnt care how i looked
you agreed to play the part
dancing like iv never done
you showed me how to jive
tossing me from here to there
cant believe we won a prize
cant believe that was the 1st time we ever met
and how we got attached
been inseparable since then
and we totally make a perfect match
lets show those non believers
what true love can really do
you and me forever
(hopefully) til the last breath of our lives
Jus me and you
true story
Apr 26, 2013
Apr 26, 2013 at 9:56 AM UTC
Naked Reality
(Do you remember?)
.
. Do you remember
What she looked like
In your Free Imagination?
--
On the Road
Going to the Country
::
We didn't need no Constitution
To tell us what we were
"Allowed to be!!!!!"
-/-:-:/-
---[or allowed to know]--
--[or allowed to see]--
////
////
& so
YE ****** little boys & girls
Of this dishonored century
what'll YE have?
what'll YE take?
Get offa your knees
Stand as a MAN
REMEMBER YOUR NAME
REMEMBER HER FACE
Mar 13, 2013
Mar 13, 2013 at 12:53 AM UTC
there's an election everyday
and you choose
you choose
between contrary thoughts
and you win or lose
be it economy or health care
you can be on welfare
living offa food stamps
exploiting the help there's
like 12 million ways to live my man
choose one
that boy is suicidal dreaming of a shotgun
that girl is suicidal dreaming of a casket
I'm done counting sheep
my dreams is passed that
woke up in Brooklyn
still looking for Wonderland
skipping down the roads of Oz
chasing after Peter Pan
ingesting that fairy dust
climbing up the rabbit hole
nostalgia my drug of choice
I OD on the days of old
now slow it down for the days of new
I'm taking baby steps
scoping out a change of view
I'm a philanthropist
all I want is change for you
so keep the money for yourself
it's too much ado
Jan 21, 2015
Jan 21, 2015 at 5:46 PM UTC
( )
^
<<< >>>
O
( >>> ( ) <<< )
( )
____________
somethin no good is comin down !
• • •
( don't matter ta me
I got my babe ! )
••
her name is Echo
mine's Narcissus
( we both love me
So all is swell )
///
Around her ya don't shovel snow
Offa the sidewalk
Ya shovel Misery
Ya shovel Poverty
fortunately we got a lot a money
So we just hire some Mexicans to do it
•
She looked deep into my soul and loved me
I guess she didn't see what god sees
( but we don't need him
We got each other )
///
We have so much in common
•
we both love me
Nov 13, 2014
Nov 13, 2014 at 8:44 PM UTC
WW
( (•) (•) )
v
~<>~
X
I see you
--- --- --- ---
Metalic dreams !
Spider man love !
•
She calls to me to come out of the vast fascism
That has become
The death knell song
We worship
••
( the fascist song we worship )
I WUV YOU I WUV YOU
WON'T YOU **** ME PLEASE
MY KNEES ARE SO ******
FROM CRAWLING ALONG
I CAN'T HARDLY EAT THE ****
OFFA THE STREET
THAT THE FASCIST PIGS
OF THIS CORPORATE STATE
HAVE LEFT FOR US
TO HUMILIATE
ANY REAL FEELINGS WE MIGHT STILL HAVE
••
I see you
••
She calls to me to come to her
In a real sense
For real love
••
She says
LEAVE THESE DEAD POETS TO THEIR
SELF AMUSING IDIOCIES !
THEY WON'T CHANGE
THEY ONLY REINFORCE EACH OTHER 'S PAIN
TO EASE THEIR OWN
••
( she too
Sees ---- you )
••
Sweet mercy !
Compassion !
Grace !
••
( is BERYLDOV LEW correct ? )
Is this healing humor
Or hurtful sarcasm ? )
••
Does anyone care what wisdom remains
In the metallic dreams
Dying
Dying
In our Spider-Man hearts ?
May 17, 2014
May 17, 2014 at 10:37 PM UTC
Well
Ya cud jes keep ta yer lame excuses!
Probly what yell do!
Like always !
wol me important? **** no!
--
Jes watching !
Jes observin!
NOT doin
Got it?
---
Nobody doin nuttin
Das me
----
Leeme alone
Alone!
----
-------
-----
_______
I usta be important but I got hurt tryin
I usta be important but I got hurt tryin
I can't get hurt no more !
I done stopped tryin
Ya see!
--
Ain't important no more
Not me
Ain't important no more
Not me
Not me
No more
-----------
WELL WELL WELL
--
Wa you mean
You ain't important no more!
Shut da **** up and get offa
Yer lame *** or I show ya what's important
Dat for sure!
May 17, 2013
May 17, 2013 at 8:43 PM UTC
And I
With PASSIONATE INSINCERITY
Told you I loved you
And you
with PASSIONATE INSINCERITY
Exclaimed
I believe !
I believe !
And then
With PASSIONATE INSINCERITY
I said
You are not who I thought you were !
Now begone !
And you
With PASSIONATE INSINCERITY
Threw yourself to the floor screaming
With PASSIONATE INSINCERITY
I am broken !
So very broken !
and the audience
With PASSIONATE INSINCERITY
started clapping and screaming
I can relate !
I can relate !
/::/
Well
Now I gotta go and write
Our EMMY AWARD acceptance speech
And you better wipe
The *** offa your face
I see your mother approaching
Mar 24, 2015
Mar 24, 2015 at 6:52 PM UTC
Prayers
In any language, of any religion
Basically say:
" oh shit,what's goin on?"
////
////
I loved this girl See
Then she left me See
WHATEVER THAT MEANS!
But ya can't say that!
They'll think you're weird
////
////
This world *****
WHY?
.
Why?...........BECAUSE THE PEOPLE ****
That's pretty obvious
So **** ' em
Lets live!
////
////
Some dude he pushed me offa da platform
In front of the subway train!!
"That ain't gonna happen to me again" I sez
Mar 13, 2013
Mar 13, 2013 at 2:41 AM UTC
aint no-one
"here"---------
--------------"here"
done got sent
somewhere's else
and erryone went with it
--------
people aint be talkin
no more
afraid a bein heard
that's it!
people aint talkin
out loud
cause dey knows
dey sound stupid
-------
politicians talk for us
they are all *********
"hee haw....hee haw"
das us!!
--------
we abandon de chilrun
dey is dyin
we think
"how do we make money
offa dat?"
---
i wrote a love poem
about an imaginary girl
she hurt me real bad!
youdda thought i could make
an imaginary girl love me?
NOPE!
---
das what's goin on
in the "here"
that aint
Nov 18, 2010
Nov 18, 2010 at 9:42 AM UTC
softly
the
native song plays boldy
even from death
-----
the mountains are gone!
gone!!!
gone!!!!
only gentle spirits
to tell the tale
------
and you?
you!
what shall you do to
declare your
divinity?
------
hot roding hell to the end of the line
---------
simple songs
well
what really is being SAID?
nothing
-------------
walking naked
yeh
we seen it before
--------------
speaking truthfully
yeh
we aint heard THAT
for a very long time
----------
even us great poets
gotta get offa our ***
sometime
-------
right?
------------
we are
so very
something-or-0ther
yeh
we are
Dec 15, 2010
Dec 15, 2010 at 11:54 AM UTC
I'll show dat boye
Wat momma got to offa him
And he will kno it
Wen I walk into dat door
Baby boye be on da floor.
Aug 12, 2015
Aug 12, 2015 at 9:31 PM UTC
And then?
••
••
After all the complaining
&
Shittin on the floor
&
Sleeping in the ****
&
Slapping the old lady
&
Kicking her out the door
&
Memorizing all the sound bytes
Offa the tee vee
&
Getting a steady income
Like any
Celebratory thief
---
It comes to this!
••
••
God ****
••
To this!
••
••
Kinda makes ya think
But
•
We got them tee vee sound bytes
We got our razor blades
So ain't nothin challenging
Our massive self deceit
••
••
Yeah this thinking ****
It just ain't for me
•
&
I don't question living
Cause
I'm dead anyway
Feb 3, 2014
Feb 3, 2014 at 5:34 PM UTC
T*here was plenty cats who could ****** a quarter offa backboard,*
They used to say up at Happy Warrior,
*But the Goat was the only one
Who could float so long that he could leave change*,
And then they’d slap each other on the back,
Laughin' until they couldn’t breathe.
Some folks still tell the story, old timers—hell, old men now,
But they don’t laugh much no more, because they all know the story;
Ain’t one of those things where people ask Whatever became of...
Like a Boobie Tucker or Funny Kitt, because Earl was a myth, see,
A neighborhood Icarus, but one with moments of doubt
The pusher, all loud clothes and soft smooth voices,
Played Earl and played him to his weak hand.
*College coach ain’t gonna push for no brother
Who ain’t got the grades,
No matter how much lift he got.
Then what, man?
You gonna hang outside the park, leanin’ on the fence,
Some old man whose name used to get you respect?
**** man, you think you can fly?
Man, I got somethin’ make you fly.*
The pusher baited and Earl hit the hook hard;
Wasn’t long before he was noddin’ on corners
Like some old **** wino,
Pretty soon a stint Upstate after he botched robbin’ some bar,
Then a long slow slide until he died.
The Hawk, Alcindor, The Pearl—they knew he was the man,
Best ever according to Lew, and man how he flew,
But the streets have their own peculiar physics
And the rim ain’t nothing but ten feet off the ground.
Feb 6, 2017
Feb 6, 2017 at 7:46 AM UTC
! No !
!
••
The Drreams are not Random
No Life is wasted nor " In Vain"
••
So
Put on your White Hat
&
Get up upon your
Stallion !
••
I'm gettin sick a watchin ya just
Mope around
••
Waitin for THE MAN
Ta "take YE out!"
••
What does it really take ta
Allow YE to feel good
About
Yourself ?
••
Please don't tell me
( AGAIN !)
"It's a good ****** boy friend
Or girl friend "
•
I'm gettin tired a washing the puke offa
My computer screen
••
What's a HUMAN BEING?
••
Time to answer !!
(No doubt !)
••
So let's get it on now
You and me
It'll be hard later
When we 're in our graves
Feb 23, 2014
Feb 23, 2014 at 5:10 PM UTC
cavalier blue delugecloud loud
end of history: juxtaposed, prolly
poet tooth uncouth harbinger slurp word is
tut in a tux is untucked in the back slackers unite brackish worm gonna get that last laugh
proud nevermore immaculate grip slip yum
crown lookin a lil drab cue the last can of laughtrack
drunk offa this dram a petals fell
sipped from a chipped pinkbone china teacup
from gramma's cabinet
puke green Davenport wrapped in plastic
kept nice for company
the last novel is coming without comma
i can feel it now, cantchu?
oh, and
im not mad
im jus madhatterer than you
Aug 12, 2016
Aug 12, 2016 at 10:18 PM UTC
I waiver in and out of
using God in my favour
I wanna pass these English papers ya see
Become a journalist go overseas
I’ve got it all planned out
Cause that’s the way
it makes sense
It’s a truth I can focus my lense
And I’m asking god to help me
To bless me in my ways,
But it’s been days since I’ve been
stuck in this grey haze
Not really sure if it’s
a passing phase
Cause I have favour when I walk
the way of my saviour
I literally can do anything my heart does desire
He gives me the fire
But
When it’s me tryna distinguish the plan
Cause I’m impatient and I can’t understand
It’s like
“Yo gimme the map” ,
eventhough I’m a
blind man and I’m walking right offa track
He makes your ways straight
He has the perfect plan but
you must wait
And don’t be afraid of passing times,
Or rising crimes
Or pressure that seems to suffocate
And surround you
God will confound you,
Yes he will astound you,
Just let your worries melt
Away
Trust in the lord ,
His word is a sword
Not in
The words of man that will lead you astray
You may have a past but the lord has today
And he’ll be sure to make a way.
Jan 14, 2019
Jan 14, 2019 at 9:41 AM UTC
Thinkin you hot in hip hop playing skip it in the summertime
Thinking when reading the dictionary out loud everytime when you state in dumber “rhymes”
Spittin lethal when you’d get abused by thought
And forget the fruited wisdom cuz you’re too confused with motts
Thinkin you flowin when you ******* in the niagra
With all that power you’d think that you created ******
Forget your lefty made bout, cuz your rhymes be played out
You couldn’t even hip hop right even if your left knee gave out
My women call me Mc claps that I’m “eatin prego”
Cuz you receive applause every enlightenment down when you’re getting thrown at eatin everything from off the floor when you’re gettin thrown at from every freakin tomato
I left mousetraps around your bed to prove that you bomb cheese
The next morning after I stole all the mousetraps offa your mom’s knees
You’re only hip hop when rats are attackin your feet
To have you rappin and dancin when evading death to abackin your feat
Dig out your eyeballs and glued them to my God-blue reeboks too so that you can see walk
Might as well morph in-to a dictionary verbalized so that you would be talk
Get your **** tatted with my rhymes so that you can beat mine
And ********** to a dictionary everytime elementary to see rhymes
Intent in poetry id is the only time when you can see mine
Your poetry is better than smoking potent sleeping powder
Your capacity growth is better than your open reading hour
You couldn’t roll with these punches only when you’re swingin on rollerblades
Feb 20, 2018
Feb 20, 2018 at 12:58 PM UTC