Haiku in English: Lost in translation, but still nice

I've found tremendous differences in how classic Haiku by Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) and Kobayashi Issa (1763-1827) read in English, depending on who translates them. What emerges from the translation is essentially a three-line poem, as the pictoral aspects of kanji can't be adequately translated anyway.

My favorite versions are by California Poet Laureate Robert Hass, whose book, The Essential Haiku, has spoiled me to the point where I've ended up returning translations by other writers, because they felt stilted by comparison.

Still, I had never realized how much of the original meaning any English translation, no matter how good, is bound to lose until I quoted some of my favorites to my friend Michiko. She did not recognize them. I told her they were translations of Basho. "Oh, The Ancient One!", she said, smiling. "We studied him in school in Japan!" She did find the translations pleasant, even if they were no longer Haiku by Japanese standards.


Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)

Another year gone--
hat in hand,
sandals on my feet.

A cold rain starting
and no hat--
so?

Singing, flying, singing
the cuckoo
keeps busy.

When the winter crysanthemums go
there's nothing to write about
but radishes.

Kobayashi Issa (1763-1827)

Don't worry, spiders,
I keep house
casually.

Climb Mount Fuji,
O snail,
but slowly, slowly.

Moon, plum blossoms,
this, that,
and the day goes.

O owl!
make some other face.
This is spring rain.

The Essential Haiku at amazon.com - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0880013516/qid=1123623435/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-2871787-9172860?v=glance&s=books&n=507846