Summer grass. All that's left of warriors' dreams.

What it means

Standing on an old battlefield, Basho saw only grass where great ambitions had fought and died. Glory fades; the grass keeps growing. Hold your ambitions knowing what time does to them.

The source

"Summer grass. All that's left of warriors' dreams." Matsuo Basho said it in Haiku, Hiraizumi (1689). Translated from the original Japanese by Spartan Surfers.

"夏草や兵どもが夢の跡"

Original Japanese, Haiku, Hiraizumi (1689). Text read at ja.wikisource.org.

Who said it

Matsuo Basho (1644-1694). The master of Japanese haiku, who spent his last years walking the roads of Japan. His travel diary Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Deep North) is a classic of the form.

Questions

What does "Summer grass. All that's left of warriors' dreams." mean?

Standing on an old battlefield, Basho saw only grass where great ambitions had fought and died. Glory fades; the grass keeps growing. Hold your ambitions knowing what time does to them.

Who said "Summer grass. All that's left of warriors' dreams."?

Matsuo Basho (1644-1694). Source: Haiku, Hiraizumi (1689).

What is the original Japanese?

夏草や兵どもが夢の跡. Translated from the original Japanese by Spartan Surfers.

Is "Summer grass. All that's left of warriors' dreams." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"Summer grass. All that's left of warriors' dreams." (Matsuo Basho, Haiku, Hiraizumi (1689), translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/summer-grass-all-thats-left-of-warriors-dreams