the ducks quack and the readers read

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Letizia

©readinginterrupted.com

“New Year’s morning”

New Year’s morning:

the ducks on the pond

quack and quack.

Written by Kobayashi Issa. Translation by Robert Hass.

Wishing you all a wonderful 2014!

©readinginterrupted.com

67 thoughts on “the ducks quack and the readers read”

Herman on January 1, 2014 at 2:58 am said:

Just follow the right tracks in the snow and you’ll get there. Happy New Year, Letizia!

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- Letizia on January 1, 2014 at 8:38 am said:
  
  They lead to all sorts of wonders, I’m sure! Wishing you and Mr. Bowie a happy and healthy new year!
  
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lazycoffees on January 1, 2014 at 3:27 am said:

Those photos are just beautiful, particularly the first one. I find that that combination of colours particularly satisfying. I’m presuming that they are photos that you took yourself. Congratulations.

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- Letizia on January 1, 2014 at 8:42 am said:
  
  Thank you for the kind words! Yes, I took these photos on a walk with my dog. I liked the contrast between the grasses and the snow although I wish there was a bit more snow. (p.s. I hate when comments seem to ‘disappear’ suddenly. In the end, both went through!).
  
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caro is spicy on January 1, 2014 at 3:57 am said:

How lovely, Issa and your photos are a great combination to start the year. I hope you have a great 2014 too!

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- Letizia on January 1, 2014 at 8:43 am said:
  
  When I came across the poem, I knew I had to use it in my blog, it’s so lovely in its simplicity. Then as I was walking my dog, I came across these ducks and realized they would be perfect with the poem. Happy New Year!
  
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Gallivanta on January 1, 2014 at 5:22 am said:

Delightful way to start the New Year 🙂

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- Letizia on January 1, 2014 at 8:45 am said:
  
  Thanks, hope you have a wonderful new year! Watching the news on the morning of Dec. 31 I watched the images of people celebrating the new year in New Zealand and thought of you!
  
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  - Gallivanta on January 1, 2014 at 8:48 pm said:
    
    Yes, it is fun to see all the different celebrations around the world. Fireworks seem universal, don’t they?
    
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    - Letizia on January 2, 2014 at 9:33 am said:
      
      And the joy and hope in everyone’s faces; it’s very sweet.
      
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      - Gallivanta on January 2, 2014 at 9:07 pm said:
        
        🙂
        
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Roy McCarthy on January 1, 2014 at 11:29 am said:

Hmm, maybe I’ll have a go at this poetry thing 🙂 Like the tracks in the snow. Looking forward to reading your excellent blog in 2014 Letizia.

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- Letizia on January 1, 2014 at 2:10 pm said:
  
  Thanks, Roy! Hope you have a wonderful new year! (with new poetry perhaps, hahaha!)
  
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danniehill on January 1, 2014 at 1:05 pm said:

may your success be doubled and more this new year. You know, Letizia, we have ducks down here that whistle instead of quack. Never heard of that before, but I’m no duckologist, lol. Beautiful picture and I did enjoy the poem.

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- Letizia on January 1, 2014 at 2:13 pm said:
  
  Whistling ducks! Now that’s something I’d like to hear! “The ducks on the pond/ whistle and whistle” !!!
  
  Wishing you and your family a wonderful, healthy, and happy new year! Thank you for always supporting my little blog, Dannie.
  
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- Letizia on January 1, 2014 at 2:46 pm said:
  
  I just watched a video of whistling ducks, loved it! Thanks for introducing me to these new birds.
  
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travelerlynne on January 1, 2014 at 3:52 pm said:

Issa is right. Ducks quack and now I just learned…whistle. Beautiful photo. Happy reading to all of us readers for 2014. 🙂

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- Letizia on January 1, 2014 at 4:28 pm said:
  
  Quacks and whistles- so funny, right?
  
  Wishing you a year of wonderful reading!
  
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Carine on January 1, 2014 at 3:53 pm said:

Happy New Year!

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- Letizia on January 1, 2014 at 4:27 pm said:
  
  Merci!!
  
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tableofcolors on January 1, 2014 at 5:01 pm said:

Beautiful post! Happy New Year!

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- Letizia on January 1, 2014 at 5:10 pm said:
  
  Thank you, you too!
  
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Britt Skrabanek on January 1, 2014 at 6:59 pm said:

You’re the cutest. Love the shots. I already said this fifty times to you I think, but…Happy New Year, love!!!!

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- Letizia on January 1, 2014 at 7:50 pm said:
  
  Can never wish someone a good year enough so happy, healthy, creative new year to you (again! Hahaha!).
  
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readingwithrhythm on January 1, 2014 at 9:46 pm said:

That looks like an excellent place for a walk with the dog!! Happy new year to you!!

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- Letizia on January 2, 2014 at 9:35 am said:
  
  She loves running and sniffing around that pond. And when she stops to sniff, it allows me to contemplate a specific area I would have otherwise walked right by. Aren’t dogs great that way? Wishing you and Rhythm a great year!
  
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leapingtracks on January 2, 2014 at 6:03 am said:

Both the poem and the ducks are, as they say, simple but effective! Beautiful post as ever, thanks. Happy New Year Letizia! 🙂

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- Letizia on January 2, 2014 at 9:36 am said:
  
  And a great new year to you! Hope the firework spectacle over the castle was beautiful as ever this year.
  
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  - leapingtracks on January 3, 2014 at 6:01 am said:
    
    Indeed it was, thanks – a great start to 2014! 🙂
    
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Sumithra Sriram on January 2, 2014 at 9:04 am said:

A very happy new year to you and your family, Letizia! Have a great one!! 🙂
Cheers,
Sumithra.

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- Letizia on January 2, 2014 at 9:37 am said:
  
  You too, Sumithra! Looking forward to more of your beautiful posts in 2014!
  
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Brooke on January 2, 2014 at 9:11 am said:

Hope the New Year is treating you well!! Ducks are adorable.

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- Letizia on January 2, 2014 at 9:37 am said:
  
  So far the year is going well, hahaha! Hope this first week is treating you well too.
  
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4amWriter on January 2, 2014 at 9:16 am said:

I love the photos, especially the one of the ducks. I live near a pond that is frequented by ducks and geese. In the winter, it’s amusing to see the fowl manage to keep a small area from freezing by all their activity. They have to work hard at it!

Happy New Year!

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- Letizia on January 2, 2014 at 9:40 am said:
  
  That’s a good observation- there’s always a part of the pond kept free of the ice. And the ducks and geese are forced to co-habitate in ever closer quarters as the temperatures drop! What I love about the pond, and I’m sure you’ll agree, is that it’s a great place to see the details of the change of seasons.
  
  Wishing you a wonderful new year!
  
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Sheila on January 2, 2014 at 10:46 am said:

I love it when ducks quack together. They always sound like they’re either laughing or involved in an important conversation. Wishing you a new year of laughter and quacks! Hope you and your dog will get to play in the snow some more too.

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- Letizia on January 2, 2014 at 1:53 pm said:
  
  When I was in Kenya, I loved listening to the hippos as they always sounded like they were laughing. It was contagious so I would start giggling too! Ducks and hippos – who knew they had so much in common? Wishing you many quacks and hippo laughter as well!
  
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  - Sheila on January 2, 2014 at 2:06 pm said:
    
    I don’t think I’ve ever heard a hippo laugh – now I’m going to have to find a hippo just for that reason!
    
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    - Letizia on January 2, 2014 at 2:09 pm said:
      
      Just don’t get too close. As cute as they are, they’re very territorial! Maybe that’s why they “laugh”… to lure you into a false sense of security, hahaha!
      
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Lectures au Coeur on January 2, 2014 at 12:14 pm said:

Thank you Letizia!
Wishing you an amazing and very happy New Year!

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- Letizia on January 2, 2014 at 1:54 pm said:
  
  Merci et Bonne Année!!
  
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belocchio on January 2, 2014 at 12:44 pm said:

A most wonderful happy new year to you. Virginia

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- Letizia on January 2, 2014 at 1:54 pm said:
  
  Thanks, Virginia! Looking forward to reading more of your wonderful blog posts in 2014!
  
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Forest So Green on January 2, 2014 at 2:03 pm said:

I love the tracks in the snow. Warm wishes for a happy new year, Annie

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- Letizia on January 2, 2014 at 2:05 pm said:
  
  Thanks, Annie. Wishing you many fun journeys in the snow!
  
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Ste J on January 2, 2014 at 4:21 pm said:

I love me a good mallard… Have the Bestest New year since new years began!

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- Letizia on January 2, 2014 at 5:00 pm said:
  
  And a wonderful new year to you as well! Looking forward to more delightful blogs (and v-blogs!) from you.
  
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  - Ste J on January 2, 2014 at 5:02 pm said:
    
    oh crikey, I will see how the vlogs go from here…I need an idea and possibly something amusing to say. Or I can just bluff it, I usually do!
    
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    - Letizia on January 3, 2014 at 10:56 am said:
      
      Hahaha!
      
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Jilanne Hoffmann on January 2, 2014 at 4:35 pm said:

Oh, how many ways that haiku can be read! I love it! That, and the tracks in the snow……..

Happy New Year!

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- Letizia on January 2, 2014 at 4:59 pm said:
  
  I wish I could read it in the Japanese original. I always feel like I’m missing out when reading in translation but I still love this little haiku!
  
  Happy New Year to you too!
  
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healingpilgrim on January 2, 2014 at 8:29 pm said:

Love the photo of tracks in the snow.. love ANY snow-related photo.. as long as I am safely and comfortably ensconced inside! Quack quack, read read & happy happy new year 😉 Thanks for dropping by my blog (again)!

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- Letizia on January 3, 2014 at 10:57 am said:
  
  Snow has an air of magic to it, doesn’t it? Happy happy new new year to you too, haha!
  
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Naomi Baltuck on January 3, 2014 at 5:34 am said:

Very nice photo, and I love the poem! Happy New Year to you!

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- Letizia on January 3, 2014 at 10:59 am said:
  
  Thanks, Naomi! Looking forward to reading more of your great blog posts (and your photos).
  
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Browsing the Atlas on January 3, 2014 at 9:38 am said:

Simply and elegantly put. Happy New Year!

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- Letizia on January 3, 2014 at 10:59 am said:
  
  You too!!
  
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Clanmother on January 4, 2014 at 10:31 pm said:

Happy, Happy New Year! Day 4 and the adventures are well underway. I am so looking forward to our discussions! Yesterday, I celebrated J.R.R. Tolkien’s birthday and came across this quote that will serve me well in the journeys ahead. This year, I have chosen “courage” as my 2014 word. The tracks in the snow are an amazing symbol for what is ahead. Let’s leave tracks!!!!

“It is not the strength of the body that counts, but the strength of the spirit.” J.R.R. Tolkien

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- Letizia on January 5, 2014 at 10:04 am said:
  
  What a wonderful word to have chosen for the new year ahead (I love the idea of choosing a word!). Happy new year, looking forward to the journey ahead of us!
  
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Christy Birmingham on January 5, 2014 at 4:00 pm said:

Oh those ducks!! 🙂 Here’s to more reads with you in 2014 xx

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- Letizia on January 5, 2014 at 4:32 pm said:
  
  Quack Quack! 🙂
  
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Zen A. on January 6, 2014 at 5:00 am said:

Happy New Year, Letizia! Here’s hoping your 2014 is awesome!

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- Letizia on January 6, 2014 at 9:31 am said:
  
  You too Zen!!
  
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TBM on January 6, 2014 at 11:37 am said:

Beautiful! Happy New Year!

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- Letizia on January 6, 2014 at 12:27 pm said:
  
  You too TB!
  
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marviiilous on January 12, 2014 at 10:03 am said:

Cool pictures, Letizia! Wishing you an awesome 2014!

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- Letizia on January 12, 2014 at 10:24 am said:
  
  Thanks, you too!!
  
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