David English
the Twelfth Month singers
don't turn around and look...
Sumida River
-Issa, 1806
44 years old. Lived in Edo
sakuo Japanese
節気ぞろ 振り向きもせず 隅田川
Settuki zoro fur imuki mo sezu sumida-gawa
Isaa Original
節季候の見むきもせぬや角田川
sekizoro no mimuki mose nu ya sumida-gawa
David Comment
Sekizoro refers to a Twelfth Month custom in which strolling singers wandered from town to town, singing festive celebration songs; Kiyose (Tokyo: Kakugawa Shoten, 1984) 348. Shinji Ogawa adds, "They covered their mouths like ladies in the Arab countries. They usually consisted of three or four persons with some types of musical instruments
sakuo image
Sumida-gawa flows through the Katusika district. Issa has belonged to the same named haiku sect.
Now is year end and New year will come soon, like Kisetu zoro, I will leave from the old sect and will go to new sponcer.
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