beyond the wall , cold Echigo

frost-killed grass


David English
frost-killed grass--
behind the wall
Echigo mountains

-Issa, 1813
５１ years old, On January the thirteen memorial party of his father's death , the negotiation of father's asset has finished. Many times he visited haiku friend in North Sinano. On June and July he was ill in bed for blotch.

sakuo Japanese
霜枯れや　壁の後ろの　越後山
simogare ya kabe no usiro no etigo yama

Issa　Original
霜がれや 壁のうしろは 越後山 一茶
shimogare ya kabe no ushiro wa echigo yama
frost-killed grass--behind the wall
Echigo mountains

sakuo remark
Standing on Hokoku route toward the north, there are dry grass beside
the road , Kurohime-yama and Myoukou-yama stand like a great wall
over there , if we would be at Etigo ,it is at sea shore and much colder.