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Thursday, June 23, 2005

Cat think I am a Master

from straw basket


David English
from a straw basket
the cat's face...
by the hearth

-Issa, 1822
60 years old, On March the third son born, On August injured by
slipping on the road, wrote the books of haiku.

sakuo Japanese
麦籠の 猫顔出すや いろり哉
mugi kago no neko kao dasu ya irori kana

Issa Original
つぐらから猫が面出すいろり哉 一茶
tsugura kara neko ga tsura dasu irori

David comment
A portrait of warmth in wintertime. A tsugura is a container of woven straw used to keep things warm, which is exactly what the cat is doing inside it.

sakuo remark
Issa walked in the hearth room. A cat in the basket glanced
at Issa as if the cat were a master of this house.

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