listen the watch-night bell

1793
31 years old , visited Nagasaki where were Chinese , Korean and Dutchmen. He passed though the year end and celebrated New Year.

一茶
君が世やから人も来て年ごもり
kimi ga yo ya karabito mo kite toshi-gomori

David’s English
Great Japan--
a foreigner also attends
the year's end service!

sakuo Renku
異人達と除夜の鐘聞く
ijintati to jyoya no kane kiku

with many foreigners
listen the watch-night bell 

north native village

1803

一茶
帰る日も一番先や寡雁
kaeru hi mo ichiban saki ya yamome kari

David’s　English
on the day of departure, too
she leads...
the widow goose

sakuo　Renku
我連れ帰れ北の故里
ware ture kaere kita no furusato

bring me back
north native village 

autumn eternal

1815

一茶
猫の子がちょいと押へるおち葉哉

neko no ko ga choi to osaeru ochiba kana

David’s English
the kitten catches one
for a second...
fallen leaves

sakuo Renku
この瞬間に秋は永遠
kono syunkan ni aki ha eien

at this moment
autumn becomes eternal

Lucky tea should be passed to his daughter

1820

一茶
お袋の福茶をくめる指南哉
o-fukuro no fukucha wo kumeru shinan kana

David’s English
how to ladle Mother's
lucky tea...a lesson

sakuo Comment
In Issa’s family the lesson has been handed down from his grand mother, the mother-in-law to his wife. And it should be passed to his daughter who has died in last year.

sakuo Renku
母から娘へお茶伝わらず
haha kara musume he otya tutawararazu

from mother to daughter
the lucky tea wasn’t handed 

gamble opening

year unknown

一茶
花さくやとある木陰も開帳仏
hana saku ya to aru kokage mo kaichou butsu

David's English
cherry blossoms--
under every treea
Buddha on display

His　comment
This haiku is a revision of a poem of 1818, in which the blossoms are scattering (hana chiru ya).
Images of Buddha that are normally locked inside the temple are outdoors on display.
"Blossoms" (hana) can denote cherry blossoms in the shorthand of haiku.

sakuo comment
The key word is [kaityou butsu-- a Budha on display} The most famouse [ kaityou butsu] is the one of Zenkou-ji that is very near to Issa's native village.There are many [ kaityou butsu] in Japane that are secret Budha and specially opened to the public once a year.
When it open, there come many people and outlaw gamblers are specially allowed to open the play ground.So Japanese[kaityou] has two meaning. One is to open secret Budha statues

sakuo Renku
張った張ったや博打始まる
hatsuta hatsuta ya bakuti hajimaru

bet your chip on
gamble opening 

song of chief sake brewers

1812　Tenth mounth he visited Akimoto who was a great sponsor　 and rich brewery. At this time sake brewing began with song of chief sake brewers

一茶
はつ時雨酒屋の唄に実が入ぬ
hatsu shigure sakaya no uta ni mi ga irinu

David’s English
first winter rain--songs in the tavernbecome ripe

sakuo comment and English.
In this haiku [tavern] is wrong, because Issa stayed at the brewery Akimoto.
sakuo’s English
first winter rain--
song in the brewery
become ripe

sakuo Renku
旦那の蔵から仕込みの唄が
dannna no kura kara sikomi no uta ga

from his Master’s yard
song of chief sake brewers 

mold on toofu gleam

１８０３
41years old , living in Edo, Honjyo. He was poor.
He has got acquainted with Akimoto, great sponger in Nagareyama.

Issa 一茶
宵越しの豆腐明りの薮蚊哉
yoigoshi no tôfu akari no yabu ka kana

David’s English
left out all
nightthe tofu gleams...
thicket mosquitoes

David’s　comment
Shinji Ogawa believes that some sort of mold or bacteria is making the tofu gleam

sakuo Renku
豆腐カビ光る侘びしき暮しかな
toufu kabi hikaru wabishiki kurashi kana

mold on toofu gleam
solitary life… 

with moon

1819, Age 57
His worst year. Sixth Month, 21st day, Sato dies.

Issa 一茶
なぐさみにわらをうつ也夏の月

nagusami ni wara wo utsu nari natsu no tsuki

David’s　English
just for fun
beating the straw...
summer moon

David’s comment
http://haikuguy.com/issa/queryallcodetest4.php?keywords=just+for+fun&year=1819

sakuo Renku
諦め切れず月と藁打つ
akirame kirezu tukito wara utu

impossible to give up
beating the straw with moon 

nap after blossom view

1820
58 years old, he had hard time. Previous year the dearest daughter died. His second son born on tenth month and will die next year.

Issa 一茶
草庵に来てはくつろぐ花見哉
sôan ni kite wa kutsurogu hanami kana

David’s English
treating my thatched hut
like home...
blossom viewers

http://haikuguy.com/issa/queryallcodetest4.php?keywords=treating+my+thatched+hut&year=1820

sakuo Renku
花の帰りやそろって昼寝
hanano kaeri ya soruttsute hirune

returning from blossom
nap all together 

with an unruly horse

1824
64 years old, married again on May, soon devoured on August.

Issa　
荒馬とうしろ合せや冬篭
arauma to ushiro awa[se] ya fuyugomori

David’s English
an unruly horsebehind the house...winter seclusion

sakuo Renku
外は吹雪や　菊想い出す
soto ha fubuki ya kiku omoidasu

snowstorm out side
reminding Kuku, my dear 

women watch woman

1822
Issa 一茶
春風の女見に出る女かな
haru kaze no onna mi ni deru onna kana

David’s English
in the spring breeze
they're out to watch the women...
women!

sakuo Renku
通りすぎるは姫の駕籠かな
toori sugiru ha hime no kago kana

passing by
the palanquin of princess

David’s Comment
The women are out and dressed in their finery. But they seem only to be looking at each other--a keen psychological observation on Issa's part. 

good day

一茶
有明や鶯が鳴く綸が鳴る
ariake ya uguisu ga naku rin ga naru

David’s English
daybreak--
a nightingale sings
a bell rings

sakuo Renku
今日も良き日や仏の御蔭
kyou mo yokihi ya hotoke no okage

today will be good
under Buddha’s Grace 

Basho regret, Issa not

year unknown

Issa　一茶
鶯の苦にもせぬ也茶のけぶり
uguisu no ku ni mo senu nari cha no keburi

David’s English
the nightingale
not at all concerned...
tea smoke

sakuo Comment
A　poem　in China called Toboku made famous poem referring to remembering spring of life.
Based on this histrical origin, Basho made a haiku.

馬に寝て残夢月遠し茶の煙
uma ni nete zan-mu tuki toushi cha no kemuri

sleeping on the back of horse
my spring dream and the moon far away
tea smoke rise

sakuo Renku
芭蕉悔やみし若き日の夢
basho kuyamisi wakaki　hi　no yume

Basho　regreting
his early dream

everywhere Buddha !!

1805

Issa 一茶
空に迄仏ましまして草の花
sora ni made hotoke mashimashite kusa no hana

David's　English

even in the sky
Buddha dwells...
wildflowers

sakuo　Renku
至る所に仏の慈愛
itaru tokoro ni hotoke no jiai

everywhere
Buddha’s Grace