dog and inscet

一茶　1816
山犬の穴の中よりきりぎりす
yama inu no ana no naka yori kirigirisu


David’s English
crawling out
the wild dog's hole...
a katydid

Issa, 1816　 Age 54

sakuo Renku
犬と虫との妙な二重奏
inu to mushi to no myouna nijyuusou

dog and insect
strange duet

trudging

一茶　　1821
でくでくと蚤まけせぬや田舎猫
deku-deku to nomi make senu ya inaka neko

David’s English
trudging along
enduring his fleas...
country cat


Issa, 1821 Age 54.
7 years has passed from his marriage.
Issa was tired of his wife.

sakuo renku 連句
あらが見え来る結婚七年
ara ga mie kuru ketsukon hiti nen

her defect appearing
after 7 year’s marriage

morning frost

一茶　　1820
朝霜やしかも子どものお花売
asa shimo ya shikamo kodomo no o-hana uri

David’s English
morning frost--
yet still a child
sells flowers

Issa, 1820　age 58.
Last June his first daughter died

sakuo　連句
あるだけ買って娘の墓へ
aru dake katsute musume no haka he

buy all her flowers
to daughter’s grave

60 years old

一茶　
まん六の春と成りけり門の雪
manroku no haru to nari keri kado no yuki

David’s English
some "proper spring"
this is!
snow at the gate

by Issa 1822

This first haiku of the year has a prescript in which Issa claims that Gautama Buddha, waking up one morning and seeing the light of the stars, came to a realization that he had been living in sin for the previous forty-nine years. Issa, though he now has reached his own sixtieth year, declares that he is too set in his ways to change. He will remain a fool, he declares. See Makoto Ueda, Dew on the Grass: The Life and Poetry of Kobayashi Issa (Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2004) 140. Issa doesn't mention his age in the haiku itself. It is springtime, but winter's snow is still piled up at the gate, suggesting that Issa, like the weather, has not changed. Manroku is an old word that signifies propriety, justice, or fairness; Kogo dai jiten (Shogakukan 1983) 1547.
visit http://cat.xula.edu/issa/


sakuo translation
60 years old
my new spring
snow at my gate

Issa, 1822 age 60.
According Japanese custom, people celebrate the age of 60 years,
because animal calendar year is consisted by 12 kind of animals.
After 5 around, 60 years has passed. 60 years is believed lucky circle of long life.
People celebrate the 60 years old as happy being.
満六 manroku means [ full 60 years old ]. The celebration is called [kanreki 還暦]

mother cat

一茶　1823
女猫子ゆへの盗とく逃よ
onna neko ko yue no nusumi toku nige yo

David’s English
mother cat
steals for her kittens...
run faster!

millet cake

一茶 1818
ひへ餅にあんきな春が来たりけり
hie mochi ni ankina haru ga kitari keri

David’s translation
with cold rice cake
a peaceful spring
rolls in

sakuo’s translation
[ankina] has double meaning. One is peaceful. Another is an [ anko, 餡子、bean-paste] and kina [kinako,黄な粉,soybean flour]
[hie] is not cold but barn millet. It means Issa’s poor life.

with millet cake
sweet spring
has come


Issa 1818, Age 56
Fifth Month, 4th day, a daughter, Sato, is born.

sakuo renku
餡子や黄粉腹に子宝
anko ya kinako hara ni kodakara

bean-paste and soybean flour
in stmoch treasure baby

pebbles pounding

一茶　1816
小庇や砂利打やうな秋の雨
ko-bisashi ya jari utsu yo^na aki [no] ame

David’s English
like pebbles pounding
the eaves...
autumn rain

sakuo　Renku
親鳥の皆去り逝きし秋嵐
oya-tori no minna sariyukishi aki arashi

parent birds
all gone away
autumn storm

the love cat

一茶　　1821
恋猫や恐れ入たる這入口
koi neko ya osore-itaru hairiguchi

David’s English
the lover cat
filled with remorse
at my door

sakuo Renku
思いがけなく開く雨戸かな
omoigakenaku aku amado kana

unexpectedly open
a sliding shutter

wearing umbrella

一茶 1823
人々や笠きて花の雲に入
hito-bito [ya] kasa kite hana no kumo ni iru

David's English
wearing umbrella-hats
they enter the blossom
clouds

sakuo Renku
雨の山道さくら満開
ame no yamamiti sakura mankai

mountain road in rain
cherry blossoms in full bloom

temple blossoms

一茶　
寺の花はり合もなく散りにけり
tera no hana hariai mo naku chiri ni keri

David’s English
the temple blossoms
without struggle
fall

Issa, 1822 60 years old.
He has lost three babies till this time

sakuo renku
三人の子供の墓に櫻散る
sannin no kodomo no haka ni sakura tiru

on the graves
of three children
cherry blossom falling

next room

一茶
次の間の行灯で寝る夜寒哉
tsugi no ma no andon de neru yo samu kana

David’s English
by the next room's lamplight
I sleep...
a cold night

sakuo renku
われは一人寝隣は二人
ware ha hitori ne tonari ha futari

mines single bed
next double bed

night mist

小林　一茶　1819年　57歳
.夕霧や馬の覚し橋の穴
yûgiri ya uma no oboeshi hashi no ana

David’s English
night mist--
the horse remembers
the bridge's hole

sakuo renku
落ちずに済んで又霧の中
otizu ni sunde mata kiri no naka

without dropping
again into the mist

the penny toss hole

一茶　1812年
穴一のあなかしましや花の陰
ana ichi no ana kashimashi ya hana no kage

David’s English
an uproar 'round
the penny toss hole...
blossom shade

sakuo paint

gums for grinders

一茶　1813年
.すりこ木のやうな歯茎も花の春
surikogi no yo^na haguki mo hana no haru

David’s English
with gums for grinders
greeting the blossoming
spring

by Issa, 1813

Literally, his gums are "like pestles" (surikogi no yo^na). Though he may be missing teeth, Issa greets the new year, new spring with excitement.

sakuo paint