"070524 accusing the pine" on Google Video

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4238314363568064418&hl=en

1809, age 47, Issa lived in Edo.
This is the first attempt of musical haiku with sounds and pictures.
The music is played by Issui Mimegishi with monochord Koto that is
the oldest koto, accompanying traditional poem, Japanese waka.

sakuo.

cloud peaks

David’s English
the peaks of clouds
behind one blade of grass
vanish

kumo no mine kusa ippon ni kakure keri
一茶
.雲の峰草一本にかくれけり

by Issa, 1812

David’s comment
An interesting experiment with perspective.

sakuo’s image
In hot summer day, Issa was on journey.
He felled down into thicket
After a little sleep, he awaked and sees summer sky.

offering box

David’s English
deep in the thicket
an offering box...
plum blossoms

一茶
.薮尻のさいせん箱や梅の花
yabu shiri no saisen hako ya ume no hana

by Issa, 1819, 57 years old, live in home Village.



Image
The place is road side. A little Temple in which there is Buddha statue.
Issa offer and play for his daughter who was born on May of last year.

blue hanging bell

David’s English
coolness--
a blue hanging bell
red blossoms

suzushisa ya aoi tsuri-gane akai hana
一茶
.涼しさや青いつりがね赤い花

by Issa, 1825

Additional image
Hanging bell is in Temple.
Suppose red blossom were ladies, the blue bell should be young man.
Temple plus young man come to young priest, whose head is shaved,
blue and cool.

according to Master's feeling

David’s English
in autumn wind
gone belly up...
katydid

aki kaze ya hara no ue naru kirigirisu
一茶
.秋風や腹の上なるきりぎりす

by Issa, 1810 Age 48

Observation
Why Katydid is sitting on the belly.
Isn’t it natural that he is sitting on grass?
Autumn is severe season for the insect, because he has neither food nor hall
for surviving over winter.
If kaｔydid was Issa, who has neither house nor food ,stable income.
He is depending on sponsor’s support.
That means the belly. so to say, he depend on sponsor’s favors.

sakuo renku
死ぬも生きるも旦那次第

Life and death are
according to Master’s feeling.

a hermit mum

by Issa, 1821
60 years old.
Who is hermit mum?
It is Kiku, his wife who has lost three babies.
1821 First Month, Ishitarô
1819 Sixth Month, Sato dies of smallpox.
1816 Fifth Month, Sentaro dies.

sakuo renku
ただ俯いて菊草むしり
tada utumuite Kiku kusa musiri

merely looking down
Kiku plucks grass

young bride

David’s English
even for me
there's a guardian god...
blossoming spring

by Issa, 1816
1814 married with young bride.

sakuo renku
若い嫁っ子肩揉んでくれる
wakai yometsuko kata monde kureru

young wife
massages my shoulder

source of dispute

by Issa, 1824
Last year his first wife, Kiku died. After one year he married second wife, Yuki. they divorce soon. Kiku is chrysanthemum in Japanese.

sakuo連句
菊のイメージ　喧嘩の種に
kiku no ime-ji kenka no tane ni

Kiku’s image
source of dispute