smoking ban

by Issa, 1824

Dr. David translation and comment
For Issa who enjoyed his pipe, a smoking ban was a hard thing.

sakuo Haiku
And we now, smokers are suffering from smoking ban all over the world.

pine tree shade

by Issa 1819 age 57, sixth month his daughter die.

Dr. David translate, http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo renku and renga

to one side

Issa year unknown.

Dr.David translation. http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo renku and renga

work so hard

by Issa 1820, Age 58

Chrysanthemum is Kiku, his wife.
Why didn’t Kiku drink him even dewdrop?

Answer is in death and birth of their children.
1819, sixth month their daughter died.
1820, tenth months their second son is born.
The boy was got pregnant at the first month of the year.
It would be possible that Kiku had urged Issa to make baby.
Issa must so hardly work.

how industrious! shooing the fly

Issa 1824.

Dr.David translation.

sakuo renku.

the nape of neck

Issa 1820

David's translation and comment.
"Heaven's River" refers to the Milky Way. In my first translation I read bon no kubo literally as the recess of a tray, but Sakuo Nakamura alerted me to the fact that Issa is using the expression colloquially to mean, "nape of the neck."

sakuo renku

who are hordes of hell?

David’s English
today even the
hordes of hell celebrate
the new year

kyo^ koso wa jigoku no shu^ mo o-sho^gatsu

.けふこそは地獄の衆もお正月

by Issa, 1820

sakuo comment
The hordes of hell are the heavy workers in this world.
who belong to the lowest class in the society.

sakuo renku and renga

bat in a village without birds

by Issa, 1820 age 57, living in home village. Last year his daughter died.

Key phrase.
There has been a Japanese proverb, saying “ bat in a village without birds”
It means when there is no great person, a petty person wears a big face

sakuo renku
都の話に口開けたきり

big talk on Capital
mouths remain open

visit http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

translated by Dr.David

black kites reeling

by Issa, 1815 age 53, last year he married with young bride.

David’s comment
http://haikuguy.com/issa/search.php?keywords=black+kites+reeling&year=1815

plum blossom moon

by Issa, 1798 , the last year of his 7 years journey to Shaigoku(western area)

花札（japanese　cards）Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanafuda

two claps

By Issa, 1803 , age 41,living in Edo.
He used to go around his haiku friends in Bouso area.

On his trip in summer, he dropped into the shrine that was surrounded with
forest.
As Japanese custom, he prayed the god with two bows, two claps and
one bow.
In still forest the mountain cuckoo sang twice just like response to his two claps.

Fir tree is used as the God’s symbol pole, [onbashira 御柱]
The most famous one is in Suwa Shrine that is in Issa’s home,
Shinano area.

sakuo renku and renga