chattring sparrow

Issa 一茶

むだ鳴になくは雀のまま子哉
muda naki ni naku wa suzume no mamako kana

David’s English

crying his cry
in vain…
the stepchild sparrow

by Issa, 1824
Issa was a stepchild.

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

sakuo haiga

What did Issa cry in this cry.
He cried vain things that is useless thing. Thing useless to whom?
It is to stepmother. At this time his step mother has already die.
Wife sometimes is a mother for his husband.
So in this case his step mother was his second wife who was cool for Issa.
At beginning of their marriage , Issa was very gay to chatter too much.
His second wife was a daughter of warrior whose rule is don’t chat.
So Issa’s second wife said don’t speak too much, you are a man.
Then comes this haiku.