festive jelly

Issa 一茶 1819

こんにゃくもお十二日はつ時雨

konnyaku mo o-ju^ ni nichi zo hatsu shigure

 

David’s English

for festive jelly too
the venerable Twelfth Day...
first winter rain

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Tenth Month, 12th day is the Death-Day anniversary of the great poet, Basho^. This day is also called "First Winter Rain Anniversary" (shigure ki). Shinji Ogawa explains that konnyaku might be translated, "devil's tongue jelly." Konnyaku is kneaded devil's tongue root (Amorphophallus Rivieri). http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga