Issa 一茶
朝もやの紛に雁の立にけり
asa moya no magire ni kari no tachi ni keri
David's English
under the cover
of morning's haze
geese taking off
by Issa, 1815
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/
sakuo haiga
leave young wife
hurry to haiku friends
Issa 一茶
秋風にあなた任の小蝶哉
aki kaze ni anata makase no ko cho^ kana
David’s English
in autumn wind
trusting in the Buddha...
little butterfly
. by Issa, 1805
Robin D. Gill assisted with this translation. Literally, the little butterfly "trusts in the Beyond," but in Issa's Pure Land sect this means trusting in the saving power of Amida Buddha to make possible its happy reincarnation, in the next life, in the Pure Land or Western Paradise. The cold autumn wind signifies the fact that death is near for the tiny, fragile creature. But instead of struggling against this inevitability, Issa suggests that the butterfly is surrendering to death, trusting death, and at the same time trusting in the Buddha. This is one of his most memorable images of religious surrender to Amida's "Other Power." http://cat.xula.edu/issa/
sakuo haiga
trust 70 % but uneasy 30%
How about you?
