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Friday, July 02, 2010

horse-shit mountain

chrysanthemum blooming
horse-shit mountain...
one scene

kiku saku ya ma-guso yama mo hito keshiki
.菊さくや馬糞山も一けしき
by Issa, 1813

Translated by David , http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

all are happy color
and gorden color
mina shiawase no kogane-iro nari
.皆幸せの黄金色なり

Renku by Sakuo

Renku by you in comment page, please!

Thursday, July 01, 2010

New renku Issa & Sakuo

Milkyway[Jul. 2nd, 2010|10:59 am]
in cold water sipping the stars...Milky Way
冷水にすすり込だる天の川 by Issa

and David' translation.

the loneliness of travel soaks into my stomach
旅の寂しさ腹に浸みこむ by Sakuo

Monday, May 31, 2010

sweet


Masajo真砂女 1969 age 64

白玉や愛す人にも嘘ついて
shiratama ya aisu hito nimo uso tsuite

sweet rice dumplings---
even to my love
a little white lie

This is one of my favorite haiku. I fibbed and knew it well. This happened
one day---the cute fib of a woman.

Seasonal word: sweet rice dumpling( summer )

Trans; Lee & Emiko
Note:Shiratama is a rice-flour dumpling chilled and served with brown
sugar syrup, a popular summer sweet. The whit of the shira( white)
tama( ball-shped thing) is very refreshing in the heat.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Iris


the long skinny snake's
Shinto shrine...
irises

hoso-nagai hebi no yashiro ya
kakitsubata

細長い蛇の社や杜若

by Issa, 1818

With a smile, Issa suggests that the shrine belongs to the snake.

Trans:David Lanoue

Friday, May 28, 2010

firefly in a cage

Masajo 真砂女 1976 age 70

蛍篭見られて悪き手紙も来ず

Lee & Emiko's English

firefly in a cage---
clandestine letters
come no more

Seasonal word: firefly ( summer)

Note: While Masajo stayed in her marriage, she recieved secret letters
from her lover. Now she is out of that marriage, there are no more such letters, nor such excitment.

sakuo haiga


Monday, May 24, 2010

100525northern rain


Issa, 1803 age 42

北時雨火をたく顔のきなくさき

cold northern rain--
the fire-starter's face
smells burnt

Tran by Dr.David

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

Sunday, May 23, 2010

deep plum rain


Masajo 真砂女 1976、 age70

梅雨ふかし見えざる糸を誰が引く

tsuyu fukashi miezaru ito wo dare ga hiku


Lee & Emikos English

deep plum rain---

this invisible string

who is pulling it?


seasonal word ( summer ) 

Sakuo haiga


Sunday, April 18, 2010

now I watch


Issa 一茶1813 age 51

now I watch
with careful attention...
autumn dusk

ima ni natte nen irite miru aki no kure

今に成って念入て見る秋の暮

translated by Dr. David http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

Sakuo note; 1813, Age 51

In autumn Issa’s inheritance dispute finally settled, he moves into his family home. It has passed 12 years since his father’s died.

Father’s asset was divided half and half between the brothers.



Saturday, April 10, 2010

warmth

Masajo 鈴木真砂女 1976年70歳

かのことのもしも還らば暖かし
kano koto no moshi mo kaeraba atatakashi

Lee & Emiko’s English

that memory
if it comes to life again…
warmth within me

Seasonal word ( spring)

Sakuo note: Masajo’s first husband was very handsome guy. He always remind
me Dean Martin . He visited her home by motor bike.
After happy marriage with her, he suddenly disappeared leaving her and child. It is said because of big loss of gamble. Masajo’s dramatic life has started from this point.




Masajo haiga

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

pagoda

Issa 一茶1818 age 56

how good
to see a pagoda!
billowing clouds

yoi hodo ni to^ no mie keri kumo no mine

よい程に塔の見へけり雲の峰

Issa is playing the game of imagining what shapes in the clouds look like. In one of them he perceives the pagoda of a Buddhist temple. translated by David Lanoue http://cat.xula.edu/issa/


Tuesday, March 30, 2010

sleepless


Masajo真砂女 1969 age 63

冬の夜の海眠らねば眠られず

fuyu no yo no umi nemura neba nemura rezu


Lee & Emiko’s English

a night in winter---

unless the sea can slumber

I too am sleepless

As the night deepens the surf sound gets into my ears and I can not fall asleep.

People do sleep at night, but the sea does not. I will stay awake with the sea;

the sea is alive.


Season word: a night in winter ( winter )


sakuo haiga

Sunday, March 28, 2010

servants

Issa, 1795 age 33

the servants
all are new...
Little New Year's

meshi tsukai atarashiki kana ko sho^gatsu

召仕新しき哉小正月

Little New Year's is celebrated on the 15th and 16th days of First Month. Meshi tsukau is an old expression for a nobleman sending for a person to come and render a service; Kogo dai jiten (Shogakukan 1983) 1612. Shinji Ogawa notes that in Issa's time, this phrase could signify any one of a wide range of employees, from samurai to maids.

http://cat.xula.edu/issa/ by David Lanoue.



Saturday, March 20, 2010

with snow

Masajo 真砂女 1969 age 63


風立つとかなしびあへり雪の樹々

kaze tatsu to kanashibi aeri yuki no kigi


Lee & Emiko’s English

when the wind blows

they share their sorrow---

trees covered with snow


sakuo haiga


Tuesday, March 16, 2010

singing plover

Issa 一茶 1815  Age 53

けぶたくも庵を放れな鳴千鳥

kebutaku mo io wo hanare na naku chidori

David’s English

though it's smoky
don't leave my hut!
singing plover

.

Kebutai or kebutashi is an old word meaning to suffocate on smoke; Kogo dai jiten (Shogakukan 1983) 570. http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

Sakuo note;

Who is a plover? At the time Issa’s new bride was in the hut.

She was crying her solitude, because Issa was stay at Edo from September to December 21. The plover was Issa’s new bride.

What does it mean smoky? Issa’s step mother’s family lived at the next of Issa’s house. Issa and the family had struggled for long years on father’s assets.

Both families felt smoky each others.

At Edo city Issa was thinking his young bride who was solitary at the home.

Sakuo’s haiga



Saturday, March 13, 2010

loneliness

Masajo 真砂女 1969 age 63

さびしさの雪掬ふとききはまるか

sabishi sa no yuki suku’u toki kiwamaru ka

Lee & Emiko’s English

loneliness---

as I scoop the snow

it overcomes me

Seasonal word: snow(winter)

sakuo haiga


flowering raoe

Issa 一茶 1812  Age 50

なの花のとっぱづれ也ふじの山

na no hana no toppazure nari fuji no yama

David’s English

at the edge
of the flowering rape...
Mount Fuji

Rape (or canola) is a bright yellow flowering plant of Asia.

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

sakuo haiga

At this time he stayed in Edo,visiting haiku friends in Bousou in Kantou field.. This hu is read at there.


Tuesday, March 09, 2010

white peach

Masajo 真砂女 1969 age 63


白桃に人刺すごとく刃を入れて

hakuto ni hito sasu gotoku ha wo irete


Lee&Emiko’s English


into a white peach

like stabbing someone

the knife’s edge


Seasonal word: white peach (summer)


sakuo haiga


Monday, March 08, 2010

sleeping in

Issa 一茶 1821 age 59

寝並んで小蝶と猫と和尚哉

ne narande ko cho^ to neko to osho^ kana

Davids English

sleeping in a row--
little butterfly, cat
pries

The priest is a head priest. In the poem, Issa shows relationship and loving connection between three quite different creatures. Presented in a progression from small to large; the butterfly, cat and priest show themselves to be, in the moment, a little family.

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

sakuo haiga


Friday, March 05, 2010

pampas grass

Masajo 真砂女 1969 age 63


芒野に心の責苦捨てに出づ

susukino ni kokoro no semeku sute ni izu

Lee&Emiko’s English


field of pampas grass---

I go there to cast away

the anguish of my heart

Seasonal word: field of pampas grass (autumn)

sakuo haiga




Saturday, February 27, 2010

rain or shine

Issa 一茶  1811 age 49

雨笠も日笠もあなた任せ哉

ama-gasa mo higasa mo anata makase kana


David’s English

umbrella-hats
sun hats...
trust in Buddha!

The phrase anata makase ("trust in the Beyond!") refers specifically to trusting in the saving power of Amida Buddha. "Umbrella-hats" (ama-gasa) and "parasols" (higasa) protect from rain and sun, respectively. Issa's meaning seems to be: Rain or shine, the best course is to trust in Buddha!

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

sakuo haiga



Wednesday, February 24, 2010

morning glory

Masajo 真砂女 1969 age 63

朝顔は実に幸せは小さきに足る

asagao wa mi ni shiawase wa chisaki ni taru


Lee&Emiko’s English

morning -glory

the small promise of its seeds

is sufficient

I will not set my hopes too high. This humble happiness at hand now is what I must treasure. T morning-glory that bloomed every morning is bearing seeds now. I will gather them for next year to grow the beautiful flowers again.

Seasonal word: morning-glory (autumn)


sakuo haiga

Monday, February 22, 2010

sleeping tree

Issa 一茶 1813 age 51

長の日やびんづるどのと合歓の花
naga no hi ya binzuru dono to nemu [no] hana

David’s English

a long day--
Holy Binzuru and blossoms
of
sleeping tree

Binzuru is a Buddhist saint, one of the 16 Enlightened Ones. Folk custom dictates that if one prayerfully rubs his image, he or she will recover from illness; 
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga


Friday, February 19, 2010

spring dry

Masajo 真砂女 1969 age 63


わが汲めば泉涸るるか罪数多

waga kumeba izumi karuruka tsumi amata


Lee & Emiko translation

when I draw water

will the spring run dry?

so many sins of mine


Seasonal word: a spring ( summer)


Sakuo Haiga