You are so well.

小林一茶Issa Original
朝顔や再生と秋を咲
asagao ya futatabibae to aki wo saku

David's English
born again
morning-glories make
autumn bloom 1806

sakuo 連句　renku
入りかねてる　秋の入り口
hairi kane teru aki no iriguti

hesitating to go in
at the entrance of Autumn



Reference
1806
44 years old. Lived in Edo. He was active as a haiku-ist
with Seibi group. He has good friends who were Ittupyou ,priest in Hongyou-ji
and Kousyun-Taki at this time.

Long,long way to go!

一茶の原句　Issa original
華の友に又逢ふ迄は幾春や　　
hana no tomo ni mata au made wa ikuharu ya

David's 英訳　English
my blossom comrades
we'll meet again...
how many springs?　　　　Issa 　1791

sakuo 連句　renku
青き海山　越えし君待つ
aoki umi yama/ koeshi kimi matu

waiting you come back
over blue sea and mount



Reference

-Issa, 1791
29 years old, staying in Edo. He was the spectator of Tr.Somaru. visiting Shimofusa district where he will get many haiku friends.
On April he came back to his home village, it has passed 15 years since
he left from there.

To the next page , Ready !

Issa Original
雉の鳴く拍子に春は暮にけり
kiji no naku hyôshi ni haru wa kure ni keri

David's English
to the beat
of a pheasant's cries
spring dusk

sakuo　Renku
ちょん、ちょんお後が/ よろしいようで/
chon chon oato ga/ yorosii you de/

chyon ,chyon ,to the next page
it's ready




-Issa, 1813
５１ years old, On January was the thirteen memorial party of his father's death , the negotiation of father's asset has finished. Many times he visited to haiku friends in North Sinano. On June and July he was ill in bed for blotch.

Too noisy !

Issa Original
笹の家の小言の真似を鳴蛙 　　　
sasa no ya no kogoto no mane wo naku kawazu

David's English
copying the nagging
in the thatched house...
croaking frogs

sakuo Renku
いずれにしても/ うるさかりけり/
izure ni sitemo / urusa kari keri/

at any where　
it's too noisy



-Issa, 1816
54 years old, 2 year before, after getting father's asset, married with Kiku.
On April first son born, soon died. On July at Naganuma, he become
ill. On Octber went to Edo, shaved his head hair.

David's comment
The house is thatched with bamboo grass (sasa).

Oh so cold !

David's English
"Frost has formed!"
he yells
then pisses

1815
53 years old. On last year he has got his father's asset and married with Kiku.
September he went to Edo to publish his poem book. and visited for his haiku friends in Bousou, coming back to his village on December

Issa Original
霜おくと呼る小便序哉 一茶
shimo oku to yobawaru shôben tsuide kana

sakuo Renku
身震いするや家に戻りぬ
After shuddered/ he back to the house/

You sleep well !

David's English
softly snoring--
the cat curled up
on the fan

-Issa, 1815
53 years old. On last year he has got his father's asset and married with Kiku.September he went to Edo for publishing his poem book. And being to Bosyu for visiting his haiku friends, coming back to his village on December

一茶（夏）
づうづうと猫の寝ころぶ扇哉
zu-zu to neko no ne-korobu ougi kana

sakuo remark
[ougi] is not a fan for making wind but for ornament and tool for dance and drama .
Whose　fan is it ?
It is a lady's fan who is sleeping deeply.
Silent and hot summer afternoon it is.

Busy, Busy !

David's English
at dawn
I start the spring...
borrowed clothes

-Issa, 1803
41 years old, living in Edo, in Honjyo, temple named Katuti-in.
visiting around Bousou, especially frequently visit to Akimoto, his rich sponsor in Nagare-yama.
I think he has increased his power as one of haiku-ist.

一茶
明ぼのの春早々に借着哉
akebono no haru haya-baya ni karigi kana

David　Comment
This haiku has the prescript, "Without clothes." The first day of spring was New Year's Day in the old Japanese calendar.

sakuo remark
At the beginning of New Year he needs formal ware for visiting his spongers,
receiving chips for New Year's celebrating.
On early morning he visited a rental shop to borrow formal ware.
He said it's business, business.
Then this haiku has come.

Homu~~ Edo

David's English
even my plum tree
in its own sweet time
has bloomed!

-Issa, 1815
53 years old. On last year he has got his father's asset and married with Kiku.
September he went to Edo to publish his poem book. and being to Bosyu for visiting his haiku friends, coming back to his village on December

一茶
我梅も仕様事なしに咲にけり
waga ume mo shougoto nashi ni saki ni keri

David comment
Shinji Ogawa said shougoto nashi ni saki ni keri goto nashi ni, means "reluctantly." He paraphrases: "my plum tree/ has reluctantly/ bloomed."

sakuo remark
Issa has got every thing at his home village that were the property and haiku sponsors.
This is his longing dream.
But he has lost Edo life and Edo culture.
So he had to get reluctant mood.

Buddha save me !

David's English
on the flesh
of the yellow rose...
a frog　　　　　　

-Issa, 1818
56 years old, stay in Sinano. first daughter was born on May.

Issa Original
山吹の花のはだへの蛙哉 一茶
yamabuki no hana no hadae no kawazu kana

David Comment
This haiku has the prescript, "Eight Merits-Earning Water." This refers to a special pond in the Buddhist Paradise, the water of which contains eight beneficial properties. See Kogo dai jiten (Shogakukan 1983) 1333. By prefacing the haiku in this way, Issa hints that a pond is also part of the scene.

sakuo remark
Issa is the frog who touched on Buddha
in the mood of happiness

So lonely

David's English
gradually the geese
fly away...
rice field moon

-Issa, 1802
40 years old, the year before his farther has died. the trouble on asset
has began that continued for 12 years. He started to go around the province of Northern Kanto area.

Issa Original
段々に雁なくなるや小田の月
dan-dan ni kari nakunaru ya oda no tsuki

sakuo remark
It gives me lone some feeling.

Two parent ,I envy you

David's English
taking turns
guarding the nest...
parent sparrows

-Issa, 1813
５１ years old, On January the thirteen memorial party of his father's death , the negotiation of father's asset has finished. Many times he visited to haiku friends in North Sinano.

Issa Original
かはるがはる巣の番したり親雀 一茶
kawaru-gawaru su no ban shitari oya suzume

sakuo remark
To have two parent is the best, I envy you !

Money, Money, thank you !

David's English
persimmon tree--
the color of gold coins
its leaves

Issa, 1813
５１ years old, On January after long negotiation, he has got the half of father's asset . For retirement, he visited to haiku friends in North Sinano.

Issa Original
柿の葉に小判色なる木の葉哉
kaki no ha [ni] koban iro naru ki [no] ha kana

sakuo remark
Issa has got half of his father's asset that
could make him alive without work.
Thinking his poor life in Edo,
it likes a dream.

The Man of Fox sect !

David's English
from willow tree
from plum tree comes
the fox!

-Issa, 1813
５１ years old, On January the thirteen memorial party of his father's death , the negotiation of father's asset has finished. Many times he visited to haiku friends in North Sinano. On June and July he was ill in bed for blotch.

一茶
柳から梅から御出狐哉
yanagi kara ume kara on-deru kitsune kana

sakuo remark
Issa said, I have got out the Willow sect of haiku.
And I left from Edo that is Plum sect.
Now I am a man of Fox sect in this mountain.

I am tired

David's English
evening sky--
the buzzing of mosquitoes
pretty

-Issa, 1811
49 years old, he lost his last teeth. Next year he will return to
Kasihabara. He has gotten the upper class in the haikuist ranking of
Japan.

一茶
夕空や蚊が鳴出してうつくしき
yûzora ya ka ga nakidashite utsukushiki

sakuo remark
At this time Issa is in desperate condition.
He was loosing to be young. He lost his haiku friends.
He could not get his father's asset.

Good summer night

David English
my dwelling--
mingling with the mice
pretty fireflies

-Issa, 1813
５１ years old, On January the thirteen memorial party of his father's death , the negotiation of father's asset has finished. Many times he visited haiku friend in North Sinano. On June and July he was ill in bed for blotch.

一茶
我宿や 鼠と仲の よい蛍
waga yado ya nezumi to naka no yoi hotaru

sakuo remark
Issa, poet and brother, farmer ,they are under summer night.
Poet, firefly and farmer, mice , they talk friendly.

Kill a fly,and Pray for Buddah

David English
swatting a fly
today I hear it again...
mountain bell

1806
44 years old. Lived in Edo.

Issa Original
蝿打てけふも聞也山の鐘 一茶
hae uchite kyô mo kiku nari yama no kane

David Comment
The bell belongs to a Buddhist temple. Perhaps Issa feels a tinge of guilt for taking a life: violating one of Buddha's main precepts. And just as he does the dirty deed, as if to personally chide him, the temple bell tolls in the distance.

sakuo remark
The fly comes and disturbｓ me,
listen mountain temple bell.

Men absent, Let go pic nick

David English
mountain goblins
are out in droves...
cherry blossoms!
goblin

1825
Age 63, before 2 years of his death. Last year he was stricken with paralysis.
Next year he will get married again.

Issa Original
天狗衆の留主のうち咲く山ざくら 一茶
tengushu no rusu [no] uchi saku yama-zakura

David　Comment
Tengu are fierce-looking, red-faced, and long-nosed creatures. This haiku ends with "mountain cherry blossoms" (yama-zakura); in my translation, to balance the lines, I put "mountain" first.

sakuo remark
The men have gone, let us go to pick nick !

Super cold !

David English
down to the bone
bitter cold...
the novice priest

1817
55 years old. married at 52 years old with Kiku, next year he get first son but soon died. From January to June stayed in Edo, and returned to Kashiwabara.

Issa Original
しんしんと心底寒し新坊主 一茶
shin-shin to shinsoko samushi shin bôzu

David comment
One of the old meanings of shin-shin to is a "body-piercing cold"; Kogo dai jiten (Shogakukan 1983) 858.
As if to place emphasis on the coldness, the "cold" sound of shin is repeated four times.

sakuo remark
The novice priest has first experience,
feeling cold with newly shaved head.
Oh cold ！

Cold, but must go !

David English
palms
in the cooking smoke
winter cold

-Issa, 1803
41 years old, living in Edo, visiting around Bousou,
especially frequently visit to Akimoto,
his good sponsor .


Issa Original
掌に酒飯けぶる寒さ哉 一茶
tenohira ni sakameshi keburu samu[sa] kana

sakuo remark
In cold morning, Issa prepared to the journey.
He made Onigiri (rice ball ) with last night rice.
When he the rice put in his palm, the rice even became cold,
it smoked in the bitter cold .
He said to himself "I must go, if it's cold day"

[ sakamesi] is the rice boiled with tea and sake.

Beautibul the face is !

David English
reaching the face
of Buddha in his niche...
autumn wind　　　　　 1805

Issa Original
穴底の仏の顔も秋の風 一茶
anasoko no hotoke no kao mo aki no kaze

sakuo Comment
[hotoke] is not Buddha but dead man who was buried in to
the grave.
The death mask is so clean that there is no lingering affection.
It looks like autumn window

Coming Master!

David English
with the samisen's
　　　　plectrum sweeping up...
　　　　　hailstones 1821
　　　　　

-Issa, 1821
59 years old. on January his second son died on his mother's back. On April his wife got sick of gout .

一茶
三絃のばちで掃きやる霰哉
samisen no bachi de haki yaru arare kana

David Comment
A samisen is a long-necked, three-stringed banjo-like instrument, plucked with a plectrum. Here, someone is finding a new use for the latter.

sakuo image
A woman was waiting for her lover.
She had idle moment with playing samisen,
He didn't come, and hailstones come.
Then she swept them with plectrum

Servant suddenly said, Master is coming !

Have a nice topic !

David English
suddenly circling
the outdoor sermon...
little butterflies 1822

Issa 1822
60 years old, On March the third son born, On August injured by
slipping on the road, wrote the books of haiku.

Issa Original
野談義をついととりまく小蝶哉 一茶
no dangi wo tsui to torimaku ko chô kana

David Comment
A Buddhist priest gives a sermon in a field--probably about Amida's saving grace. Several "pious" butterflies attend along with the people.

Tsui to can mean satto ("suddenly") or migaru ni ("with agility"); Kogo dai jiten (Shogakukan 1983) 1075.

sakuo Comment
This is not sermon but just only conversation on the field.
Dangi means speaking formal topic, but is not used only for religious content.
I think Issa saw villagers talking on the field. They discussed mean less topic that happened in the village.
He would wish to tease them.

sakuo remark
よう　やってるね！
Now you're cooking!

Long spring day !

David English
a skylark sings--
a man facing sunset 1804

-Issa, 1804
42 years old, live in Edo, getting new haiku friends in Natume's group.
And Nakamura and other haiku friend had come to Edo from Kasihabara, his home village.

Issa Original
鳴雲雀人の顔から日の暮るる 一茶
naku hibari hito no kao kara hi no kururu

sakuo remark
Today is a long day !

All belong to Buddha

Issa Original
仏法がなくば光らじ草の露 一茶
buppô ga nakuba hikaraji kusa no tsuyu

David English
without Buddha's law
no glitter...
dewdrops in the grass

Issa's 1818,
Age 56 Fifth Month, 4th day, a daughter, Sato, is born.

Sakuo Remark
Thank you, Buddha for giving me a baby

Simple but easy

David English
planting vegetables
living in mist...
little house 　 --1815

小林一茶
菜も蒔いてかすんで暮らす小家哉
na mo maite kasunde kurasu ko ie kana

Issa, 1815
53 years old. On last year he has got his father's asset and married with Kiku.
September he went to Edo to publish his poem book. and being to Bosyu for visiting his haiku friends, coming back to his village on December

sakuo　remark
Getting father's asset and married.
Simple life but I am easy.