rice planting with family

David’s English
world of man--
a rice field replaces
lotus blossoms

一茶
人の世に田に作るる蓮の花
hito no yo ni ta ni tsukuraruru hasu no hana

by Issa, 1816
1816, Age 54Fourth Month, 14th day, a son, Sentarô, is born. Fifth Month, 11th day, he dies.
It is only 27days life.
This was season of rice planting.
The baby was the first son whom Issa has got after long hard life, 45 years in Edo.
The rice field has become Issa’s asset after long struggle, 13 years with half brother.

sakuo renku
家族で田植えの夢は消えけり
kazoku de taue no yume ha kie keri

planting rice with family
the dream has disappeared

play for a while

David’s English
is the night this nice
in China?
cuckoo

一茶
こんな夜は唐にもあろか時鳥
konna yo wa kara ni mo aro ka hototogisu

by Issa, 1811.
Age 49 staying in Edo. He has been getting position as poet.
The last year was bad year for him.
On January he lost his beloved Mrs. Kakyo. On November he was suspected as a robber by Mr. Natume, big sponsor.
He has been still in the chaos of long struggle on inheritance.

sakuo renku
浮き世離れて暫し遊ばん
ukiyo hanarete sibashi aso ban

free from the world
playing for a while

sorry to wait for long

David ‘s English
do you think
it's too smoky in here?
face of the doll

一茶
煙たいとおぼしめすかよ雛顔
kebutai to oboshimesu ka yo hiina kao

by Issa, 1808
This ku is referred to Issa’s talking.
Issa is politely asking an elegant girl that do you feel smoky.
Smoke is tobacco, the girl is prostitute and the place is high class red zone
that is famous Yoshihara.

sakuo　renku
華の吉原　お待たせ御免
hana no yoshihara omatase omen

flourish Yoshihara
sorry to wait for long

friend of Village

David’s English
I sit too
at the rice planters'
dinner tray

一茶
それがしも田植の膳に居りけり
soregashi mo taue no zen ni suwari keri

by Issa, 1818
Issa became 56 years old.
It is his luckiest time in his life. He married, on June daughter born,
Of course he has owned rice field and he has many haiku friend around.

Staying in Edo, his long absence and work as poet made him solitary
from villager who form solid community for rice cultivation.

Rice planting is key work to support the village community.
So without jointing real work of rice planting he was invited to the dinner.
It was great pleasure for him, and he could get real feeling to
be a company of native village.

sakuo renku
ようやくなれた村の仲間に
youyaku nareta mura no nakama ni

change at last
friend of Village

like mother

David’ｓ English
wildflowers--
all we say or speak about
is autumn wind

一茶
草花やいふもかたるも秋の風
kusa-bana ya iu mo kataru mo aki no kaze

by Issa, 1810
Age 48
On January Mrs. Orimto Kakyo died. She was his haiku student and secretly beloved lady
On April knowing it but he stayed at far Shinano for the negotiations over
his inheritance.
On June lastly he visited her grave.

sakuo Renku.
母のよう慕いし人の今はなし
haha no you shitaisi hito no imaha nashi

beloved lady as like mother
who has gone now

Yours is mine too

David’s English
which, oh which
is your mountain?
cuckoo

dore-dore ga nanji ga yama zo hototogisu

一茶
どれどれが汝が山ぞほととぎす

Issa, 1813
The long battle of inheritance has ended on January.The father’s asset has been divided in two part between Issa and his brother in law.

sakuo Renku
俺の物は俺の物　お前の物も俺の物

Mines is mine and
Yours is mine too

pissing side by side

David’s English
or the neighing horse
the cold night
same as for me

一茶
いななくや馬も夜寒は同じ事
inanaku ya uma mo yozamu wa onaji koto

by Issa, 1808
Age 46 living in Edo, poor life.

sakuo renku
暮れの宿場や連れの小便
kure no syukuba ya ture no syonben

dusk at travel inn
pissing side by side

make love on and under

David’s English
on the high priest's
head...
flies making love

一茶
僧正の頭の上や蝿つるむ
so^jo^ no atama no ue ya hae tsurumu

by Issa, 1825
age 63, last year he married with second wife, after three months he divorced.

sakuo Renku
下の頭も恋の思案
sita no atama mo koi no shian

the head under the flies
thinking make-love

Yumoto Hotel

David’s English
cuckoo--
hot tub steam stirs
as does the grass

一茶
時鳥湯けぶりそよぐ草そよぐ
hototogisu yu keburi soyogu kusa soyogu

by Issa, 1813
Age 51 Second Month, he is living in Kashiwabara in a rented house. In autumn, his inheritance dispute finally settled, he moves into his family home.

sakuo comment
Issa at 51 years old visited hot spring in Yudanaka where he had found his lifelong friend named Kijyo Yumoto whose hotel and Issa memorial museum still exist. http://www.d8.dion.ne.jp/~fandy-y/history.html

sakuo renku
憂き世忘れて希杖とお湯へ
ukiyo wasurete kijyo to oyu he

forgetting troublesome worlds

bathe with Kijyo

scattering happiness

David’s English
the blossoming tree
born to a friendly
existence

一茶
花の木の持って生たあいそ哉
hana no ki no motte umareta aiso kana

1822 his age is 60. on third month his fourth child born, after losing three children.
How lovely was the new baby.

sakuo Renku
幸せの花家中に撒く
siawase no hana iejyu ni maku

happy petals
scattering over home

three snow dolls

David’s English
front gate--
a child is building
Snow Mountain

一茶
門先や童の作る雪の山
kado-zaki ya warabe no tsukuru yuki no yama

by Issa, 1821
59 years old, his second son die on the first month.
He has lost three children.

sakuo Renku
三つ見守る雪だるま哉
mitssu mimamoru yuki-daruma kana

watching them
three snow dolls

moon and plum blossom

David’s English
on one sleeve
the bright moon...
plum blossoms!

一茶
片袖は月夜也けり梅の花
kata sode wa tsuki yo nari keri ume no hana
by Issa, 1821

sakuo Renku
佳人近づく香りの内を
kajin tikazuku kaori no naka wo

Beauty comes up
through the scent

longing for new wife

translated by Dr. David
loafing around
in Kyoto...
autumn wind

Tr. Norman Darlington
hanging about --
even in the blossom capital
the autumn wind

一茶
のらくらや花の都も秋の風
norakura ya hana no miyako mo aki no kaze

1816 Issa stayed in Edo not in Kyoto. So I think 花の都 is not necessary to be Kyoto.
1814 he married , came to Edo, returned at the year end.
1815 he repeated the same pattern [go and back, home village and Edo] 1816 he came to Edo, stayed there during the year.
At this time he had the contradictional desire between staying at home with his new wife and being active in haiku in Edo.

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

forgetting lost treasures

1823 Age 61,
Last year his third son born, so at the New year’s day the baby
has become 10 month old.

what are you doing here?

by Issa, 1804, 42 years old ,living in Edo.
He was very poor.

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

Happy New Year 2007