back light

David’s English
wisteria trellis--
behind it, in the light
wildflowers

fuji-dana ya ushiro akari no kusa no hana
一茶
.藤棚や後ろ明りの草の花

by Issa, 1809
age 47, staying in Edo.

sakuo reasoning
Key is 後ろ明り　the back light, that imply Buddha existing.
Buddha light up everything, wisteria as well as wild flowers

sakuo renku
ここにも来ている仏の恵み
koko nimo kiteiru hotoke no megumi

Buddha's favoring
has come even here

big chrysanthemum

David’s English
in the cloudburst
chin up, back straight...
chrysanthemum

一茶
.夕立やしゃんと立てる菊の花
yu^dachi ya shan to tatteru kiku no hana

by Issa, 1825
Last year　married second time, but divorced only after two month.
being paralyzed, carried by palanquin

sakuo renku
Issa’s haiku about his first wife named Kiku(chyisantheumus)
big chrysanthemum—
a never-say-die
demeanor

負けたと言わぬ菊想い出す
maketa to iwanu kiku omoi dasu
-
remember Kiku
never say die

new summer robe

David’s English
this day perhaps
even I'll do it...
new summer robe

一茶
.けふの日や替てもやはり苔衣
kyo^ no hi ya kaete mo yahari kokegoromo

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.
Next year he will marry

sakuo renku
野越え山越え今日も業俳
no koe yama koe kyou mo gyouhai

over field and mountain
today too professional poet
.
David’s comment
Issa uses the unusual expression kokegoromo ("moss clothing") to signify a summer garment.

wooden clogs

David’s English
in my wooden clogs
raising a racket!
winter moon

一茶
.我はけば音せる下駄ぞ冬の月
ware hakeba oto seru geta zo fuyu no tsuki

by Issa, 1816
Age 54　married.

spring sandals

Issa, 1808
age 46, living in Edo,

sakuo renku
馴染集まり句会始まる
najimi atumari kukai hajimaru

regular members gather
haiku meeting begin

with Issa over time and space

View full size

the poet spot

David’s English
Yamazaki--
the nightingale from the mountain, too
a third-class guest

一茶
.山崎や山鶯も下々の客
yamazaki ya yama uguisu mo gege no kyaku

by Issa, 1814
Age 52, on April married.

Sakuo renku
Yamazaki is the name of place where is near Kyoto, the Capital in Issa’s time. The place has been important for transportation as well as beautiful sight.
So it has been written in many poems by famous poets who were Otoba-jyoukou, Fujihara-Teika and Arihara-Narihira.

Mountain nightingale is Issa himself.

renku
上皇定家 業平も居り
Jyokou Teika Narihira mo ori

Jyokou Teika
and Narihira are there

come on my descendants

David’s English
making love
in the withered fields...
locusts

.枯々の野辺に恋するいなご哉
一茶
kare-gare no nobe ni koi suru inago kana

by Issa, 1810
Age 48Negotiations over his inheritance take place.

sakuo renku
人生末期　早く子種を
jinnsei maltsuki hayaku kodane wo

my life approaching to the last
come on my descendants

muddy New Year!

David's English
muddy clogs
at the gates...
must be spring!

一茶
.門々の下駄の泥より春立ぬ
kado-gado no geta no doro yori haru tachinu

by Issa, 1810 age 48.
On this New year, Issa stay in Edo.

sakuo renku
雪道歩き年賀の挨拶
yukiniti aruki nenga no aisatu

walking on snow road
greeting Happy New year

action film of spring

David’s English
through heat shimmers
the murmuring
rain

一茶
.陽炎にさらさら雨のかかりけり
kagero^ ni sara-sara ame no kakari keri

by Issa, 1807

sakuo renku
太陽と雲の春の活劇
taiyou to kumo no haru no katsugeki

the sun and cloud
the action film of spring

single New Year

David’s English
cheering the year's
first sky...
even sparrows!

一茶
.初空をはやしこそすれ雀迄
hatsu-zora wo hayashi koso sure suzume made

by Issa, 1817
At the end of before year , leaving his wife at home village,
being ill in bed, he stayed over at Sairin-temple.
On new years day he visited his best friend in Hongyou-temple.

sakuo renku
心は寒き一人正月
kokoro ha samuki hitori syougatu

heart is cold
single New Year

great perspective

David’s English
the distant mountain
reflected in his eyes...
dragonfly

一茶
.遠山が目玉にうつるとんぼ哉
to^yama ga medama ni utsuru tonbo kana

by Issa, 1820

sakuo renku
とんぼ見る
一茶を又見る
遠近法
tonbo miru itsusa mata miru enkinhou

looking dragon
Issa whom I see
in perspective

pilgrimage's child

David’s English
duckweed--
rescuing a fish scooped up
with a little sedge hat

一茶
.浮草や魚すくふたる小菅笠
ukikusa ya uo sukuutaru ko suge-gasa

by Issa　year unknown.

？？reasoning
1, duckweed is floating weed that has no settled place.
2, a fish scooping is childish play.
3, little sedge hat should be wore by child, because of being little.

!! Jumping
1, no settled place is beggar who is similar to pilgrimage.
2 a little sedge hat is pilgrimage’s child.
3, not adult but child could scoop fish with hat.

sakuo renku
遍路の子供
魚に夢中

pilgrimage’s child
forgetting himself with fish

Old and Youth !!

David’s English
where piss dribbles,
dribbles down...
irises

一茶
.小便のたらたら下や杜若
sho^ben no tara-tara dare ya kakitsubata

by Issa,
1818, Age 56 Fifth Month, 4th day, a daughter, Sato, is born. On 1814, age 54 married.

sakuo renku
oito wakasa no natu no kyouen
老いと若さの　夏の競演

Old and youth
Summer contest

To visit http://cat.xula.edu/issa/where piss dribbles,

red dog and Irises

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.
This ku conveys the peace mood on May. He has been in really peaceful mind.

sakuo.

Noble Heike and octopus

Basho　Original
蛸壺やはかなき夢を夏の月
tako tubo ya hakanaki yume wo natu no tuki

an octopus pot ---
inside, a short-lived dream
under the summer moon

By Basho 1688, 45 years old, read this ku at Suma of Seto nai kai (inland sea) where noble Heike and his family die jumping to the sea. Basho was reminding the fact.


sakuo renku
Heike mo tako mo onaji yume miru
平家も蛸も同じ夢見る

Noble Heike and octopus
dream same dream.

Basho's Haiku

[Everyday Issa] has been not delivered from Dr.David, so today I pick up Basho sensei.

Basho original 1684
道のべの　むくげは馬に　くわれけり
miti nobe no mukuge wa uma ni kuware keri

English translated by Barnhill
http://www.modernhaiku.org/bookreviews/Barnhill
roadside rose of
sharon devoured
by my horse

sakuo renku
花は見送る旅立ちの朝

the flower look after
departure morning