cold cold

Issa,original 1803
.風寒し寒し寒しと瓦当哉
kaze samushi samushi samushi to gwato^ kana

David's English and comment
"The wind
is cold! cold! cold!"
ceramic lamp

Issa imagines that his "ceramic lamp" (to^sei) is speaking ... and complaining.


Gabi’s information on gwato^瓦当
gatou mon'you　瓦当文様

sakuo aditinal

night traveler

Issa original
.夕涼に笠忘れけり後の宿　
yu^suzu ni kasa wasure keri ato no yado

David’s English
evening cool—
my umbrella-hat left
at the last inn

1821 age 59 http://cat.xula.edu/issa/　
after his marriage 7 years has passed. He already lost three children.

sakuo adtional
先に届いて夜旅迎える　

sakini totoite yotabi mukaeru

having been delivered
meet night traveler

lying spread-eagle

by Issa, 1813

David's comment http://haikuguy.com/issa/search.php?keywords=lying+spread-eagle&year=1813

sakuo comment.
1813, age51, In autumn, his inheritance dispute finally settled, he moves into his family home.
The dispute has longed for 13 years. Finally he got the half of father’s asset from his half brother’s family.
Almost villagers have supported half brother’s side.

sakuo renku.

Rat Day

by Issa
year unknown but same haikus in 1817 .
As formal wears instead of [formal trousers] there are used [courtier’s cap] and [a sword strapped] in those haikus.

Dr. David translates and comments

sakuo comment
Starting at Royal court, the Rat Day became popular spring festival
in Edo era.
Probably Issa would see his first son among the children.
He has died on May last year


Szeryng / Rubinstein - Beethoven Sonata No. 5 "Spring"

Mum wine

by Issa, 1820, Age 58.
Last year his daughter died.
Tenth month, his second son is born.

David's translation

sakuo comment and renku
かくれや＝not select house, a hut remote from residence.
呑手を雇ふ; what for the drinkers were hired ?
菊の酒; Mum Festival wine, I could’t find Festival in original haiku.
Mum is his wife, Kiku, chrysanthemum.
Last question; why his wife hired the drinkers, She was expected to
have a baby at early date, wishing that Issa doesn’t get out for drinking.
Then she called drinking friends to her home.

autum butterfly

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.

David’s comment


sakuo renku & renga


Harvest moon--- video

dance with cat

by Issa, 1820 age 58.
Last year Sixth month dear daughter died.

Dr.David translation http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo renku and renga

Saint Jizo

by Issa

Dr,David comment.
Jizo^ is the beloved guardian deity of children. As Gabi Greve notes, Jizo^ is not a "saint" in the strictest sense, since saints are human beings. On the other hand, Jizo^ certainly is a supernatural helper of humans. It is because of this aspect of saintliness that I add "Saint" to the name in my translation: to let Western readers who might not know who Jizo^ is understand at least that he is a helpful religious figure. Most statues of Jizo hold a jewel in the left hand. This one also holds a plum.

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

long raindrops!!

by Issa, 1818

Dr,David translation. http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo.
Hot summer day has closed with shower.
It hears rain dropping. Evening praying starts soon.



Here comes Chopin!!

radish rice

Issa 1803.

Dr. David translation.

sakuo comment and renku.

Do you know radish rice?
By Google image as follows,
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:_v-Duhzp6JKJvM:http://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/42/82/bf614626bb1c91e1cd6fb0e65c6ab233.jpg

It is mixed rice and radish.
In Edo era, rice was very precious worth as money.
Radish mixing was useful for saving rice.

I remind that in World War second, the very sivere shortage od food has occared.
At last stage of the war as well as after the war, there were nothing to eat.
Every home mixed every thing into rice.
They were potato, beans, vegitable and even weeds.
Of course radish was the representative of mixture. It was not sweet but satisfied the hungry
stomack.

Renku

field rice

Issa 1819

Dr.David translation

sakuo comment and renku

There are two kind of rice plant in Japan.
One is rice plant cultivated in water field. It is called water rice, 水稲　suito.
One more is cultivated in upland, i.e. field. It is field rice,陸稲 rikuto.
Diffrence is that water rice needs supplying water but field rice doesn’t need it.

In Edo era main tax was rice. The rice was mainly water rice.
So the government of Edo has severely controlled water rice field that were measured and registered.
Water rice field was hard to conceal from tax collectors.
On the centrally field rice doesn’t need water. So it is planted mountainside where easily hidden from tax collector. It was called “hidden field “

fresh new leaves

by Issa, 1821 ,

Dr. David translation　 http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo renku
In city on specific day the garbage is gathered from every home.
Crows attack to get them, quite violently in spring time.