billowing clouds

Issa 一茶

雲の峰いささか松が退くか
kumo no mine isasaka matsu ga shirizoku ka

David’s English

billowing clouds--

have the pine trees

shrunk a bit?

by Issa, 1803
Literally, Issa wonders if the pines have "retreated" (shirizoku): they look smaller below the massive "peaks of clouds" (kumo no mine). http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

your well being

Masajyo 　真砂女

onmi omu koto ikabakari kari kaeru
御身思うこと如何ばかり雁かえる

Lee and Emiko’s English

your well being
how much I care…
the geese depart

Seasonal word: geese depart ( winter)

sakuo haiga

melting snow

Issa 一茶

yuki-doke ya junrei shu^ mo asa no koe
雪どけや順礼衆も朝の声

David’s　English

melting snow--
the morning voices
of pilgrims

by Issa, 1810
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

letter cocealed

Masajyo　真砂女

ふところに手紙かくして日向ぼこ
futokoro ni tegami kakusite hinataboko

Lee & Emiko’s English

your letter concealed
in my Kimono’s breast pocket---
baking in winter sun

Seasonal word: baking in winter sun ( winter )

sakuo haiga

clear evening

Issa　一茶

yu^bare ya asagi ni narabu aki no yama
夕晴や浅黄に並ぶ秋の山

David’s English

clear evening--
lined up in the pale blue
autumn mountains
by Issa, 1816　 http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

sheer summer Kimono

Masajyo　真砂女

羅や人悲します恋をして

usumono ya hito kanasimasu koi wo shite

Lee & Emiko’s English

sheer summer kimono
it pushes them into misery
this love of mine

Seasonal word: sheer summer kimono ( summer )
Note: When Masajyo was 31 years old, she fell in love with one of hotel’s quests, Air Force Lieutenant Y.M.(1913-1977), then 24 years old.
In those days infidelity was a crime in Japan. Masajyo thought of herself
as a sinner and felt sorry for her parents, her husband, her lover, and
for herself. This is among the most popular of her love haiku.

sakuo haiga

rice field geese

Issa 一茶

田の雁や里の人数はけふもへる
ta no kari ya sato no ninzu wa kyo^ moeru

David’s English

rice field geese--
the village's population
surges

by Issa, 1811
Jean Cholley relates this haiku to the fact that many villagers in Issa's province of Shinano left in the cold autumn to seek work in Edo (today's Tokyo); En village de miséreux: Choix de poèmes de Kobayashi Issa (Paris: Gallimard, 1996) 238, note 52.

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

sakuo haiga

a moth dances

Masajyo 真砂女

火蛾舞へりよき襟あしをもてる人
higa maeri yoki eriashi wo moteru hito

Emiko’s English

a moth dances into the flame---
the nape of man’s neck
draws me in

Seasonal word: moth (summer)

sakuo haiga

chattring sparrow

Issa 一茶

むだ鳴になくは雀のまま子哉
muda naki ni naku wa suzume no mamako kana

David’s English

crying his cry
in vain…
the stepchild sparrow

by Issa, 1824
Issa was a stepchild.

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

sakuo haiga

What did Issa cry in this cry.
He cried vain things that is useless thing. Thing useless to whom?
It is to stepmother. At this time his step mother has already die.
Wife sometimes is a mother for his husband.
So in this case his step mother was his second wife who was cool for Issa.
At beginning of their marriage , Issa was very gay to chatter too much.
His second wife was a daughter of warrior whose rule is don’t chat.
So Issa’s second wife said don’t speak too much, you are a man.
Then comes this haiku.

spring loneliness

Masajyo 真砂女

春淋し波にとどかぬ石を投げ
haru sabishi name ni todokanu ishi won age

Lee & Emiko’s English

spring loneliness---
it falls short of the surf
this stone I toss

when I was filled with loneliness, I often went to the seaside in the mornings and evenings. With my thin arm I would toss a stone to the rough surf, but the stone hardly reach it. I felt I was completely helpless and trapped in my destiny at that time.
sakuo haiga

old book store and Apple

Ginza is the main amusement area in Tokyo,
gathering famous food shop, fashion, stationary, accessory and so on.
They are traditional stores form Edo era to modern times.

For ten years, curious omen has been seen.

Many foreign firms have opened their shops in Ginza.
Now all Ginza are covered with foreigners, especially famous Brand shops.
Yesterday I watched the picture scene.



And sakuo Haiku.

教文館　Kyoubunkan is famous and traditional book store, especial concerned on
Christian books. It has located in the center of Ginza.
　
教文館　リンゴ実りて　木の葉枯れ
kyobunkan ringo minori te konoha kare

old book store---
Apple gets fruits
and a leaf wither

firefly light

Masajyo 真砂女

蛍火や女の道をふみはずし
hotarubi ya onna no miti wo fumi hazushi

Lee & Emiko’s English

firefly light
I step off the path
of woman’s virtue

sakuo haiga.

fine moon

一茶

名月を取ってくれよと泣く子哉
ano tsuki wo totsute kure yo to naku ko kana

sakuo’s English

the fine moon
let me get it
crying child

September 15th is the special day of viewing autumn moon in Japan.
I posted haiga in which Issa views the moon together with her baby Sato.

Chen san’s haiga

My friend aged over 80 in Taiwan, called Mr.Chen（　陳淇澤　） sent me a wonderful Issa’s haiga ,
in which Sato is crying on her mother’s back.

“let me get the moon”

evening moon

一茶　1818年
藪並に餅もつく也宵の月

yabu nami ni mochi mo tsuku nari yoi no tsuki

David’s　English
in a stand of trees
pounding rice cakes...
evening moon

sakuo haiga
View together with my baby Sato.

poor but pure

wiscapis san gave me good hit.
I said the peanut is steamed in my recipe, but it is fault,
Peanut should be boiled.

Poor but pure story!

The peanuts have come from my neice who lives near at Mount Fuji.
I have grown up at the side of Fuji river.
There are wide and fat sand field in the river.
We could enjoy the harvest that almost are sold.



There remain a lot of off grade, small, un-mature peanuts.
We, poor but pure peasant, wash them and boil.
Because of being too raw, too green, it is better boiling than steaming them.
We enjoyed them very much.



Do you have same story?

sakuo’ haiku



清貧の
茹で落花生
世に出る
seihin no
yude ratsukasei
yo ni ideru


poor but pure

boild peanuts

world admit it

peanuts from niece

This is the package of peanuts.
It has been send by my niece who lives in local city near Mount Fuji.
Here is special recipe for raw peanuts that is traditional of my native district.

Put them into a deep pan. Pour salt water into the pan.
Steam 30 minutes. Up peanuts from the pan.
Let serve them with beer or Sake ( Japanese rice wine)

Haiku
niece sending
raw peanuts
quick package mail

sakuo.

first snowfall

一茶 　1810 年
初雪や鶏の朝声浅草寺
hatsu yuki ya tori no asa-goe sensôji

David’s English
first snowfall--
the rooster's morning crow
at Senso Temple

Sensôji is located in the Asakusa section of Edo, today's Tokyo.

http://haikuguy.com/issa/random.php?

sakuo haiga
I am a Gallus, a French rooster.

plovers singing

一茶　1811年
千鳥鳴九月三十日と諷ひけり
chidori naku kugatsu misoka to utai keri

David’s English
plovers singing--
"It's the last day
of Ninth Month!"

In the old Japanese calendar, Ninth Month, 30th day was the last day of autumn. The plovers, winter birds, are singing of their season which will begin, officially, tomorrow.
http://haikuguy.com/issa/random.php?

sakuo haiga
a lot of things to do.

April Waves

Masajyo 　真砂女

あるときは船より高き卯浪かな
arutoki wa fune yori takaki unami kana

Lee & Emiko’s English

at one time
rising above the boat . . .
April waves

Masajyo lived from 1906 to 2003, died at age 96.
Lee Gurga and Emiko Miyashita have issued “Love Haiku”.
http://www.brooksbookshaiku.com/translations/masajolovehaiku.html

sakuo renga

April wave is big and violent.
Masajyo loved the wave as the symbol of her life.
Passion drives all thing.

for the big

一茶　年代不明
大菊の秋もずんずとくれにけり
ôgiku no aki mo zunzu to kure ni keri

David’s Englsih
for the big
chrysanthemum too
autumn ends quickly

by Issa, year unknown.
http://haikuguy.com/issa/random.php?

sakuo haiga
This Ku has two kigo (season word), chrysanthemum and autumn.
The big chrysanthemum may his wife.