hair and beards

Issa 　一茶

髪髭も白い仲間や花の陰

kami hige mo shiroi nakama ya hana no kage

David's English

hair and beards 

of comrades all white... 

blossom shade

by Issa, 1820   http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

my love

Masajyo 　真砂女

わが恋や秋風渡る中に在り

waga koi ya akikaze wataru naka ni ari

Lee& Emiko's English

my love---

the autumn wind

carries it on

Seasonal word: autumn wind ( autumn)

Note:Masajyo's love has continued for forty years. 

The love has become old, but it is still hale in the autumn wind.

sakuo haiga

young bamboo

Issa 　一茶

わか竹をたのみに思ふ小家哉
waka take ni tanomi ni omou ko ie kana

David's　English

depending on
the young bamboo...
little house

by Issa, 1812　http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

holy night

作雄　sakuo

時空超え発句楽しむ聖夜かな
jiku koe hotsuku tanosimu seiya kana

sakuo's English

over time and space
enjoying to make haiku
in holy night

sakuo haiga

So many things attacked us,but we could reach at the
Holy night.
Thanks to all Gods!
And all famlies be happy!

morning-glory

Masajyo 　真砂女

朝顔やすでにきのふのとなりしこと

asagao ya sudeni kinou to narishi koto

Lee & Emiko's English

morning-glory---

already it belongs

to yesterday

Note:Masajyo was longing desperately for it. And now it is 

over and the day has passed. Every moment of it has become 

something of the past. 

Yet every moment is still vivid in her mind. A morning-glory of 

yesterday will never bloom again.

Seasonal word: morning-glory ( autumn )

sakuo haiga

even here

Issa　一茶

こなたにも安置して有梅の花

kona[ta] ni mo anchi shi[te] are ume no hana

 

David‘s　English

even here
a holy image enshrined
plum blossoms

by Issa, 1821

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

 

sakuo haiga

First month of this year his second son died on the mother’s back, after 100 days life.

queenching

Masajyo 　真砂女

　

渇癒す泉に罪の顔写し

katsu iyasu izumi ni tsumi no kao utsushi

Lee & Emiko's Englsih

queenching my thirst---

a sinner's face reflected

in the spring

Seasonal word: a spring ( summer )

sakuo haiga

if only she were here

Issa　一茶

 

小言いふ相手もあらばけふの月

kogoto iu aite mo araba kyo^ no tsuki

David’s English

 

if only she were here
for me to nag...
tonight's moon!

 

by Issa, 1823

David's special comment on translation

 

sakuo haiga

our spoken words

Masajyo 真砂女

滝の音に言葉とられし涼しさよ

taki no ne ni kotoba torareshi suzushisa yo

Lee & Emiko's English

our spoken words

carried away by the waterfall---

coolness!

Seasonal word:waterfall ( summer ), coolness ( summer )

sakuo haiga

the whores

Issa 一茶

遊女めが見てけっかるぞ暑い舟

yu^jome ga mite kekkaru zo atsui fune

David's English

the whores 

are looking me over... 

from their boat in the heat

by Issa, 1817

Or: "the whore is/ looking me over.../from her boat in the heat." Jean Cholley explains that prostitutes operated on boats on the west bank of Sumida River in Edo (today's Tokyo).

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

sakuo haiga

true love

Masajyo 　真砂女

愛たしか夏蝉朝を奏でけり
ai tasika natsuzemi asa wo kanade keri

Lee& Emiko's English

true love---
summer cicadas play
amorning tune

Seasonal word: summer cicada ( summer )

sakuo haiga

the painted face

Issa 　一茶

顔染し乙女も春の暮る哉

kao someshi otome mo haru no kururu kana

David's English

for the painted faced 

maiden too... 

spring dusk

by Issa, 1805  age 43,staying in Edo

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

sakuo haiga

a woman alone

Masajyo 　真砂女

女一人目覚めてのぞく蛍篭
on'na hitori mezamete nozoku hotaru kago

Lee & Emiko's English

a woman alone---
she wakes up and peeks into
the firefly cage

Seasonal word: firefly ( summer)

sakuo haiga

the baby monkey

Issa  一茶

猿の子に酒くれる也茸狩
saru no ko ni sake kureru nari kinoko-gari

David's English

for the baby monkey
a nip of sake...
mushroom hunting

by Issa, 1819
Issa writes a variation of this haiku, also in 1819: tabi no ko ni sake kureru nari kinoko-gari for the traveling child a nip of sake... mushroom hunting Shinji Ogawa comments, "I think what Issa is trying to depict in these two haiku is the racket created by the mushroom hunting party: a bunch of drunkards who offer sake to whomever they meet."
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

heartsick day

Masajyo 真砂女

心病む日なり籐椅子にふかくいて

kokoro yamu hi nari touisu ni fukaku ite

Lee & Emiko's English

heartsick day---

nested deeply

in the rattan chair

seasonal word: rattan chair ( summer )

sakuo haiga

his prowling route

Issa 一茶

通路も花の上也やまと猫
kayoiji mo hana no ue nari yamato neko

David's English

his prowling route
over the flowers...
a Japanese cat

by Issa, 1824
Issa suggests that the cat has a sensitive Japanese soul, for it chooses to go through the blossoms. Yamato is an old word for Japan.
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

plum so green

Masajyo　真砂女

梅青し女のもてる悪だくみ
ume aoshi on'na no moteru warudakumi

Lee & Emiko's English

plums so green
a woman embracing
a malicious design

Seasonal word: plum(summer)

sakuo haiga　

a little hole in the window

Issa 一茶

秋の夜や窓の小穴が笛を吹
aki no yo ya mado no ko ana ga fue wo fuku

David's English

autumn evening--
a little hole in the window
blows flute

Issa, 1811　aged 49,


sakuo haiga

What melodies did the flute blow?

Was it his physical　decline?
Or inheritance strugle with halfbrother?
Or frustration of ranking as Haikuist in Edo?