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.

slow slow

一茶　1820年
闇がりの牛を引出す日永哉
kuragari no ushi wo hikidasu hinaga kana

David’s English
leading a cow
from the dark barn...
the day is long

by Issa, 1820
Shinji Ogawa translates kuragari no ushi as "leading out a cow from a dark place." I have substituted "barn" in an attempt to make Issa's image concrete in English. Is this adding too much?
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga
slow slow.

shoot me?

一茶　1824年
追鳥の不足の所へ狐哉
oi-dori no fusoku no toko e kitsune kana

David’s English
heading for where bird hunters are few... the fox
by Issa, 1824
The fox doesn't know that the hunters are only after birds.
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga
Shoot me?

down to two leaves

一茶　1806年
二葉から朝顔淋し春の霜
futaba kara asagao sabishi haru no shimo

David’s English
down to two leaves

the lonely morning-glory...

spring frost


by Issa, 1806　age 44, live in Edo. http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga
Issa is out of Basho’s mainstream and begin to make his own haiku.It’s his destiny.

bonfire

一茶　1794年

すくも火やかがしの果も夕煙り
sukumo-bi ya kagashi no hate mo yu^ keburi

David’s　English

bonfire--
a scarecrow also ends up
in evening's smoke

by Issa, 1794
I orginally translated sukumo-bi as "peat fire," but Shinji Ogawa thinks "bonfire" is better. Sukumo-bi, he writes, is a bonfire of weathered weeds.
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

The glory’s end

snowy road

一茶　1819年
雪の道片方とけてやみにけり
yuki no michi kata kata tokete yami ni keri

David’s English
snowy road--
on one side
melting to nothing

by Issa, 1819
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga
Happy sunny side and,

accompanying the rain

一茶　1809年
むら雨を尾であしらひし雉哉
murasame wo o de ashiraishi kigisu kana

David’s　English
accompanying the rain
with its tail...
a pheasant

by Issa, 1809
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga
Come on !

temple guard

一茶　1818年
堂守が人に酔たる桜哉
do^mori ga hito ni yoitaru sakura kana

David’s　English
the temple guard
sick from the crowds...
cherry blossoms

by Issa, 1818
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

cat's love calls

一茶　1812年
猫なくや中を流るる角田川
neko naku ya naka nagaruru sumida-gawa

David’s English
cats' love calls--
between them flows
Sumida River

by Issa, 1812

Shinji Ogawa helped me to visualize what is happening in this haiku: two cats ready for lovemaking separated by the wide river. Following almost immediately in Issa's journal is this verse: edo neko no awatadashisa yo sumida-gawa the Edo cat in a frenzy... Sumida River
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga
Sumida River is wide, like as Thames, Moscow and Hudson,
Love call can’t reach at other bank.

flowering rape

一茶　1790年代
なの花にだらだら下りの日暮哉
na no hana ni dara-dara ori no higure kana

David’s English
in flowering rape
step by step sinking...
sun

by Issa
This is an early haiku written in the 1790s. Rape (or canola) is a bright yellow flowering plant of Asia.
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga
Rape is cultivated on river bank and in rice field as a second corp.

back window

一茶　1820年
うら窓や鹿のきどりに犬の声
ura mado ya shika no kidori ni inu no koe

David’s English
back window--
the deer strikes a pose
the dog barks

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

sakuo haiga
Wife is busy at caring baby.

lovely

一茶　1814年
愛想やのべの草さへ若盛り
aiso^ ya nobe no kusa sae waka-zakari

David’s　English
lovely--
even the meadow grasses
hit their peak young

by Issa, 1814
Aiso^ or aiso denotes; amiability, affability. These English equivalents sound too cold for this context; I hope that "lovely" expresses Issa's warm and tender feeling toward the young grasses.
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga
1814, Age 52
Fourth Month, Issa marries with Kiku.

first sky

一茶　1811年
初空のもやうに立るけぶり哉
hatsu-zora no moyo^ ni tateru keburi kana

David’s　English
rising into
the year's first sky...
smoke

by Issa, 1811
visit http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo　haiga
From the year end to New Year’s days, for three weeks Issa stayed in Sairin-Ji
Temple, and enjoyed haiku meeting with good friends.

bamboo shoot

一茶　1819年
筍と品よくあそべ雀の子
takenoko to shinayoku asobe suzume no ko

David’s　English
bamboo shoots, baby sparrows
play together
gently!

by Issa, 1819
Issa's word, shinayoku, seems to be a variant of shinayaka: graceful, elegant, delicate. In his haiku, he tells the baby bamboo and baby sparrows to play together delicately, gracefully.
#visit http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga
Why did Issa order baby sparrows to play gently?
Because　a bamboo baby was his beloved daughter.

the farting contest

一茶　1816年
屁くらべが又始るぞ冬篭
he kurabe ga mata hajimaru zo fuyugomori

David’s English
the farting contest
begins again...
winter seclusion

by Issa, 1816
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

autumn evening

一茶　1790年代
山見ても海見ても秋の夕哉
yama mite mo umi mite [mo] aki no yu^be kana

David’s English
looking at the mountain
looking at the sea...
autumn evening

by Issa
This is an early haiku written in the 1790s.
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo　haiga

radishes blooming

一茶
野大根も花となりにけり鳴雲雀
no daiko mo hana to nari keri naku hibari

David’s English
even the field's
radishes blooming...
the lark singing!

by Issa
Originally, I had the radishes "becoming flowers," but Shinji Ogawa points out that radishes, being roots, do not themselves bloom.
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga
Sometimes the healthy leg of young woman is compared with radish.

at a six-way

一茶　1819年
六道の辻に立けりかれ尾花
roku do^ no tsuji ni tachi keri kare obana

David’s English
standing at a six-way
crossroads
in the withered grass

by Issa, 1819
This haiku alludes to the "Six Ways" of possible future life reincarnation:　 輪廻（りんね）（転生） (1) as a sufferer in hell, (2) as a hungry ghost, (3) as an animal, (4) as an angry demon, (5) as a human being, or (6) as a saint in the Western Paradise.
# visit http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

the man's child

一茶1810年
人の子や鵜を遊する草の花
hito no ko ya u wo asobasuru kusa no hana

David's English
the man's child
tends to the cormorant...
wildflowers
Or: "cormorants." Japanese fishermen use cormorants. Tied to a tether, these sea birds dive for fish that they are forced to disgorge. The verb asobasuru, which I initially thought had to do with playing, means "attend to" in this context, according to Shinji Ogawa.

sakuo haiga
The father fisherman let the bird work very hard.
The son of fisherman innocently plays with the bird.
Both belong to human characteristic.

outdoing the cormorant

一茶　1819年
鵜の真似は鵜より上手な子供哉
u no mane wa u yori jyo^zu-na kodomo kana

David’s English
outdoing the cormorant
with a fine imitation...
a child
by Issa, 1819
Japanese fishermen use cormorants. Tied to a tether, these sea birds dive for fish that they are forced to disgorge.
To unsubscribe, visit http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga
As the cormorant do, poor street boy ask money from walker
but his money is robbed by his parent.

just as you are

一茶　1821年
それ也になる仏いたせ穴の蛇
sore nari ni narubutsu itase ana no hebi

David’s English

just as you are
become Buddha!
snake in your hole

by Issa, 1821
Robin D. Gill assisted with this translation. Snakes entering their holes is an autumn season word. The editors of Issa zenshu^ speculate that by narubutsu Issa means jo^butsu (Nagano: Shinano Mainichi Shimbunsha, 1976-79, 1.535). Shinji Ogawa comments, "It may seem very odd, but inferring from this haiku, Issa might not know about the snake's hibernation. He regards, at least so it seems, the snakes that go back to their holes as if they are going into the graveyard to die."

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

sakuo haiga
1821, Age 59, already lost two babies, and this year second son died.

hey sparrows

一茶　1814年
雀らよ小便無用古衾
suzume-ra yo sho^ben muyo^ furu fusuma

David’s English
hey sparrows
no pissing on my old
winter quilt!

by Issa, 1814
＃visit http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga
1814, Age 52
Fourth Month, 11th day, he marries Kiku.

maiden flowers

一茶　1815年
寝むしろやたばこ吹かける女郎花
nemushiro ya tabako fukakeru ominaeshi

David’s English
sleeping mat--
pipe smoke wafts over
the maiden flowers

by Issa, 1815 , http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo Haiga

roses of Sharon

一茶　1804年
不平な垣もむくげは咲にけり
futairana kaki mo mukuge wa saki ni keri

David’s English
an unlevel hedge, too
in bloom...
roses of Sharon

by Issa, 1804
Kaki can be translated as "fence" or "hedge." Since Issa is referring to blooming shrubs, the latter translation fits here.
＃ visit http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

cool breeze

一茶　1815年
涼風やあひに相生の蝉の声
suzukaze ya ai ni aioi no semi no koe

David’s English
cool breeze--
growing up together
the cicadas sing

by Issa, 1815
Sumiyoshi is a Shinto shrine in Osaka.
#visit http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo kaiga
1815, aged 53, last year he married with 28 young bride. It was his happiest time.
The second phrase comes from popular wedding song, Takasago that is very old and traditional song.
It means happy couple will get old together till the hairs become white.

Takasago

一茶　1813年
高砂や鬼追出も歯ぬけ声
takasago ya oni oi-dasu mo hanuke-goe

David’s English
Takasago--
shouting away demons
a toothless one too

by Issa, 1813
Takasago is famous for pine tree-covered islands. During the end-of-year bean-scattering ritual, it is a custom to shout, "Luck indoors, demons begone!" In this haiku, someone without teeth joins in the shouting. This could be a self-portrait, since Issa lost his last tooth two years earlier, in 1811.
#visit http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga
1813, Age 51
Second Month, Issa is living in Kashiwabara in a rented house for father’s asset.
Bean-scattering ritual was held at this time.

sharing the same pillow

一茶　1821年
母親と同じ枕の手負哉
haha oya to onaji makura no teoi kana

David’s English
sharing the same pillow
with his mother...
wounded deer

by Issa, 1821
This image of a fawn lying next to his dying mother (wounded by a hunter's arrow), is one of Issa's most tragic.
＃visit http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga
On 1765, at his age 3, his mother dies.
It was the beginning of his tragedy and became the foundation of his haiku.

for my life too

小林一茶　1810年
身一つも同じ世話也花の春
mi hitotsu mo onaji sewa nari hana no haru

David’s English
for my life too
help arrives...
spring blossoms
.
by Issa, 1810
#visit http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo comment and haiga..
1810, age 48, being single in Edo, wishing to return home villag.

heat shimmers

小林一茶　1822年 60歳

陽炎の立や垣根の茶ん袋
kagero^ no tatsu ya kakine no chan-bukuro

David’s　English
heat shimmers rise--
on the fence
a pouch of tea

by Issa, 1822
Kaki can be translated as "fence" or "hedge."
#visit http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo comment.
What for is used the pouch of tea? I think bag is better than pouch in this case.
The tea bag is used for cooking gruel rice, putting tea in bag and boiled with rice
After cooking the bags are washed, dried and reused.
Who did eat tea gruel rice? In western district, in Kyoto or Nara it has been for break first. In eastern district, in Kanto it was generally for sick　people.
At this time his wife was pregnant with third son.
Issa was looking the tea bags, thinking his wife and new baby.
1822, Third Month, 10th day, his third son　is born

sakuo haiga.

mountain chrysanthemum

小林一茶　1820年 58歳
山の菊曲るなんどはしらぬ也
yama no kiku magaru nando wa shiranu nari

David's　English
mountain chrysanthemum--
growing crooked's a thing
it knows nothing about

by Issa, 1820 age 58.
R. H. Blyth comments, "Chrysanthemum plants are artificially forced into all kinds of shapes. They are straight and upright by nature, like nature"
＃visit http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo comment.
His wife was called chrysanthemum, Kiku in Japanese.
She was powerful woman,　working hard with obstinate temper. They had
quarrels often.
1820 5th of Octer second son was born, Issa always said to Kiku that don't bundle the baby
on your back. She always resisted it, and on the first month of the next year
the baby was died on mother's back.

sakuo haiga.

first snowfall

小林一茶　1821年
初雪や一二三四五六人
hatsu yuki ya ichi ni san yon go roku hito

David’s English
first snowfall
one, two, three, four
five, six people
by Issa, 1821
# visit http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo comment
How to divide second line and third line according to 575 rhythm?
一二三四五六人 (ichi ni san yon go roku hito)

Second line
ichi ni san yon
♪♪　♪_　♪♪　♪♪= 7 syllables + 1 pause

Third line
go roku hito
♪_ ♪♪　♪♪= 5 syllables +1 pause

The above is my trial. I think this punctuation makes 575 rhythm and lead
us to the atmosphere in which we feel first snow falling.

sakuo haiga.