little straw mat

Issa　一茶　 1819, Age 57

さむしろや一文橋も霧の立
samushiro ya ichi mon hashi mo kiri no tatsu

David’s English

little straw mat--
even on a one-penny bridge
mist rises

Who is sitting on the little straw mat? I picture the toll collector.
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

In my case a beggar is sitting on the mat beside bridge on which
toll collector is keeping the bridge from outlaw.

secrets come

Masajo　真砂女　1906 age 88

隠しごと親子にもあり桜餅
kakusigoto oyako nimo ari asakuramoti

Lee & Emiko’s English

secrets come between
even mothers and daughters—
cherry blossom cakes

Seasonal word: cherry blossom cake ( spring)
Note: Cherry blossom cake is a cake wrapped in a salted cherry leaf; it is
a specialty of the spring season. It is usually pale pink like cherry
blossoms and its cherry leaf flavor is favored by many peoples.

sakuo haiga

a previous life's bond

Issa　一茶　１８２５　age 63
On last year he divorced, he suffers a stroke ,lost his power of speech for a while.

過去のやくそくかよ袖に寝小てふ
kako no yakusoku ka yo sode ni neru ko cho^

David’s　English
a previous life's bond?
little butterfly
on my sleeve, asleep

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

sakuo haiga

fruit of labor

Masajo　真砂女　1994　age 88

働いて作りし花見衣かな
hataraite tsukurishi hanamigoromo kana

Lee and Emiko’s English
fruit of my labor:
this cherry blossom viewing
kimono

Seasonal word: cherry blossom viewing (spring)
Note: Usually the husband buys kimono for his wife, but Masajo
earned her kimono for cherry blossom viewing by working in her pub.
Cherry blossom viewing kimonos are usually very fancy and expensive,
and can cost one million yen( about $10,000) or more. Masajo shows her pride.

sakuo haiga

grassy meadow

Issa　一茶　1825年　aged 63

After he divorced,
he was stricken with paralysis.
He rode on palanquin, visiting his students.

草原や提灯行に虫すだく
kusabara ya cho^chin yuku ni mushi sudaku

David’s English

grassy meadow--
insects crowd 'round
the paper lantern
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

hazy spring night

Masajyo　真砂女　1996、age　88

おぼろ夜や女も咥え煙草して
oboroyo ya on’na mo kuwae tabako site

Lee &Emuko’s English

hazy spring night—
a woman too with a cigarette
between her teeth

Seasonal word* hazy spring night (spring)

sakuo haiga

devoted child

Issa 一茶　1819

ぎりのある子を呼ばるかよ夕雀

giri no aru ko wo yobaru ka yo yu^ suzume

 

David’s English

are you calling
for your devoted child?
evening sparrow

. by Issa, 1819

 

sakuo haiga

[ぎりのある子 giri no aru ko] means step child.

Issa’s mother who was a step mother. She was calling him.

How did it sound? It depends on your sensibility.

fall quickly

Issa　一茶　1816年

 

古郷をとく降かくせ霧時雨　

furusato wo toku furikakuse kiri shigure

 

David’s English

fall quickly, hide
my home village...
mist and cold rain

 

sakuo haiga

At this time Issa was staying in Edo.

Daughter speaks her mother Masajo

Masajo's daughter,
Kakuko Motoyama had lecture at culture school in Tokyo.

She is famous actress. She spoke her mother's passionate life and
haiku.
There came 50 audiences who eagerly listen interest story.

The slide show are as follows.

Kakuko' speach,,,,

Listener gathered,,,

Kakuko and Sakuo ,,,,

the last picture is Masajo's haiku saying
" the mother and daughter alike even to the ears--" ,,,,,

what a thing

Issa 一茶　1822

何事ぞ此大雨に帰る雁

nanigoto zo kono o^ame ni kaeru kari

David's English

what a thing! 

in this deluge 

the geese depart

sakuo haiga

lighthouse

Masajyo 真砂女　1994年　88歳

灯台の光の外の猫の恋

todai no hikari no soto no neko no koi

Lee and Emiko's English

outside the lighthouse's

circle of light

cat' love

Seasonal word: cat's love ( spring)

sakuo haiga

serene and still

Issa 一茶　1813

ゆうぜんとして山を見る蛙哉

yu^zen to shite yama wo miru kawazu kana

David's　English

serene and still 

the mountain viewing 

frog

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

sakuo haiga

mother and daughter

Masajyo 真砂女　1986

親子とは耳までも似て秋涼し

oyako to wa mimi mademo nite aki suzushi

 

Lee & Emiko’s English

mother and daughter

alike even to the ears---

autumn cool

 

Seasonal word:autumn

sakuo haiga

moss is bloom

Issa　一茶

苔咲くや自慢を聞に来る雀

koke saku ya jiman wo kiki ni kuru suzume

 

David’s English

moss is blooming!
sparrows come
to hear me brag

by Issa, 1814

 http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

 

sakuo haiga

Nice garden has nice moss.

Only well cared moss can bloom.

what is [moss is blooming]?

http://images.google.co.jp/images?hl=ja&q=%E5%BA%AD%E3%80%80%E8%8B%94%E3%80%80%E8%8A%B1%E5%92%B2%E3%81%8F&btnG=%E7%94%BB%E5%83%8F%E6%A4%9C%E7%B4%A2&gbv=2

the one

Masajyo 　真砂女 1986 age 80.

死にし人別れし人や遠花火

shinishi hito wakareshi hito ya tohanabi

Lee and Emiko's English

the one who died

the one who diverced me ---

distant fireworks

My late ex-hausband and the man who diverced me, both had strong karmic ties

with me. They were both good men, and I remenber only their good sides now.

Seasonal word: distanct fireworks (summer) 

sakuo haiga

sloppy

Issa　一茶

いびつでも露の白玉白玉ぞ
ibitsu demo tsuyu no shiro tama shiro tama zo

David’s English

sloppy, yes
but the dewdrops are pearls!
pearls!

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

sakuo haiga

cherry blossom chill

Masajyo 真砂女 1986

花冷や箪笥の奥の男帯

hana bie ya tansu no soko no otoko obi

 

Lee and Emiko's English

 

cherry blossom chill---

in the bottom of my chest

his kimono sash

 

Seasonal word: cherry blossom chill ( spring )

 

sakuo haiga

insect chirp

Issa 　一茶

夜鳴虫汝母あり父ありや

yo naku mushi nanji haha ari chichi ari ya

David's　English

insects chirp in the night-- 

what of your mothers? 

your fathers?

by Issa, 1821

According to Shinji Ogawa, Issa is asking the insects a question in this haiku: "Do you have mothers and fathers?" Perhaps Issa is thinking of his own motherless and fatherless existence. http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

my past

Masajyo 真砂女 1986

来し方は霞の奥に隠したし
koshi kata wa kasumi no oku ni kakushi tashi

Lee and Emiko's English

my past---
I wish it could be hidden
deep in the mist

Seasonal word: mist ( spring )

sakuo haiga

the last snow pile

Issa 　一茶

とけ残る雪や草履がおもしろい

toke nokoru yuki ya zo^ri ga omoshiroi

David's　English

the last snow pile-- 

straw clogs make it 

a delight

by Issa, 1817　http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo

snow run away

winter mist

Masajyo 真砂女

冬靄の彼方や抱くも抱かれしも

fuyumoya no kanata ya daku mo dakareshi mo

Lee and Emiko's English

winter mist---

memories of embracing

and being embraced

Seasonal word: winter mist ( winter)

sakuo haiga

my home

Issa 一茶

我宿は蚤捨薮のとなり哉

waga yado wa nomi sute yabu no tonari kana

David's English

my home-- 

next door to a thicket 

of fleas

by Issa, 1821

Literally, Issa's house is next door to a thicket where 

others (people? animals?) have discarded their fleas.

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

sakuo haiga

itching

my woman's body

Masajyo 真砂女

女体冷ゆ仕入れし魚のそれよりも
nyotai hiyu shiireshi uo no sore yorimo

Lee and Emiko's English

my woman's body
colder than the fish
I keep on hand

Seasonal word:cold ( autumn)

sakuo haiga

my wrinckle

Issa 一茶

梅干と皺くらべせんはつ時雨
umeboshi to shiwa kurabesen hatsu shigure

David's English

comparing my wrinkles
with the pickled plums...
first winter rain

by Issa, 1806

"Pickled plum" (umeboshi) is an idiom denoting an old wrinkled woman. 

It is possible, then, that Issa is saying: comparing my wrinkles to the old woman's...

 first winter rain
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

crickets

Masajyo 真砂女

こほろぎやある夜冷たき男の手

kohorogi ya aru ya tsumetaki otoko no te

Lee and Emiko's English

crickets---

the man's hands

cold on that night

Seasonal word:cricket ( autumn)

sakuo haiga

little chestnuts

Issa 一茶

芝栗や馬のばりしてうつくしき

shibaguri ya uma no bari shite utsukushiki

David's English

little chestnuts 

pissed on by the horse... 

shiny new

by Issa, 1806 : http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

woman's autumn

Masajyo　真砂女

女の秋髪染めあげてうらがなし
on’na no aki kami someagete uraganashi

Lee and Emiko’s English

woman’s autumn---
as I finish dying my hair
heartache seeps in

First it was every months that I dyed my hair, now it is every month,
And with in a few days, I find some gray parts coming out near temples…

Seasonal word: autumn

sakuo haiga

field crow

Issa 一茶

野烏に藪を任せて鳴雲雀
no-garasu ni yabu wo makasete naku hibari

David’s English

entrusting the thicket
to the field crow...
the lark sings

by Issa, 1806　 http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

I am a poet.
brother is a peasant.

evening glow

Masajyo 真砂女

夕焼や若し夫在らば厨妻

yuyake ya moshi tsuma areba kuriyazuma

Lee and Emiko's English

evening glow---

I would be in the kitchen

for my husband

Seasonal word: evening glow ( summer)

sakuo haiga

nightingale

Issa 一茶

鶯も老をうつるなおれが家

uguisu mo oi wo utsuru na ore ga ie

David's English

nightingale-- 

don't catch old age! 

my house

by Issa, 1820

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

sakuo haiga

stolen a man

Masajyo 真砂女

人は盗めどものは盗まず簾巻く

hito wa nusumedo mono wa nusumazu sudare muku

Lee and Emiko's English

I have stolen a man 

but never a thing of value

I roll up the bamboo blind

Seasonal word: bamboo blind ( summer)

sakuo haiga

on the ground

Issa 一茶

土べたにべたりべたりと夕涼
tsuchi beta ni betari-betari yu^suzumi

David's　English

on the ground
we stick and sit...
evening cool

by Issa, 1815

sakuo haiga
After sunset, in summer night , hot air still remain, but ground got cold.

sobbing alone

Masajyo　真砂女

 

ある夜ひとり泣いて額まで夏布団

aru yo hitori naite nuka made natsubuton

 

Lee and Emiko’s English

 

that night sobbing alone---

up to my forehead

in the summer sheets

 

Seasonal word: summer bedclothes ( summer)

 

sakuo haiga