singing insect too

David’s English

singing insects, too
make music
in this world

naku mushi mo fushi wo tsuketari yo no naka wa
鳴虫も節を付たり世の中は

by Issa,　1820, Age 58
Tenth Month, his second son is born.　Before year his first daughter died.

Sakuo’s comment.
What melody did the insects sing? Joyful? or Sorrowful?
I think it is half and half.

Sakuo’s translation

singing insect too
with a melody
in this world

mocking the farmer

David’s　English
mocking the farmer
plowing, the strutting
crow

hata uchi no mane shite aruku karasu kana
畠打の真似して歩く烏哉
by Issa,

1814, Age 52
Fourth Month, 11th day, he marries
visit http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

Sakuo comment.
At first I think this is peaceful spring haiku.
But after ward I realize it is very severe poem.

Hata-uti (farm plowing) is Spring Kigo. It means newly farm work begins. Why the crow mocking and follow after the farmer? The crow need to find and pick up caterpillars,　larvae and　eggs. They need food for breeding their babies.
So the crow must up and down his head to catch their food.
Those poses are very similar to farm’s plowing action.
The bird can get easily find the insect from the ground that was just plowed by the farmer.

Issa is always severe to watch the nature including human
being

floating leaves

David‘ｓ　English
floating leaves, floating leaves
lotus blossom horseflies
feed

uki ha uki ha hasu no abu ni zo kuwarekeru
.うき葉うき葉蓮の虻にぞ喰れける
by Issa, 1810
visit http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

Sakuo’s comment.
What happen about Issa in 1810
11 years has passed since his father’s death.
Though the term he wanted to share the half of father’s asset to his half brother’s family who has strongly insist
Issa’s unfair.
As his getting older, Issa decided to leave from Edo and settle down at his home village.
On May 1810 with this strong will he returned for the negotiation with his brother’s family.
He was defeated strongly by the family .The almost
of villagers had jointed to the brother’s side.
He was thinking that his life in Edo was as floating leaves without home and steadily profession.
His family has possessed some acres land, possible to keeping to cultivate and to work as transporter with horse.
So the family’s potential was rich as lotus, but it was occupied by half brother’s family.
They were angry as like horseflies that attacked violently Issa.

the barley's autumn

David’s English

the barley's autumn
like real autumn...
cold drizzle

mugi aki ya hon no aki yori samui ame
.麦秋や本の秋より寒い雨

by Issa, 1824

sakuo' comment
[the barley's autumn] is about June. It is early summer.
It is not colder than autumn, but Issa said so . Why?
1824 fifth month, Issa has married with second wife.
On Eighth Month they divorce.
Their marriage was only two and half month.
His second wife was cold existence for Issa.

cicada chirrs

David’s English
a cicada chirrs--
the pinwheel so utterly
red

semi naku ya tsuku-zuku aka[i] kazaguruma
せみなくやつくづく赤い風車
by Issa, 1819

David's comment
Shinji Ogawa notes that this image of a child's red toy "brings tears to our eyes," since in the summer of that year (1819) the poet's daughter, Sato, died. This haiku was composed during the Fourth Intercalary Month, 1819. Sato died in Sixth Month.

frost-killed grass

David English
frost-killed grass
"Gimme rice!"
a sparrow sings

shimogare ya kome kurero tote naku suzume
.霜がれや米くれろとて鳴雀
by Issa, 1816

sakuo comment.
This year Natsume, Seibi died.
He had been Issa’s big sponsor as well as good friend of haiku.
I think without Seibi Issa’s life would be changed.

to the wood fire

一茶1819年
ほたの火にせなか向けり最明寺
hota no hi ni senaka muke keri saimyo^ji


David’s English

turning my back
to the wood fire...
Saimyo Temple

Sakuo comment
hota is winter season word which means log.
Special part of wood, that is root dried well.
So the hota is well burn ,making warm the surrounding livings.

Sakuo renku

やっと着きたる今晩の宿
Yatsuto tukitaru konban no yado

at last arriving at
the inn tonight

Toribe Field

David’s English

Toribe Field--
ugly cuckoo!
ugly crow!

Issa, 1824
とり辺野やしこ時鳥しこ烏
toribe[no] ya shiko hototogisu shiko karasu

sakuo renku
灯遠く　鳥達の宴
tomoshibi touku toritati no en　

light is far away
birds begin party

heavy snow

David’s English
heavy snow--
from the dinner tray's edge
Echigo mountains

o^yuki ya zen no kiwa kara echigo yama
.大雪や膳の際から越後山

by Issa, 1813 Age 51.

sakuo haiga

bird's nest

一茶
鳥の巣や翌は切らるる門の松
Issa, 1804, age 42.
tori no su ya asu wa kiraruru kado no matsu

David’s English
bird's nest--
tomorrow the pine by the gate
will be cut down

sakuo　haiga

first snow

David's English
first snowfall--
bordering the outhouse
Sumida River

はつ雪や雪隠のきはも角田川

一茶　１８13年

sakuo　俳画

snow melting

David's English
butterflies flit--
deep in Shinano
tracks of sandals

cho^ tobu ya shinano no oku no zo^ri michi

蝶とぶやしなののおくの草履道

by Issa, 1811

sakuo renku
雪融けうれし草履で歩く
yuki doke ureshi zouri de aruku

delighted with snow melting
walk with sandals

kamakura

Dr. David translate and comment

Kamakura--
these days scarecrows
are the gatekeepers

kamakura ya ima wa kagashi no yashiki mori

.鎌倉や今はかがしの屋敷守

by Issa, 1792

This is Issa's earliest haiku that we have on the subject of scarecrows. The "gatekeepers" (yashiki mori) might also be translated, "keepers of the mansions." Kamakura is one of Japan's ancient capitals, on Sagami Bay southwest of Tokyo. http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo comment.
1792 Issa was 30 years old.
Third Month, 25th day, Issa start on a journey to Shikoku Island.
In a few days, he reached at Kamakura and saw the old mansion of Minamoto Yotitomo, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamoto_no_Yoritomo
who is the first Syogun and the founder of Government by warrior.

sakuo haiga

Edo voices

一茶
江戸声や花見の果のけん嘩かひ
edo-goe ya hanami no hate no kenka kai

David’s English
Edo voices--
the blossom viewing ends
in a quarrel

by Issa, 1824

In Issa's time the citizens of Edo (present-day Tokyo) were famously loud and argumentative.

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

sakuo comment
Fire and quarrel were a special bloom in Edo city.
There were many single warriors, males servants and young craftsmen in Edo city.
The man and woman ratio of Edo was known as 7 ; 3.
Broken speech and quarrel on the liquor were daily happening.
Edo might be Western town in Hollywood cinema.

sakuo renku
ボルトの数に揃わぬナット
boruto no kazu ni sorowanu natsuto

excess number of bolt
not match to less nut

cherry blossom shade

一茶　1810年
花の陰我は狐に化されし
hana no kage waga wa kitsune ni bakasareshi

David’s English
cherry blossom shade--
a fox spirit
has enchanted me!

by Issa, 1810

sakuo haiga

my sleepy mind

一茶　　1793年　31歳
寝心に花を算へる雨夜哉
ne-gokoro ni hana wo kazoeru amayo kana

David’s English
my sleepy mind
counting cherry blossoms...
a rainy night

by Issa, 1793

David's comment
Shinji Ogawa notes that this haiku alludes a famous Chinese poem, "A Spring Morning," by Meng Haoran (691-740). Shinji translates: I awake in the late morning of spring The bird songs are all around me I might hear the storm in the night I wonder how many blossoms have fallen
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

deer in love

一茶　1822年　　60歳
鹿鳴や川をへだてて忍ぶ恋
shika naku ya kawa wo hedatete shinobu koi


David translation
they cry to each other
across a river
deer in love

by Issa, 1822　Age 60

sakuo haiga

warrior

一茶　1803年
兵が足の跡ありけしの花
tsuwamono ga ashi no ato ari keshi no hana

David's English and comment
in the footprints
of the warrior...
Poppies
http://haikuguy.com/issa/haiku.php?code=392.11a

sakuo.
Issa, 1803　age 41 live in Edo.
He had journeyed around the northern district of Edo, getting acquaintance with Akimoto,
his biggest sponsor as well as best haiku friend.
At this time he was leaving from old Haiku sect that has come
from Basho.

The warrior is Basho himself or Basho’s famous haiku "summer grasses.../ all the remains/ of warriors・dreams."

If so, the footprint is Basho’s evidence that shows Basho has come here. The evidence is a monument stone that is carved with the above “summer grasses…”
There were many such stones in near Edo.

Why poppy is picked up instead of “summer grasses”
The flower is a drug so that it brings instant happiness of dream.

sakuo renku
芭蕉の句碑や 夢の魔の花
bashyo n kuhi ya yume no ma no hana

Bashou’s monument and
dreamy drug flowers

sakuo’ English
the warrior’s
footprint is there
poppies

cherry blossom

一茶　1818年
花さくや伊達に加へし空ぎせる
hana saku ya date ni kuwaeshi kara giseru

David’s English
cherry blossoms--
playing the dandy, in my mouth
an empty pipe

sakuo　comment
This ku comes from Kabuki, Japanese Opera that has started on Edo era
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabuki
One of famous number is siranami –gonin otoko (white wave 5men)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benten_Koz%C5%8D
It is 5 robber’s story , among them there is an actor wearing female dress.
His name is Benten-kozou, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benten_Koz%C5%8D
He stout famous phrase with pipe under cherry blossom.
Issa made this ku, imaging this drama.

young leaves

一茶　1822年
山里や毎日日日わかれじも
yama-zato ya mainichi hi nichi wakare-jimo

David’s English
mountain village--
every day, day after day
the last frost

sakuo Renku
初夏と騙され枯れる若い葉
syoka to dama sare kareru wakai ha

deceived that early summer has come
young leaves die