morning glories

Issa 一茶

朝顔や下水の泥もあさのさま
asagao ya gesui no doro mo asa no sama

David’s　English

morning-glories

even in sewer mud

a morning scene


by Issa, 1805
Shinji Ogawa translated the final phrase,

asa no sama: "morning scene."

My original translation, though less literal, might be

a better haiku in English: morning-glories even

in sewer mud greet the dawn
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/



sakuo haiga

how piteous

Masajyo 真砂女

あわれ野火の草あるかぎり狂いけり
aware nobi no kusa aru kagiri kurui keri

Lee & Emiko's English

how piteous!
as long as there is grass
the wildfire rages

Seasonal word: wildfire (spring)

sakuo haiga

side-field

Issa 一茶

冬枯のほまちざかりや菊の花
fuyugare no homachi-zakari ya kiku no hana

David's English

the withered side-field
in full bloom...
chrysanthemums

by Issa, 1821

The "side-field" (homachi) is a plot of newly cultivated land that, in that period, was farmed in secret, evidently to avoid the daimyo's taxation; Kogo dai jiten (Shogakukan 1983) 1495.http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

not a word for me

Masajyo & 真砂女


口きいてくれず冬濤見てばかり

kuchi kiite kurezu fuyunami mite bakari


Lee & Emiko's English


not a word for me

he just continues to watch

the winter waves


Seasonal word:winter wave (winter)


sakuo haiga

shame

Issa 一茶

はづかしや三十日が来ても草のてふ
hazukashi ya misoka ga kite mo kusa no cho^

David's English

shame, shame!
on the month's last day
a meadow butterfly

by Issa, 1810

In Issa's days, most people bought things on credit
and paid up at the end of the month or of the year.
Issa cannot pay his debt as penniless meadow butterfly.

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


sakuo haiga

falling snow

Masajyo　真砂女

降る雪やあざやかすぎし夢の虹
furu yuki ya azayaka sugishi yume no niji

Lee and Emiko’s English

falling snow---
too brilliant a rainbow
in my dream

Seasonal word: snow ( winter )

Sakuo haiga

first snow

Issa 一茶

初雪や雪駄ならして善光寺

hatu yuki ya setsuta narasite zenko-ji

 

sakuo’s English

first snowfall---

stomping setsuta sandal

at Zenko Temple

 

setsuta http://www.wasoh.com/setta/index.html

was a snobby sandal for playboy in Edo era.

It is not good for walking on snowy road. As to my imagination, Issa would

spent a night near the Temple and tomorrow morning he went to Zenko Temple with pleasant feeling.　

 

Chin’s haiga

Chin san is Taiwanese who is 80 years over, graduated from old Japanese Empire university in Taipei. He is Sakuo’s and Issa’s good friend.

more than anyone

Masajyo　真砂女

誰よりもこの人が好き枯草に

dare yorimo kono hito ga suki karekusa ni

Lee and Emiko's English

more than anyone

it is this man I love

on the withered grass

Seasonal word: withered grass(winter)

sakuo haiga

even the horse

Issa 一茶

uma made mo moegi no kaya ni netari keri
馬迄も萌黄の蚊屋に寝たりけり

David's English

even the horses
sleep in light green
mosquito nets!

by Issa, 1819
This haiku has the prescript, "Edo mansion."
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

Who does live in behind ?

talke of divorce

Masajyo 　真砂女

水鳥や別れ話は女より
mizutori　ya　wakare banasi ha on^na yori

Lee & Emiko's English

waterbird---
talke of divorce
from the woman

I tried to talk about divorce, but failed. A far as I know,
it is always from the woman's side to bring up the subject of diverce.

Seasonal word; waterbird ( winter )

sakuo haiga

airing outside

Issa 一茶

mushiboshi ni neko mo hosarete itari keri
虫干に猫もほされて居たりけり

David's English

airing out the bedding
and
the cat

by Issa, 1815
Mushiboshi refers to a summer custom: putting clothing
and bedding outside in the sun. Here, the cat, too,
happily soaks up the sun, atop the futon or spread-out clothes.
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga
Last year he married with young bridal. Next year his son will be born.
His happiest time.

detest the man

Masajyo 真砂女

男憎しされども恋し柳散る
otoko nikushi saredomo koishi yanagi chiru

Lee & Emiko's English

I detest the man
yet I long for him---
willow leaves falling

Seasonal word: willow leaves falling ( autumn )

sakuo haiga

helter-skelter

Issa　 一茶


yuki-atari-battari-batari uchiwa kana

行あたりばったりばたり団扇哉


David's English


helter-skelter

they flap and flap...

paper fans


by Issa, 1816A difficult haiku to translate. Yuki-atari-battari signifies "haphazard" or "happy-go-lucky." I picture a scene of several people, fanning themselves on a warm summer day with all sorts of different speeds and rhythms.http://cat.xula.edu/issa/


sakuo　haiga


A priest come to pray for Issa's son who died only after 27 days.

Issa is losing his soul, hearing the sutra.

chrysanthemum blooming

Masajyo 真砂女

kikubiyori mini maku obi no nagaki kana
菊日和身にまく帯の長きかな

Lee & Emiko's English

chrysanthemum blooming---
the sash bound round my waistoh
so long

Seasonal word: chrysanthemums blooming ( autumn )

sakuo haiga

hailstones

Issa 一茶


arare chire kukurimakura wo ou kodomo

霰ちれ くくり枕を 負ふ子ども


David's English


fall, hailstones!

with pillow on his head

a child


by Issa, 1813

The child has invented a clever way to defy the weather.The pillow in question, kukurimakura, is stuffed with cotton or buckwheat chaff and tied at both ends; Kogo dai jiten (Shogakukan 1983) 491. The child is young and, most likely, poor, but nevertheless demonstrates his human birthright of creativity--to Issa's applause.
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/


sakuo haiga



Hurry back boy ! a baby on your back is cold.

autumn kimono

Masajyo 真砂女

夫運なき秋袷着たりけり
otto un naki akiawase kitari keri

Lee & Emiko's English

luck with husband
is sometning that eludes me---
autumn kimono

I married twice and divorced twice. My first marriage ended with themysterious disappearance of my husband. In the second one, I left the house of my own will. Since then I have been making my living in a corner of Tokyo.

Seasonal word ( autumn )

sakuo haiga

on the celebration

Issa 一茶


o-shu^gi ni yuki mo furu nari dondo yaki

御祝儀に雪も降也どんどやき


David's　English


snow falls

on the celebration...

New Year's bonfire


by Issa, 1816

On Little New Year's, the day of the year's first full moon ( First Month, 15th day), New Year's decorations of pine-and-bamboo and sacred Shinto rope are burned.http://cat.xula.edu/issa/


sakuo haiga


Age 54, his happiest New Year.

my hair down

Masajyo 真砂女


髪解くや情に溺れし秋の髪
kami toku ya jo ni oboreshi aki no kami

Lee and Emiko's English

I left my hair dwon...
it is drowning in desire
my autumn hair

Seasonal word: ( autumn )

sakuo haiga

harvest moon

Issa 　一茶
meigetsu ya yoko ni neru hito ogamu hito

名月や横に寝る人おがむ人


David's Englsh

harvest moon--

some are stretched out

some praying


by Issa, 1821 .



Originally, I envisioned only two people in the scene: "next to the sleeping man/ a praying man." Shinji Ogawa, however, visualizes more people: "some are lying down/ some praying." Several people, not just two, would typically attend a traditional Japanese moon-gazing party.http://cat.xula.edu/issa/


sakuo haiga



At this time he has lost three babies, and his wife was pregnant fourth baby.

in the sky's color

Masajyo 真砂女

空の色に見る海の色秋燕
sora no iro ni miru umi no iro aki-tsubame

Lee and Emiko's English

in the sky's color
the color of the sea---
autumn swallows

Seasonal word: autumn sparrows ( autumn )

sakuo haiga

Masajyo say good by to his airplane with sadness.