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

dog and inscet

一茶　1816
山犬の穴の中よりきりぎりす
yama inu no ana no naka yori kirigirisu


David’s English
crawling out
the wild dog's hole...
a katydid

Issa, 1816　 Age 54

sakuo Renku
犬と虫との妙な二重奏
inu to mushi to no myouna nijyuusou

dog and insect
strange duet

trudging

一茶　　1821
でくでくと蚤まけせぬや田舎猫
deku-deku to nomi make senu ya inaka neko

David’s English
trudging along
enduring his fleas...
country cat


Issa, 1821 Age 54.
7 years has passed from his marriage.
Issa was tired of his wife.

sakuo renku 連句
あらが見え来る結婚七年
ara ga mie kuru ketsukon hiti nen

her defect appearing
after 7 year’s marriage

morning frost

一茶　　1820
朝霜やしかも子どものお花売
asa shimo ya shikamo kodomo no o-hana uri

David’s English
morning frost--
yet still a child
sells flowers

Issa, 1820　age 58.
Last June his first daughter died

sakuo　連句
あるだけ買って娘の墓へ
aru dake katsute musume no haka he

buy all her flowers
to daughter’s grave

60 years old

一茶　
まん六の春と成りけり門の雪
manroku no haru to nari keri kado no yuki

David’s English
some "proper spring"
this is!
snow at the gate

by Issa 1822

This first haiku of the year has a prescript in which Issa claims that Gautama Buddha, waking up one morning and seeing the light of the stars, came to a realization that he had been living in sin for the previous forty-nine years. Issa, though he now has reached his own sixtieth year, declares that he is too set in his ways to change. He will remain a fool, he declares. See Makoto Ueda, Dew on the Grass: The Life and Poetry of Kobayashi Issa (Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2004) 140. Issa doesn't mention his age in the haiku itself. It is springtime, but winter's snow is still piled up at the gate, suggesting that Issa, like the weather, has not changed. Manroku is an old word that signifies propriety, justice, or fairness; Kogo dai jiten (Shogakukan 1983) 1547.
visit http://cat.xula.edu/issa/


sakuo translation
60 years old
my new spring
snow at my gate

Issa, 1822 age 60.
According Japanese custom, people celebrate the age of 60 years,
because animal calendar year is consisted by 12 kind of animals.
After 5 around, 60 years has passed. 60 years is believed lucky circle of long life.
People celebrate the 60 years old as happy being.
満六 manroku means [ full 60 years old ]. The celebration is called [kanreki 還暦]

mother cat

一茶　1823
女猫子ゆへの盗とく逃よ
onna neko ko yue no nusumi toku nige yo

David’s English
mother cat
steals for her kittens...
run faster!

millet cake

一茶 1818
ひへ餅にあんきな春が来たりけり
hie mochi ni ankina haru ga kitari keri

David’s translation
with cold rice cake
a peaceful spring
rolls in

sakuo’s translation
[ankina] has double meaning. One is peaceful. Another is an [ anko, 餡子、bean-paste] and kina [kinako,黄な粉,soybean flour]
[hie] is not cold but barn millet. It means Issa’s poor life.

with millet cake
sweet spring
has come


Issa 1818, Age 56
Fifth Month, 4th day, a daughter, Sato, is born.

sakuo renku
餡子や黄粉腹に子宝
anko ya kinako hara ni kodakara

bean-paste and soybean flour
in stmoch treasure baby

pebbles pounding

一茶　1816
小庇や砂利打やうな秋の雨
ko-bisashi ya jari utsu yo^na aki [no] ame

David’s English
like pebbles pounding
the eaves...
autumn rain

sakuo　Renku
親鳥の皆去り逝きし秋嵐
oya-tori no minna sariyukishi aki arashi

parent birds
all gone away
autumn storm

the love cat

一茶　　1821
恋猫や恐れ入たる這入口
koi neko ya osore-itaru hairiguchi

David’s English
the lover cat
filled with remorse
at my door

sakuo Renku
思いがけなく開く雨戸かな
omoigakenaku aku amado kana

unexpectedly open
a sliding shutter

wearing umbrella

一茶 1823
人々や笠きて花の雲に入
hito-bito [ya] kasa kite hana no kumo ni iru

David's English
wearing umbrella-hats
they enter the blossom
clouds

sakuo Renku
雨の山道さくら満開
ame no yamamiti sakura mankai

mountain road in rain
cherry blossoms in full bloom

temple blossoms

一茶　
寺の花はり合もなく散りにけり
tera no hana hariai mo naku chiri ni keri

David’s English
the temple blossoms
without struggle
fall

Issa, 1822 60 years old.
He has lost three babies till this time

sakuo renku
三人の子供の墓に櫻散る
sannin no kodomo no haka ni sakura tiru

on the graves
of three children
cherry blossom falling

next room

一茶
次の間の行灯で寝る夜寒哉
tsugi no ma no andon de neru yo samu kana

David’s English
by the next room's lamplight
I sleep...
a cold night

sakuo renku
われは一人寝隣は二人
ware ha hitori ne tonari ha futari

mines single bed
next double bed

night mist

小林　一茶　1819年　57歳
.夕霧や馬の覚し橋の穴
yûgiri ya uma no oboeshi hashi no ana

David’s English
night mist--
the horse remembers
the bridge's hole

sakuo renku
落ちずに済んで又霧の中
otizu ni sunde mata kiri no naka

without dropping
again into the mist