the gate's snow

Issa 一茶

kado no yuki shikaku ni sarete nagare keri
門の雪四角にされて流けり

David's　English

the gate's snow
in a perfect square
flows away

by Issa, 1818
Shinji Ogawa explains that sarete signifies the passive voice: the snow is "being cut square."
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

The snow boys lose freedom and become stereotyped square.

summer kimono sash

Masajyo 真砂女

夏帯や運切りひらき切りひらき
natsuobi ya un kirihiraki kirihiraki

Lee & Emiko's English

summer kimono sash---
my destiny in my hand
in my own hands

My fortune is something I have hew out for myself. The only person I can
rely on is myself. I put on my summer kimono sash smartly and just keep
working.

Seasnal word: summer kimono sash ( summer)

sakuo haiga

copying nagging

Issa 一茶

sasa no ya no kogoto no mane wo naku kawazu

笹の家の小言の真似を鳴蛙

David's English

copying the nagging

in the thatched house...

croaking frogs

by Issa, 1816
The house is thatched with bamboo grass (sasa).

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

sakuo haiga

Ginbura or neigbour

Autumn is the season for festival.

Today we go to two festival in neighbor.
One is Kinuta studio that is institution for handicapped person's study and work.
And one more is a shrine called Mitsumine-jinjya.

http://ginbura.exblog.jp/9278042/

sakuo

nape of my neck

Masajyo 真砂女

襟足をみせて髪結う新樹かな
eriashi wo misete kami yu'u shinju kana

Lee and Emiko's　English

I put up my hair
so he sees the nape of my neck...
new green leaves

Seasonal word: trees fresh green leaves(summer)

sakuo haiga

the mouth

Issa 　一茶


蚤噛んだ口でなむあみだ仏哉

nomi kanda kuchi de namu amida butsu kan


David's English


the mouth that gnawed

a flea, "All praise

to Amida Buddha!"


by Issa, 1817

The nembutsu prayer is "Namu Amida Butsu"--"All praise to Amida Buddha!"http://cat.xula.edu/issa/


sakuo haiga

the last drop

Masajyo 真砂女

香水の一瓶終わり花の雨
kousui no hito bon owari hana no ame

Lee & Emiko's English

the last drop
from the perfume bottle---
cherry blossom rain

Seasonal word: cherry blossom rain ( spring )

sakuo haiga

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”