sorrow in spring

Masajo 真砂女 1955 age 49

人のそしり知つての春の愁ひかな
hito no soshiri shitte no haru no urei kana

Lee & Emiko’s English

people’s censure
I know all about it…
sorrow in spring

Seasonal word: spring sorrow ( spring )

In a small town people are more concerned about what other
are doing. From my hair style to the clothes I
wore, I was the target of their curiosity and objections. Being flamboyant for a small town, I took this interest as a matter of course.

sakuo renku

胸の想いを知る人ぞ無し
mune no omoi wo siruhito zo nashi

Nobody know
my passion in my heart

sakuo haiga

Harvest moon

Issa 一茶 1811 age 49

名月や薮蚊だらけの角田川

meigetsu ya yabu ka darake no sumida-gawa

David’s English

harvest moon--
Sumida River thick
with mosquitoes

According to R. H. Blyth, "thicket mosquito" (yabu ka) refers to a species of "striped mosquitoes"; Haiku (Tokyo: Hokuseido, 1949-1952; rpt. 1981-1982/reset paperback edition) 3.805. Robin D. Gill notes that the scientific name for these large striped, bloodthirsty mosquitoes is Stegomyia fasciata, according to Kenkyu^sha's Japanese-English Dictionary.

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

sakuo renku

痒さに耐えて名句を詠まん

kayusani taete meiku wo yoman

enduring the itch

I will make excellent haiku

sakuo haiga

cherry blossom fatique

Masajo 真砂女 1955 age 49

坐りたるまゝ帯とくや花疲れ

suwaritaru mama obit toku ya hanazukare

Lee & Emiko’s English

without standing up

I untie my obi---

blossom viewing fatigue

Seasonal word: cherry blossm fatigue ( spring )

Note: An obi ( kimono sash ) is usually tied and untied in standing position.

sakuo renku

独り住まいの勝手気ままに

hitori sumai no katsute kimama ni

being single life

do as like as I can

sakuo haiga

sakuo haiga

silkworm poop

Issa 一茶 1824 age 62

門々に青し蚕の屎の山
kado-gado ni aoshi kaiko no kuso no yama

David’s English

at gate after gate
green hills
of silkworm poop

People have dumped out little "mountains" of silkworm waste. According to Bridget Dole, silkworm droppings are "blackish green." About this curious haiku, she speculates, "Maybe when [the silkworms] are in the cocoons, everyone cleans out the rearing trays at the same time. The size of one's 'mountains' would be an indication of success." http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

Eighth month, Issa divorced after three month marriage.
While he was suffered by stroke.

Renku
繭を作らず我が庵捨てる
mayu wo tsukirazu waga iho suteru

without bearing cocoon
giving up my hut

cherrry blossom rain

Masajo 真砂女 1955 age 49

鏡台にぬきし指輪や花の雨

kyo^dai ni nukishi yubiwa ya hana no ame

Lee & Emiko’s English

on the dressing table

the ring removed from my finger---

cherry blossom rain

Seasonal word: cherry blossom rain ( spring )

sakuo haiga

若駒に曳かれ恋路行かん

wakakoma ni hikare koiji ikan

pulling by young horse

wish to go on love road

lining up

Issa 一茶 1812 age 50

今来たと顔を並べる乙鳥哉
ima kita to kao wo naraberu tsubame kana

David’s English

lining up
with newcomers' faces...
swallows
.
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

Mrs. Kakyo Orimoto was Issa’s haiku student as well as reliable sponsor.
1810 July she was died, he knew it but couldn’t attend her funnel ceremony.
After two years on her memorial day, he came to her tomb to pray for her soul.

never born

Masajo 真砂女 1955 age 49

生まれざりせばと思うとき雁帰る

umarezariseba to omou toki kari kaeru

Lee & Emiko’s English

when I think

I should never have been born---

departing geese

I was extravagant in my way of living, but never thought it was a happy life.

How many times have I thought of not coming into being ?

Seasonal word: departing geese ( spring )

sakuo haiga

To All

A half of the book titled [ Love Haiku] has been pictured.

It takes one year.

I will keep to paint it’s haiga one more year.

Love Haiku contains Masajo’s selected haiku. And it is translated by Lee Gurga and Emiko Miyashita into English.

Thank you for your patience.

sakuo.

puffer fish

Issa 一茶 1813

人鬼をいきどほるかよ鰒の顔

hito oni wo ikido^ru ka yo fugu no kao

David’s English

are you mad
at the human goblins?
face of the pufferfish

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

sakuo haiga

Issa described himself as lucky puffer fish.

and his brother in law and mother as the human goblin.

Why?

At this time their dispute on inheritance

came to climax.

first reading

Masajo 真砂女 1998 age 92

読初の男が留守を預かりぬ
yomizome no otoko ga rusu wo azukarimu

Lee & Emiko’s English

first reading---
while I am away from home
it’s all he does

Seasonal word: the first reading of the year (the New Year )

sakuo haiga

red leaves

Issa 一茶 1819 age 57

息災に紅葉を見るよ夫婦鹿

sokusai ni momiji wo miru yo meoto shika

David’s English

with Buddha's peace
gazing at red leaves...
Mr. and Mrs. Deer

by Issa, 1819

Sokusai is a word with special resonance for Buddhists, signifying a sense of tranquility in the knowledge that the merits of Buddhism can overcome the misfortunes of this world; Kogo dai jiten (Shogakukan 1983) 927.

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

sakuo renku & haiga

仏の功徳 子を授からん

hotoke no kudoku ko wo sazukaran

Buda blessing

baby to us

first sunrise

Masajo 真砂女 1998 age 92

初日の出待つときめきは恋に似て

hatsu hi no de matsu tokimeki wa koi ni nite

Lee & Emiko’s English

first sunrise---

I wait with a fluttering heart

as if in love

Seasonal word: the first sunrise (the New Year )

sakuo haiga

wild flower

Issa 一茶 1820 age 58

入相の聞処なり草の華

iriai no kiku tokoro nari kusa no hana

David’s English

at the sound of the sunset
bell...
wildflowers

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

sakuo haiga

autumn wind

Masajo 真砂女 1998 age 92

秋風に拾ひし貝の名は知らず

aki kaze ni hiroishi kai no na wa shirazu

Lee & Emiko’s English

autumn wind---

I picked up a shell

its name unknown

Seasonal word: autumn wind (autumn)

sakuo haiga

dog toilet

Issa 一茶 1814 age 52

どの草も犬の後架ぞ散紅葉

dono kusa mo inu no ko^ka zo chiru momiji

David’s English

any grass serves

as the dog's toilet...
red leaves falling

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

sakuo haiga

lofty sky

Masajo 真砂女 1998 age 92

天高く持つて貰いし旅鞄

ten takaku motte moraishi tabi kaban

Lee & Emiko’s English

lofty sky---

my love carries

my travel bag

Seasonal word: towering sky (autumn)

Note: Tentakashi is an autumn kigo (seasonal word) of the sky seen so high in the clear and crisp air. This feeling is particular to late October in Japan.

sakuo haiga

spring mist

Issa 一茶 1822

古郷や我を見る也うすがすみ

furusato wa ware wo miru nari usu-gasumi

David’s English

at my village
they watch me...
a thin spring mist

Is Issa suggesting the alienation, he felt from his fellow villagers who, due to his nearly four decades of exile, now viewed him as an outsider?

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

sakuo haiga

They are workmen.

He is a playboy.

both never cross

dream illusion

Masajo 真砂女 1998 92歳

かのことは夢まぼろしか秋の蝶

kano koto wa yume maboroshi ka aki no cho^

Lee & Emiko’s English

were they dreams

or were they illusions---

autumn butterfly

Seasonal word: autumn butterfly ( autumn )

Note: “Kanokoto” refers to the nights of love.

sakuo haiga

sarashina

Issa 一茶 1803 age 41

一度見度さらしな山や帰る雁

ichido mitaki sarashina yama ya kaeru kari

David’s English

all eager to see
Mount Sarashina...
departing geese

Shinji Ogawa points out that kaeru in this context can be translated as "return" or "leave." Since this is a spring haiku, the wild geese are leaving Japan (i.e., returning to northern lands).

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

sakuo haiga

帰りたしされど都の華も良し

wish to return home

but good to stay

in flourish capital

yukata

Masajo 真砂女 1998 age 92

浴衣着て闇夜月夜と逢ひつづけ
yukata kite yamiyo tsukiyo to ai tuzuke

Lee & Emiko’s English

in our yukata—
inky nights moonlit nights
are all for love

Seasonal word: yukata, an informal cotton kimono ( summer )

sakuo haiga

camellia

Masajo 真砂女 1998 age 92

落椿罪ある者を通せんぼ
ochi tubaki tsumi aru mo no wo to^senbo

Lee & Emiko’s English

fallen camellias—
barring the way of someone
who has sinned

Seasonal word: camellia (spring)
Note: The most commonly seen camellias in Japan are the red ones.
When a blossom falls, it falls as a whole, rather than petal by petal. In the samurai culture, they are associated with bloody, cut-off heads, and
hence were not appreciated. However, white camellias are very much
favored in tea ceremony culture.

sakuo haig