sakuo3903's Journal

vegetables
一茶　1803年　41歳
二軒前干菜かけたり草の雨
ni ken mae hoshi na kaketari kusa no ame

David’s English
vegetables hung to dry
at two houses...
thatch dripping rain

by Issa, 1803
In the same year Issa writes another version of this haiku, ending with "little houses" (ko ie kana). Literally, the vegetables are hung "in front of two houses" (ni ken mae). In this haiku I assume that kusa no ame ("grass's rain") refers to rain dripping from the thatched roofs, as it seems to in a later poem (1814): sasa no ya ya hiina no kao e kusa no ame thatched house-- on the doll's face dripping rain
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo comment
at two houses= at two houses before his friend.
dry vegetable=used for winter food.
thatch dripping rain= spring rain that makes grass grow..
Issa has come at the near of his friend. Even winter remains but spring
surely has come.

sakuo renku
気分は春　友の家近し
kibun wa haru tomo no ie tikashi

in the mood of spring
soon at friend’s house.

I'm singing in the rain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkEvy-9yVyQ

Current Mood: pleased

persimmon blossoms
一茶
柿の花おちてぞ人の目に留る
kaki no hana ochite zo hito no me ni tomaru

David’s English
persimmon blossoms
falling...
only now noticed

Shinji Ogawa paraphrases: "persimmon blossoms ... only after falling down they are noticed." He adds, "Persimmon blooms in a very modest way; the view of the red-brown flowers is obscured by the summer leaves."
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo renku
死後に世に出る　我が俳句かな
sigo ni yo ni deru waga haiku kana

after my death admitted
my haiku in the world

Current Mood: okay

beautiful courtesan
David’s English
beautiful courtesan--
new clothes for her hometown's
Buddha

keisei ya zaisho no mida e kinu kubari
.傾城や在所のみだへ衣配
by Issa, 1825

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sakuo renku 連句
何時か我子が　産めるよう
ituka wagako ga umeru you

sometime wishing to bear my baby

Current Mood: sad

in honor of the equinox
David’s English
in honor of the equinox
the hedge
turns green

一茶　
御彼岸のぎりに青みしかきね哉
o-higan no giri ni aomishi kakine kana

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

sakuo renku
mountain covered with snow
no news of cherry blossom

山に雪あり　花の便りなし
yama ni yuki ari hana no tayori nashi

Current Mood: confused

such intricate
David's English
such intricate
wildflowers bloomed!
in one short night

Issa, 1817
te no konda kusa no hana zoyo mijika yo ni
手の込んだ草の花ぞよ短夜に

The flowers bloomed overnight. This haiku refers to a short night of summer. Shinij Ogawa explains, "The phrase, te no konda, means 'complex' or 'intricate.'"
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sakuo comment
Issa 1817,
He had stayed in Edo since October 1816.
He didn’t come back to his home till July 1817.
How did his young wife feel his long absence?

sakuo renku
重ね帯解き　開く花かな
kasane obi toki hiraku hana kana

many sashes undone
the flower blooms

Current Mood: loved

you fleas
David’s English
for you fleas
the night must be long...
and lonely?

一茶
蚤どもがさぞ夜永だろ淋しかろ
nomi domo ga sazo yonaga daro sabishi karo

Issa, 1813, Age 51
Second Month, he is living in Kashiwabara in a rented house. In autumn, his inheritance dispute finally settled, he moves into his family home.
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo comment
At this time he decided to settle down in his native town, giving up his 37 years Edo life. But often he reminded his lively Edo life.

Current Mood: melancholy

honorable ally
David’s English
the yellow rose's
honorable ally...
a frog

yamabuki no o-mikata mo^[su] kawazu kana
山吹の御味方申す蛙かな
by Issa, 1812

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Sakuo’s comment
First line
[山吹　yamabuki ] has two means.
They are plant, a Japanese rose.
and color, bright golden yellow that means 小判 a koban;
a former Japanese oval gold coin.
If you prefer yellow rose, it has double season word.

Sakuo’s English
Koban the gold coin
honorable ally...
a frog

Sakuo　renku and renga
旅の餞別　小判三両
tabi no senbetu koban san ryou

as a present of travel
three gold coins

Current Mood: satisfied

cats yowling
David’s English
cats yowling
separated by a wall--
tragic lovers

neko naku ya hei wo hedatete awanu koi
.猫鳴や塀をへだててあはぬ恋
by Issa, 1824

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Sakuo　link picture

the whole town second version
David’s English
the whole town sleeps
while the cormorants
toil

一茶
一村やうにかせがせて夕枕

Sakuo renku and renga (second version)

The word, cormorant always remind us exploitation by employer.
In first version it was[tax robber and taxpayer]
And second version is [ inn master and Oiran girls]

夜の吉原　鵜の稼ぎ時
yoru no Yoshihara uno kasegi doki

night at Yoshihara
the cormorants are busy

Reference;
Yoshihara: sexual leisure palace in Edo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshiwara
Cormorant　(＋fishing)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cormorant_Fishing_on_the_Nagara_River

David’s Englsh

the whole town sleeps
while the cormorants
toil

hito mura ya u ni kasegasete yu^makura
.一村やうにかせがせて夕枕
by Issa, 1817

Issa ends the haiku with the image, yu^makura ("night pillows"). A more literally faithful but harder to picture translation would be: the whole town-- while the cormorants are made to work night pillows Japanese fishermen use cormorants. Tied to a tether, these sea birds dive for fish that they are forced to disgorge.

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sakuo renku and renga
何時の世も税を取る人取られる人.
ituno yo mo zei wo toru hito torareru hito

In every generation
there are tax robbers
and taxpayers

Current Mood: calm

dropping willow
David’s English
drooping willow--
the gate's crookedness
not quite hidden

一茶　1816年.
垂柳門の曲りはかくれぬぞ
tare yanagi kado no magari wa kakurenu zo

by Issa, 1816 Age 54

sakuo renku & renga
Two years before, married with 28 years bridal.
Fourth Month, a son is born, but soon dies.

若妻手を引き　背を伸ばす
waka-tuma te wo hiki se wo nobasu

young wife lead with hand
old stretch his back

first snowfall
David’s English
watching first snowfall
in a rotten mood...
Shinano Mountain

一茶　1810年
むつかしや初雪見ゆるしなの山
mutsukashi ya hatsu yuki miyuru shinano yama
by Issa, 1810

sakuo Renku & haiga
At his age 48, Issa began to dispute inheritance of his father’s asset.
His half brother’s family has strongly resisted.

山の向こうに　怖い顔待つ
yama no mukou ni kowai kaomatu

beyond the mountain
terrible faces waiting

Current Mood: cold

can't chase!
David’s English

don't chase, don't chase
children!
that flea has kids

ouna ouna ouna kodomo yo ko mochi nomi
追な追な追な子どもよ子持蚤

by Issa, 1814
In the original Issa repeats "don't chase" three times.
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo Haiga

In the world of man
David’s English
"In the world of man
there are no blossoms!"
mountain cuckoo

Issa, 1814
hito no yo ni hana wa nashi to ya kankodori
人の世に花はなしとや閑古鳥

Age 52
Fourth Month, he marries Kiku ("Chrysanthemum": age 28).

Sakuo Renku
菊に出会えて今が一番
Kiku ni deaete ima ga itiban

meet with Kiku
happiest at present

they even sell tea
David’s English

they even sell tea
not worth a fart!
summer trees

he no yo^na cha mo ureru nari natsu kodachi
.屁のやうな茶もうれる也夏木立
by Issa, 1816

David comment
Originally, I translated this literally: "tea that smells like a fart. Shinji Ogawa points out that he no yo^na ("fart-like") is an idiom for "worthless."
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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 afterward I realize it is very severe poem.

Hata-uti (farm plowing) is Spring Kigo. It means
new 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

Current Mood: thoughtful

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

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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.

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

a 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.

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