初雪や

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.

誰よりも

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

馬迄も

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 ?

別れ話

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

猫の虫干し

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.

男憎し

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

行あたりばったりばたり

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, 1816
A 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.

菊日和

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 waist
oh, so long

Seasonal word: chrysanthemums blooming ( autumn )

sakuo haiga

霰

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

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

sakuo haiga

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

a

秋袷

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 the
mysterious 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

御祝儀に

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.

髪解くや

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

名月や

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

Issa, 1821 age 59.
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.

空の色

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 spallows ( autumn )

sakuo haiga

Masajyo say good by to his airplane with sadness.

門の雪

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 rough snow boys lose freedom and become stereotyped square.

夏帯

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

小言の真似

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

襟足

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

御口

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

一瓶

Masajyo 真砂女

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

Lee & Emiko's English

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

Season word: cherry blossom rain (spring)

sakuo haiga