髪と髭

Issa 　一茶

髪髭も白い仲間や花の陰
kami hige mo shiroi nakama ya hana no kage

David's English

hair and beards
of comrades all white...
blossom shade

by Issa, 1820 http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

my love

Masajyo 　真砂女

わが恋や秋風渡る中に在り
waga koi ya akikaze wataru naka ni ari

Lee& Emiko's English

my love---
the autumn wind
carries it on

Seasonal word: autumn wind ( autumn)
Note:Masajyo's love has continued for forty years. The love has become old, but it is still hale in the autumn wind.

sakuo haiga

若竹

Issa 　一茶

わか竹をたのみに思ふ小家哉
waka take ni tanomi ni omou ko ie kana

David's　English

depending on
the young bamboo...
little house

by Issa, 1812　http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

聖夜

作雄　sakuo

時空超え発句楽しむ聖夜かな
jiku koe hotsuku tanosimu seiya kana

sakuo's English

over time and space
enjoying to make haiku
in holy night

sakuo haiga

So many things attacked us,but we could reach at the
Holy night.
Thanks to all Gods!
And all famlies be happy!

朝顔

Masajyo 　真砂女

朝顔やすでにきのふのとなりしこと
asagao ya sudeni kinou to narishi koto

Lee & Emiko's English

morning-glory---
already it belongs
to yesterday

Note:Masajyo was longing desperately for it. And now it is

over and the day has passed. Every moment of it has become

something of the past.
Yet every moment is still vivid in her mind. A morning-glory of

yesterday will never bloom again.

Seasonal word: morning-glory ( autumn )

sakuo haiga

こなたにも

Issa　一茶

こなたにも安置して有梅の花
kona[ta] ni mo anchi shi[te] are ume no hana

David‘s　English

even here
a holy image enshrined
plum blossoms

by Issa, 1821
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

First month of this year his second son died on the mother’s back, after 100 days life.

queenching

Masajyo 　真砂女
　
渇癒す泉に罪の顔写し
katsu iyasu izumi ni tsumi no kao utsushi

Lee & Emiko's Englsih

queenching my thirst---
a sinner's face reflected
in the spring

Seasonal word: a spring ( summer )

sakuo haiga

小語と云う

Issa　一茶

小言いふ相手もあらばけふの月
kogoto iu aite mo araba kyo^ no tsuki

David’s English

if only she were here
for me to nag...
tonight's moon!

by Issa, 1823
David's special comment on translation

sakuo haiga

滝の音

Masajyo 真砂女

滝の音に言葉とられし涼しさよ
taki no ne ni kotoba torareshi suzushisa yo

Lee & Emiko's English

our spoken words
carried away by the waterfall---
coolness!

Seasonal word:waterfall ( summer ), coolness ( summer )

sakuo haiga

愛たしか

Masajyo 　真砂女

愛たしか夏蝉朝を奏でけり
ai tasika natsuzemi asa wo kanade keri

Lee& Emiko's English

true love---
summer cicadas play
amorning tune

Seasonal word: summer cicada ( summer )

sakuo haiga

顔染し

Issa 　一茶

顔染し乙女も春の暮る哉
kao someshi otome mo haru no kururu kana

David's English

for the painted faced
maiden too...
spring dusk

by Issa, 1805 age 43,staying in Edo
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

女一人

Masajyo 　真砂女

女一人目覚めてのぞく蛍篭
on'na hitori mezamete nozoku hotaru kago

Lee & Emiko's English

a woman alone---
she wakes up and peeks into
the firefly cage

Seasonal word: firefly ( summer)

sakuo haiga

子猿

Issa 一茶

猿の子に酒くれる也茸狩
saru no ko ni sake kureru nari kinoko-gari

David's English

for the baby monkey
a nip of sake...
mushroom hunting

by Issa, 1819
Issa writes a variation of this haiku, also in 1819: tabi no ko ni sake kureru nari kinoko-gari for the traveling child a nip of sake... mushroom hunting Shinji Ogawa comments, "I think what Issa is trying to depict in these two haiku is the racket created by the mushroom hunting party: a bunch of drunkards who offer sake to whomever they meet."
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

藤の椅子

Masajyo 真砂女

心病む日なり籐椅子にふかくいて
kokoro yamu hi nari touisu ni fukaku ite

Lee & Emiko's English

heartsick day---
nested deeply
in the rattan chair

seasonal word: rattan chair ( summer )

sakuo haiga

やまと猫

Issa 一茶

通路も花の上也やまと猫
kayoiji mo hana no ue nari yamato neko

David's English

his prowling route
over the flowers...
a Japanese cat

by Issa, 1824
Issa suggests that the cat has a sensitive Japanese soul, for it chooses to go through the blossoms. Yamato is an old word for Japan.
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

梅青し

Masajyo　真砂女

梅青し女のもてる悪だくみ
ume aoshi on'na no moteru warudakumi

Lee & Emiko's English

plums so green
a woman embracing
a malicious design

Seasonal word: plum(summer)　　

sakuo haiga

窓の小穴

Issa 一茶

秋の夜や窓の小穴が笛を吹
aki no yo ya mado no ko ana ga fue wo fuku

David's English

autumn evening--
a little hole in the window
blows flute

Issa, 1811　aged 49,

sakuo haiga

What melodies did the flute blow?

Was it his physical　decline?
Or inheritance strugle with halfbrother?
Or frustration of ranking as Haikuist in Edo?