おぼろ夜

Masajyo 　真砂女

おぼろ夜やアパートの鍵店の鍵
oboroyo ya apa-to no kagi mise no kagi

Lee and Emiko's English

hazy night---
the key to my apartment house
the key to my pub

Season word: hazy night ( spring )

sakuo haiga

紛れて

Issa　一茶

朝もやの紛に雁の立にけり
asa moya no magire ni kari no tachi ni keri

David's English

under the cover
of morning's haze
geese taking off

by Issa, 1815
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

若妻残し句友へ急ぐ

leave young wife
hurry to haiku friends

我春

Issa 一茶

我春も上々吉よ梅の花
waga haru mo jo^jo^kichi yo ume no hana

David's　English

my spring
is lucky, lucky!
plum blossoms

by Issa, 1811　visit http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo Haiga

冬の波

Masajyo 真砂女

冬の波いまわれのみ寄するかな

Lee and Emiko's English

winter surf
now it dashes aganist
me only

季語　冬の波

sakuo 俳画

越後山

Issa 一茶.

こがらしや隣と云もえちご山
kogarashi ya tonari to iu mo echigo yama

David's　English

winter wind--
next door, it seems
Echigo mountains

by Issa, 1819
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

my chapped lips

Masajyo 真砂女

雪の夜の荒れし唇拭うかな
yuki no yo no areshi kutibiru nugu'u kana

Lee & Emiko's English

my chapped lips...
I smooth them
on a snowy night

Seasonal word: snow( winter)

sakuo haiga

秋風に

Issa　一茶

秋風にあなた任の小蝶哉
aki kaze ni anata makase no ko cho^ kana

David’s　English

in autumn wind
trusting in the Buddha...
little butterfly

. by Issa, 1805
Robin D. Gill assisted with this translation. Literally, the little butterfly "trusts in the Beyond," but in Issa's Pure Land sect this means trusting in the saving power of Amida Buddha to make possible its happy reincarnation, in the next life, in the Pure Land or Western Paradise. The cold autumn wind signifies the fact that death is near for the tiny, fragile creature. But instead of struggling against this inevitability, Issa suggests that the butterfly is surrendering to death, trusting death, and at the same time trusting in the Buddha. This is one of his most memorable images of religious surrender to Amida's "Other Power." http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

trust 70 % but uneasy 30%
How about you?

雪清浄

Masajyo　真砂女

雪清浄黒手袋をもて掬う
yuki seijyou kuro tebukuro wo mote suku'u

Lee & Emiko's English
pure snow---
I scoop it up
with black gloves

Seasonal word: snow(winter)

sakuo haiga

我鐘

Issa　一茶

我郷の鐘や聞くらん雪の底
waga sato no kane ya kikuran yuki no soko

David's English

my village bell
heard maybe, deep
in the snow

by Issa, 1813
I added "maybe" to my translation because Issa's original is speculative:
the bell "may be heard" (kikuran)http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

冬の夜

Masajyo　真砂女

冬の夜の鏡にうつるものにわれ
fuyu no yo no kagami ni utsuru mono ni ware

Lee & Emiko's English

winter night
things reflected in the mirror
including me

I unlock the door of my apartment house,and switch on the light. The face I find in the the vermilion-lacquered three-sided mirror shows real solitiude, unlike the cherrfull one I wear at work in my pub. My true self.

Seasonal word: winter

sakuo haiga

塗盆

Issa 一茶

ぬり盆にころりと蝿の滑りけり
nuribon ni korori to hea no suberi keri

David's　English

a lacquered tray--
whoops!
the fly slips

by Issa, 1819、 http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

sakuo haiga

1819, Age 57
Sixth month,His first daughter dies after one year and two months.
It was the saddest time in his whole life.

金色に

Masajyo 　真砂女

枯草の人思うとき金色に
kare kusa no hito omou toki konjiki ni

Lee & Emiko's English

withered grass
when I think of him
burnished gold...

The bank of the Impperial Palace was withered beautifuly. When I saw it, his
image flashed in my mind. My heart beat faster and the withered grass began to
glow a golden color.

Seasonal word: withered grass( winter )

sakuo haiga

極楽

Issa　一茶

極楽に行かぬ果報やことし酒
gokuraku ni ikanu kaho^ ya kotoshi sake

David’s　English

this blessing
not allowed in Paradise...
new sake

.by Issa, 1822　aged 60

sakuo haiga

裏切るか

Masajyo 　真砂女

裏切るか裏切らるゝか鵙高音
uragiru ka uragirareru ka mozu takane

Lee& Emiko's English

shall I betray him
or let him betray me ?
the shrike's shrill cry

There was once a time of difficulty. I thought of breaking

faith with him before he did it to me but nothing happened

after all.

Seasonal word:shrike ( autumn)

sakuo haiga