召使い

Issa, 1795　age 33

the servants
all are new...
Little New Year's

meshi tsukai atarashiki kana ko sho^gatsu
召仕新しき哉小正月

Little New Year's is celebrated on the 15th and 16th days of First Month. Meshi tsukau is an old expression for a nobleman sending for a person to come and render a service; Kogo dai jiten (Shogakukan 1983) 1612. Shinji Ogawa notes that in Issa's time, this phrase could signify any one of a wide range of employees, from samurai to maids.