Happy Birthday, Issa!

Today is the birthday of Kobayashi Issa, a master of haiku. He was born in Kashiwa- bara, Japan, in 1763.

One of his most well-known:

.かたつぶりそろそろ登れ富士の山
katatsuburi soro-soro nobore fuji no yama
little snail
inch by inch, climb
Mount Fuji!

Above is one Issa wrote and illustrated:

.庭のてふ子が這へばとびはへばとぶ
niwa no chô ko ga haeba tobi haeba tobuniwa no chō
ko ga haeba tobi
haeba tobu

garden butterfly
as the baby crawls, it flies―
crawls close, flutters on

And a few more:

.慈悲すれば糞をする也雀の子
jihi sureba hako wo suru nari suzume no ko

when you hold it kindly
it poops on you...
baby sparrow

.地蔵さへとしよるやうに木の葉哉
jizô sae toshiyoru yô ni ko[no]ha kana

even holy Jizo
is looking older...
fallen leaves

.罷出るは此薮の蟾にて候
[makari] izuru wa kono yabu no hiki nite sôrô

"Allow me to present myself--
I am the toad
of this thicket!"

(more, and image from contemporary haiga)