Friday, June 15, 2012

Happy Birthday, Issa

Issa manuscriptToday 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 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!"


All translations based on Issa zenshû (Nagano: Shinano Mainichi Shimbunsha, 1976-79) 9 volumes

(more, and image from contemporary haiga)

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4 Comments:

At 7:46 AM, June 15, 2012 Anonymous Anonymous had this to say...

Another homage? A coincidence?

http://www.gocomics.com/getfuzzy?

I do like "pre-good."

 
At 10:02 AM, June 15, 2012 Anonymous Kathie had this to say...

Gosh, Ridger, I figured you of ALL bloggers would credit the translator(s), whoever they may be (or at least note if unknown).

Aside: when I saw the name "Issa," my first reaction was to wonder why you were honoring Rep. Darrell (R-CA), which seemed so improbable to me (LOL!).

 
At 11:27 AM, June 15, 2012 Blogger The Ridger, FCD had this to say...

The translator's name was on the web site I linked to, but yes, I should have put it here. So I did (rendering your comment nonsensical, hahahahahaha)

 
At 11:28 AM, June 15, 2012 Blogger The Ridger, FCD had this to say...

The Get Fuzzy must have been a coincidence, but I'm with you: I like "pre-good"

 

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