Basho's thoughts on...

• Woman Central
• Introduction to this site
• The Human Story:
• Praise for Women
• Love and Sex in Basho
• Children and Teens
• Humanity and Friendship
• On Translating Basho
• Basho Himself
• Poetry and Music
• The Physical Body
• Food, Drink, and Fire
• Animals in Basho
• Space and Time
• Letters Year by Year
• Bilingual Basho 日本語も
• 芭蕉について日本語の論文
• Basho Tsukeku 芭蕉付句
• BAMHAY (Basho Amazes Me! How About You?)
• New Articles


Matsuo Basho 1644~1694

The only substantial
collection in English
of Basho's renku, tanka,
letters and spoken word
along with his haiku, travel
journals, and essays.

The only poet in old-time
literature who paid attention with praise
to ordinary women, children, and teenagers
in hundreds of poems

Hundreds upon hundreds of Basho works
(mostly renku)about women, children,
teenagers, friendship, compassion, love.

These are resources we can use to better
understand ourselves and humanity.

Interesting and heartfelt
(not scholarly and boring)
for anyone concerned with
humanity.


“An astonishing range of
social subject matter and
compassionate intuition”


"The primordial power
of the feminine emanating
from Basho's poetry"


Hopeful, life-affirming
messages from one of
the greatest minds ever.

Through his letters,
we travel through his mind
and discover Basho's
gentleness and humanity.

I plead for your help in
finding a person or group
to take over my 3000 pages of Basho material,
to edit and improve the material, to receive 100%
of royalties, to spread Basho’s wisdom worldwide
and preserve for future generations.

Quotations from Basho Prose


The days and months are
guests passing through eternity.
The years that go by
also are travelers.



The mountains in silence
nurture the spirit;
the water with movement
calms the emotions.


All the more joyful,
all the more caring


Seek not the traces
of the ancients;
seek rather the
places they sought.



Basho Spoken Word


Only this, apply your heart
to what children do


"The attachment to Oldness
is the very worst disease
a poet can have."


“The skillful have a disease;
let a three-foot child
get the poem"


"Be sick and tired
of yesterday’s self."


"This is the path of a fresh
lively taste with aliveness
in both heart and words."
.

"In poetry is a realm
which cannot be taught.
You must pass through it
yourself. Some poets have made
no effort to pass through, merely
counting things and trying
to remember them.
There was no passing
through the things."


"In verses of other poets,
there is too much making
and the heart’s
immediacy is lost.
What is made from
the heart is good;
the product of words
shall not be preferred."


"We can live without poetry,
yet without harmonizing
with the world’s feeling
and passing not through
human feeling, a person
cannot be fulfilled. Also,
without good friends,
this would be difficult."


"Poetry benefits
from the realization
of ordinary words."


"Many of my followers
write haiku equal to mine,
however in renku is the
bone marrow of this old man."


"Your following stanza
should suit the previous one as an expression
of the same heart's connection."


"Link verses the way
children play."


"Make renku
ride the Energy.
Get the timing wrong,
you ruin the rhythm."


"The physical form
first of all must be graceful
then a musical quality
makes a superior verse."

"As the years passed
by to half a century.
asleep I hovered
among morning clouds
and evening dusk,
awake I was astonished
at the voices of mountain
streams and wild birds."


“These flies sure enjoy
having an unexpected
sick person.”



Haiku of Humanity


Drunk on sake
woman wearing haori
puts in a sword


Night in spring
one hidden in mystery
temple corner


Wrapping rice cake
with one hands she tucks
hair behind ear


On Life's journey
plowing a small field
going and returning


Child of poverty
hulling rice, pauses to
look at the moon


Tone so clear
the Big Dipper resounds
her mallet


Huddling
under the futon, cold
horrible night


Jar cracks
with the ice at night
awakening



Basho Renku
Masterpieces

With her needle
in autumn she manages
to make ends meet
Daughter playing koto
reaches age seven


After the years
of grieving. . . finally
past eighteen
Day and night dreams of
Father in that battle


Now to this brothel
my body has been sold
Can I trust you
with a letter I wrote,
mirror polisher?


Only my face
by rice-seedling mud
is not soiled
Breastfeeding on my lap
what dreams do you see?



Single renku stanzas


Giving birth to
love in the world, she
adorns herself



Autumn wind
saying not a word
child in tears


Among women
one allowed to lead
them in chorus


Easing in
her slender forearm
for his pillow


Two death poems:


On a journey taken ill
dreams on withered fields
wander about

Clear cascade -
into the ripples fall
green pine needles




basho4humanity
@gmail.com




Plea for Affiliation

 

Plea For Affiliation

 

I pray for your help

in finding someone
individual, university,

or foundation - 
to take over my

3000 pages of material,   
to cooperate with me 

to edit the material,
to receive all royalties 

from sales, to spread

Basho’s wisdom worldwide,
and preserve for

future generations.


basho4humanity

@gmail.com

 



Home  >  Topics  >  Basho Tsukeku 芭蕉付句  >  K-04


Basho Tsukeku 4 A:

Tsukeku From 1685 to 1687. 日本語の原文

Legend:
Words of Basho in bold
Words of other poets not bold

The number 4:9 indicates that Basho stanza is on  Volume 4, page 9 of the Basho Renku Zenchuukai:   These numbers will enable you to find the commentary to each tsukeku in the corresponding B section

 

 

Peony petals                                         4: 9
deep within, the bee’s
reluctance to part
Morning moon shall cool
your road of shining dew

 

牡丹蕊深く這い出るはちの別れ哉

朝月涼し露の玉ぼこ

 

botan shibe fukaku /hai-deru hachi no /wakare kana

asa-zuki suzushi / tsuyu no tama boku

 

 

Her hair gone,
chamberlain’s daughter
grown weary
Storm over Nonomiya                                  4:11
Ladies’ temple bell

 

髪 下す/ 侍従 が 娘 / おとろえて

野々宮 の あらし / 岐王寺 の 鉦

 

Kami orosu / jijuu no musume / otoroete

Nonomiya no arashi / Gio tera no kane

 

To follow in the footsteps
of a wandering madwoman
Compassion is                                                    4:49
learned when the gold
has rotted away

 

狂女さまよう/ 跡し たう なる

情 しる / 身 は 黄金の / 朽ちてより

 

Kyōjo samayou / ato shitau naru

Nasake shiru / mi wa ōkon no / kuchite yori

 

Colors of the rainbow
decorate the boulder
Kite string cut,                                       4: 59
soul of the milk-giver
soars to heaven

 

立 初める 虹の / 岩をいろどる

きれだこに / 乳人 が 魂 は/ 空 に 飛び

 

Tachi-someru niji no / iwa o irodoru

Kire dako ni / menoto ga tama wa / sora ni tobi

 

Castle guards
asleep on their feet,
morning dawns
Covering her faded                                       4: 80
eyebrows, lovers part

 

殿 守が / ねぶたが立る / あさぼろけ

はげたる 眉を / 隠す きぬぎぬ

 

Tono-mori ga / nebutagaritsuru / asaboroke

Hagetaru mayu o / kakusu kinuginu

 

 

Waiting to meet,                                   4: 85
temple bell has fallen
amidst the grass
Toads call to their friends
in tones of deep lament

 

待ち かいの /鐘 は 堕ちたる / 草 の 中

友 よぶ 蟾の / 物 うき の 声

 

Machi kai no / kane wa ochitaru / kusa no naka

Tomo yobu hiki no / mono uki no koe

 

Sister waits for cowherd’s
late returning shadow
Chest conflicted,                                  4: 93
crepe fabric of Echigo
she cannot weave

 

姉 待 牛 の /おそき 日 の 影

胸 あはぬ / 越 の 縮 を / おりかねて

 

Ane matsu ushi no / osoki hi no kage

Mune awanu / koshi no chijimi o / orikanete

 

Knocking on back door                          4: 102
and running away home
She cries and cries
with never a conclusion
to her hiccups

 

妻戸たたきて / 逃げて 帰りぬ

泣く泣くて /しゃくりのとまる / 果て も なし

 

Tsumado tatakite / nigete kaerinu

Naku nakute / shakuri no tomaru / hate mo nashi

 

The punitive force
already has set forth
in solemn dignity
For one night’s vow                                  4: 109
he empties his purse

 

すでに立つ / 討手の使い / いかめしき

一夜 の 契り/ 銭 が かづける

 

Sude ni tatsu / utte no tsukai / ikameshiku

ichiya no chigiri / zeni ga kazukeru

 

Sinking in to                               4:111
chill the hot spring
awesome moon 
Of the three deer
one carries an arrow

 

しずみては / 温泉 を 醒す / 月 すごし

三つ ゆく 鹿 の / ひとつ 矢を負う

 

Shizumite wa / ideyu o samasu / tsuki sugoshi

Mitsu yuku shika no / hitotsu ya o ou

 

Hard of hearing                                     4: 114
his wife has to tell him
“hototogisu”
Through hardship in Mino
they have a tea house

 

耳 うとく/ 妹 が 告げたる / 時鳥

つれなき美濃に茶屋をしてある

 

Mimi utoku / imo ga tsugetaru / hototogisu

Tsurenaki Mino ni / chaya o shite aru

 

In the cold wind
at sunset, long-drawn-out
cries of hawks
Foretell the heads to fall                            4: 162
in tomorrow’s battle

 

風寒き /夕日に鷹の /声ひきて

軍 に あすの / 首 を 占ふ

 

Kaze samuki /yuuhi ni tobi no / koe hikite

ikusa ni asu no / kubi o uranau

 

Among pines a low door
closed in by thorns 
His play-woman                                         4: 163
hidden seven miles
from the Capital

 

荊 に 閉じる / 松 の 潜りり戸

都 より / 三里 遊女を / しのばせて

 

Ibara ni tojiru / matsu no kuguri do

Miyako yori / sanri yuujo o / shinobasete

 

With her needle
in autumn she manages
to make a living
Daughter playing koto                                   4: 164
reaches age seven

 

お 針して / 秋 も 命 の/ 緒を繋ぎ

琴 引 娘 / 八ッ に なりける

 

O-hari shite / aki mo inochi no / o o tsunagi

koto hiki musume yattsu ni narikeru

 

White flowers                                      4:171
without mother at home
seem so chilly
Her fragrance lingering
a brief night’s dream
An assortment
of clouds can be seen,
the moon clear.

 

卯の花も / 母 なき 宿 ぞ /冷じき

香消のこる / みじか夜の 夢

色々の / 雲 を 見に けり /月澄て

 

Unohana mo / haha naki shuku zo /susamajiki

Kōshō nokoru / mijika ya no yume

Iro iro no / kumo o mi ni keri / tsuki sumite

 

 

Rice planting
maidens are lined up
to drink sake 
Holding snow in summer                              4: 194
twin peaks of Tsukuba

 

酒 飲みに /早乙女 達 の / 並び居て

卯月の 雪 を / 握る つくば ね

 

Sake nomi ni / saotome tachi no/ narabi ite

Uzuki no yuki o / nigiru tsukuba ne

 

Drunk on the shoulders
of people he leans 
The party today                                        4: 208
was so much fun!
granddad’s dance

 

酔っては 人の / 肩 に とりつく

けふの賀 の / いでおもしろや / 祖父が 舞

 

Yotte wa hito no / kata ni toritsuku

Kyō no ga no / ide omoshiro ya / jiji ga mai

 

 

On the young wife’s head                               4: 209
Chinese Rings are gentle
As a keepsake
some fabric from a bag
getting faint

 

妹 が かしら の / からわ やさしき

かたみてふ / 袋 の 切れの / はつ はつ に

 

Imo ga kashira no / karawa yasashiki

Katamite chou / fukuro no kire no / hatsu hatsu ni

 

Along with his tears
hillbilly’s dumb poem
He combs his hair                                      4:230
with bear grease, oh what
a horrible name!

 

なみだをそえて / 鄙 の 腰折れ

髪けずる / 熊 の 油 の/ 名 も つらく

 

Namida o soete / hina no koshiore

Kami kezuru / kuma no abura no / na mo tsuraku

 

 

After the years
of grieving. . . finally
past eighteen
Day and night dreams                                 4: 233
of Father in that battle

 

うき年を / 取りて はたち も / 漸 過ぎぬ

父 の いくさ を / 起きふしの 夢

 

Uki toshi o /torite hatachi mo / yaya suginu

Chichi no ikusa o / oki fusa no yume

 

The pines all night long
cordially receive snow
Fisherman’s child                                           4: 269
to announce a whale
blows into a shell

 

雪 をもてなす / 夜すがら の 松

海士の子 が / 鯨 を 告げる / 貝吹いて

 

Yuki o motenasu / yosugara no matsu

Ama no ko ga / kugira o tsugeru / kai fuite

 

 

Cold to the skin,
unused to coin hanging
from his neck
Black hair spilling power                                4: 303
of a baggage carrier

 

肌 寒 / ならわぬ 銭 を/ 襟 に かけ

こぼるる 髪の / 黒き 強力

 

Hada samuku / narawanu zeni o / eri ni kake

Koboruru kami no / kuroki gōriki

 

As dawn comes
we realize in the night
bell was stolen
Hut of a border guard                               4:303
to a country defeated

 

明けわたる / 鐘 ぬすむ夜は / しらじらと

やぶれて 國の / 境 守る 庵

 

Akewataru / kane nusumu ya wa / shira jira to

Yaburete koku no / sakai mamoru an

 

 

Hot spring boiling                             4: 305
so people stay away
In this grave
her fame like a flower
broken off
Whose tearful face                          4: 305
blooms in these azaleas?
Calls of pheasants                                      4:306
mingle with the pathos
of mourning hawks

 

温泉はにえて人もすさめず

此塚の / 女は花の / 名におられ

たが泣き顔を / さけるつつじ

朝鷹にくまれて詫ぶる雉子の声

 

Ideyu wa niete / hito mo susamezu

Kono tsuka no / onna wa hana no / na ni orare

Taga naki gao o / sakeru tsutsuji

Asa taka ni / kumarete waburu / kiji no koe

 

 

Wearing imperial robes
he is indeed august
Full of sutras                                               4:307
is his boat escorted
by a crocodile?

 

勅衣 をまとう/ 身こそ たかけれ

鰐添えて / 経 つむ 船 を / おくるかと

 

Choku-e o matō / mi koso takakere

Wani soete / kyō tsumu fune o / okuru ka to

 

Waves cover the rock
then they reveal it
As the pines are                                       4:308
battered and twisted
such is love

 

塩 こす岩 の / かくれ あらわれ

打ち やがむ / 松 に も 似たる / 恋をして

 

Shio kosu iwa no / kakure-araware

Uchi-yagamu / matsu ni mo nitaru / koi o shite

 

 

Two nails for clothing
lonely is the night
No one comes                                            4: 325
to make my own wife
give me leisure
Boiling rice is a drag
and makes me cry

 

布 杭 二本 / 夜 は 寂しき

隙 くれし / 妹 をあつかう /人 も 来ず

飯 焼く事を / 倦みて 泣 けり

 

Nuno kui nihon / yoru wa sabishiki

Hima kureshi / imo o atsukau / hito mo kizu

Meshi taku koto o / umite nakakeri

 

 

Not getting up
I recognize his smell
and am afraid
Wiping the sweat from                              4:359
sidelocks in disarray

 

起きもせで / きき知る匂ひ / おそろしき

乱れし 髪 の / 汗 ぬぐひ居る

 

Oki mo sede / kiki-shiru nioi /osoroshiki

Midareshi kami no / ase nugui iru

 

 

With face red                                             4: 374
and beard scraggly
Seishi’s papa
White camellia’s long
village road to love

 

赤 顔 に / 西施 が 父の / 髭 むさき

山茶花 長し / 恋 の 里 道

 

Aka-gao ni / Seishi ga chichi no / hige musaki

Sasanka nagashi / koi no sato michi

 

Fresh and green
the tranquility of a rock
that never moves,
Drinking then sleeping                                 4: 384
here on this bridge

 

青々と / 動かぬ 石 の / 長閑 にて

酔ってまた ぬる / 此 橋 のうえ

 

Aoao to / ukoganu ishi no / nodoka nite

Yotte mata neru / kono hashi no ue

 

 

                       basho4humanity@gmail.com





<< Basho Tsukeku 3 A (K-03) (K-05) Basho Tsukeku 5 A >>


The Three Thirds of Basho

 

 

I plead for your help in finding a person or group to take over my 3000 pages of Basho material, to edit and improve the presentation, to receive all royalties from sales, to spread Basho’s wisdom worldwide and preserve for future generations.

 

basho4humanity@gmail.com
Basho's thoughts on...

• Woman Central
• Introduction to this site
• The Human Story:
• Praise for Women
• Love and Sex in Basho
• Children and Teens
• Humanity and Friendship
• On Translating Basho
• Basho Himself
• Poetry and Music
• The Physical Body
• Food, Drink, and Fire
• Animals in Basho
• Space and Time
• Letters Year by Year
• Bilingual Basho 日本語も
• 芭蕉について日本語の論文
• Basho Tsukeku 芭蕉付句
• BAMHAY (Basho Amazes Me! How About You?)
• New Articles


Matsuo Basho 1644~1694

The only substantial
collection in English
of Basho's renku, tanka,
letters and spoken word
along with his haiku, travel
journals, and essays.

The only poet in old-time
literature who paid attention with praise
to ordinary women, children, and teenagers
in hundreds of poems

Hundreds upon hundreds of Basho works
(mostly renku)about women, children,
teenagers, friendship, compassion, love.

These are resources we can use to better
understand ourselves and humanity.

Interesting and heartfelt
(not scholarly and boring)
for anyone concerned with
humanity.


“An astonishing range of
social subject matter and
compassionate intuition”


"The primordial power
of the feminine emanating
from Basho's poetry"


Hopeful, life-affirming
messages from one of
the greatest minds ever.

Through his letters,
we travel through his mind
and discover Basho's
gentleness and humanity.

I plead for your help in
finding a person or group
to take over my 3000 pages of Basho material,
to edit and improve the material, to receive 100%
of royalties, to spread Basho’s wisdom worldwide
and preserve for future generations.

Quotations from Basho Prose


The days and months are
guests passing through eternity.
The years that go by
also are travelers.



The mountains in silence
nurture the spirit;
the water with movement
calms the emotions.


All the more joyful,
all the more caring


Seek not the traces
of the ancients;
seek rather the
places they sought.



Basho Spoken Word


Only this, apply your heart
to what children do


"The attachment to Oldness
is the very worst disease
a poet can have."


“The skillful have a disease;
let a three-foot child
get the poem"


"Be sick and tired
of yesterday’s self."


"This is the path of a fresh
lively taste with aliveness
in both heart and words."
.

"In poetry is a realm
which cannot be taught.
You must pass through it
yourself. Some poets have made
no effort to pass through, merely
counting things and trying
to remember them.
There was no passing
through the things."


"In verses of other poets,
there is too much making
and the heart’s
immediacy is lost.
What is made from
the heart is good;
the product of words
shall not be preferred."


"We can live without poetry,
yet without harmonizing
with the world’s feeling
and passing not through
human feeling, a person
cannot be fulfilled. Also,
without good friends,
this would be difficult."


"Poetry benefits
from the realization
of ordinary words."


"Many of my followers
write haiku equal to mine,
however in renku is the
bone marrow of this old man."


"Your following stanza
should suit the previous one as an expression
of the same heart's connection."


"Link verses the way
children play."


"Make renku
ride the Energy.
Get the timing wrong,
you ruin the rhythm."


"The physical form
first of all must be graceful
then a musical quality
makes a superior verse."

"As the years passed
by to half a century.
asleep I hovered
among morning clouds
and evening dusk,
awake I was astonished
at the voices of mountain
streams and wild birds."


“These flies sure enjoy
having an unexpected
sick person.”



Haiku of Humanity


Drunk on sake
woman wearing haori
puts in a sword


Night in spring
one hidden in mystery
temple corner


Wrapping rice cake
with one hands she tucks
hair behind ear


On Life's journey
plowing a small field
going and returning


Child of poverty
hulling rice, pauses to
look at the moon


Tone so clear
the Big Dipper resounds
her mallet


Huddling
under the futon, cold
horrible night


Jar cracks
with the ice at night
awakening



Basho Renku
Masterpieces

With her needle
in autumn she manages
to make ends meet
Daughter playing koto
reaches age seven


After the years
of grieving. . . finally
past eighteen
Day and night dreams of
Father in that battle


Now to this brothel
my body has been sold
Can I trust you
with a letter I wrote,
mirror polisher?


Only my face
by rice-seedling mud
is not soiled
Breastfeeding on my lap
what dreams do you see?



Single renku stanzas


Giving birth to
love in the world, she
adorns herself



Autumn wind
saying not a word
child in tears


Among women
one allowed to lead
them in chorus


Easing in
her slender forearm
for his pillow


Two death poems:


On a journey taken ill
dreams on withered fields
wander about

Clear cascade -
into the ripples fall
green pine needles




basho4humanity
@gmail.com




Plea for Affiliation

 

Plea For Affiliation

 

I pray for your help

in finding someone
individual, university,

or foundation - 
to take over my

3000 pages of material,   
to cooperate with me 

to edit the material,
to receive all royalties 

from sales, to spread

Basho’s wisdom worldwide,
and preserve for

future generations.


basho4humanity

@gmail.com