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.
Tsukeku from 1692 and most of 1693: For Commentaries see Section 8 B
Selected, translated, and explored by Jeff Robbins
In the daybreak sky there is still one star
Accompanied by 8: 14 a clumsy fool with his heart of blossoms
夜明の星の /まだひとす有
御共に /常陸之介も /はな心
Yo ake no hoshi no / mada hitotsu ari
Ontomo ni / Hitachi Nosuke mo / hana kokoro
Regular dinner 8: 15 served to each person respectfully Breaking up large bills 8: 15 coins neatly stacked
本線が/ 出れば各々 / かしこまり
金を崩して / 銭をつみ置
Honzen ga / dereba ono ono / kashikomari
Kane o kuzushite / zeni o tsumi-oki
Wind from the pines blows steadily on and on past midnight
”There’s an abandoned child” 8: 16 reports the gatekeeper
松風のずんずんとふく夜中過
捨子があると告げる門番
Matsukaze no / zunzun to fuku / yonaka sugi
Sutego ga aru to / tsugeru monban
No longer black 8: 26 I scratch my scalp with shamisen pick Breastfeeding on my lap 8: 26 what dreams do you see? Only my face 8: 27 by rice-seedling mud is not soiled
くろからぬ / 頭かきたる /柘の撥
乳をのむ膝に / 何を夢みる
乳をのむ膝に / 何を夢みる
Kurokaranu / atama kakitaru / tsuge no bachi
chi o nomu hiza ni / nani o yume miru
kao bakari / sanae no doro ni / yogosarezu
Turning below the hill I see a waterfall
Where he aims 8: 38 his arrow, the hunter the hunter
曲げれば 坂の / 下にみる滝
猟人の / 矢先逃げよと / 手をふりて
Magereba saka no / shita ni miru taki
Kariudo no / yazaki nige yo to / te o furite
Being green 8:45 is alright, yet peppers become red
Heavy weight in my hand a new hoe for autumn
青くても / 有るべきものを / 唐辛子
提げておもたき / 秋の新鍬
Aokute mo / aru beki mono o / tougarashi
Sagete omotaki / aki no ara kuwa
She grabs some bran to wash oil from her hands
The bill collector 8: 47 if only he had such a heart of love
ふすま掴むで / 洗う油手
掛乞えに /恋のこころを / 待たせや
Fusuma tsukamu de / arau abura te
Kakekoe ni / koi no kokoro o / mateseba ya
With her wide open eyes she can get a thousand koku
Before he vanishes 8: 49 she grabs his stirrup
目の張に / まず千石は /してやりて
きゆる計に / 鐙をさゆる
Me no hari ni / mazu senkoku wa / shite yarite
Kiyuru bakari ni / abumi o sayuru
Spring arrives late in sacred Nachi Mountains,
New Year’s Arrow: 8: 50 all the young sons try to shoot the best
那智の御山の / 春おそき空
弓はじめ / 過ぎる 立てたる / 息子哉
Nachi no o-yama no / haru osoki sora
Kyuu hajime / sugiru tatetaru / musuko kana
From traces of my passing come the bells and drums
Mountain ascetics’ 8: 52 heads cut off and hung before the gate
我が跡からも / 鉦鞁うち来る
山伏を/ 切ってかけたる/ 関の前
Waga ga ato kara mo / shouko uchikuru
Yama bushi o / kitte kaketaru / seki no mae
That clique of smart-ass co-workers hates on her
Cinder burns her hem 8: 79 so she rubs it out
才ばりの /傍輩中に / 憎まれて
焼き焦がしたる / 小妻もみ消す
Saibari no / houbaichuu ni / nikumarete
Yaki kogashitaru / kozuma momi kesu
Everyone of you 8:115 in nadeshiko time
Starting to weep earthenware trembles in your weakness
君はみなみな / なでしこの時
泣き出して / 土器ふるふ /身のよわり
Kimi wa minamina / nadeshiko no toki
nakidashite/ kawarake furufu / mi no yowari
Rarely emerging 8:116 from mountain shadow, a cow pisses
Lacquered sheaths dewy boys’ swords hang low
山陰を / まれに出たる / 牛のバリ
梨地露けき / 児子のさげ鞘
Yama kage o / mare ni idetaru / ushi no pari
Nashiji tsuyukeki / chigo no sage saya
For a moment bridge of clouds straddles harvest moon
This year’s rice carried 8: 117 on his back, he is happy
名月に / 雲井の橋の / いちまたげ
今年の米を / 背負う嬉しき
Meigetsu ni kumoi no hashi no ichi matage
Kotoshi no kome o / se ou ureshiki
Folding the robe she wore, placing irises in the folds
Osan her name 8: 119 afterwards, the daughter’s thoughts of love
たたむ衣に / 菖蒲折置
さんという/ 娘は後の/ものおもひ
Tatamu koromo ni / shoubuu ori oku
San to iu musume wa / ato no mono omoi
By moonlight washing hair with rice bran lather
Lighting lantern 8: 138 and providing mallets to the children
月夜に髪を /あらう揉み出し
火とばして / 砧あたがう /子供達
Tsukiyo ni kami o / arau momidashi
Hi tobashite / kinuta atagau / kodomotachi
Inkstone forbidden love restrained increases
Rainy night 8: 149 one at the window is consoled
硯法度と / 恋やせかるる
夜の雨 / 窓のかたにて /なぐさまん
Suzuri hatto to / koi yasekaruru
Yoru no ame / mado no kata nite / nagusaman
The boss pretends not to see their love yet he knows
Figures half hidden 8: 153 beneath the umbrella
見ぬふりの /主人に恋を /しられけり
すがた半分 / かくす傘
Minufuri no / shujin ni koi o / shirarekeri
Sugata hanbun / kakusu karakasa
Even monks 8: 172 and old men regardless forced to march Earth pounded into mochi, 8: 173 a poor ritual offering
坊主とも / 老いともいはず / 追立歩
土の餅つく / 神事おそろし
Bouzu tomo / oi tomo iwazu / oi-tate-bu
Tsuchi no mocha / shinji osoroshi
Teahouse second story 8: 193 sake's blossom tower
Her beautiful face has known more years than she is tall Hand that plays the koto writes letter of regret
Cherries in bloom 8: 194 again she climbs the hill to his grave
茶屋の二階は / 酒の 櫻閣
美しき / 顔も丈より /としふけて
恨みの文を / つくる琴の手
花咲けば / 又来てのぼる /つかの上
Chaya no nikai wa / sake no sakura kaku
utsukushiki / kao mo take yori / toshi fukete
urami no bun o / tsukuru koto no te
hana sakeba / mata kite noboru / tsuka no ue
With her heart? she writes his name in cursive script
Turning aside 8: 217 from lantern, faces hide from each other
心もあるか / 仮名に名を書く
行燈を / へでてて顔を / かくし合
Kokoro mo aru ka / kana ni na o kaku
Andou o / hedatete kao o / kakushi ai
Taro patch torn up, the wild boar returns
Child of poverty 8: 229 learns to wait for love in the autumn wind
のだ打つ猪の / 帰る芋畑
賤の子が / 待恋習う / 秋の風
Noda utsu shishi no / kaeru im-batake
Shizu no ko ga / matsu koi narau /aki no kaze
The window slightly open, New Years Day
With my cat 8: 233 the stray cat does it – crying pitifully
窓のほそめに / 開く歳旦
我猫に / 野等猫とおる / 泣き詫びて
Mado no hodome ni / hiraku saitan
Waga neko ni /nora neko tooru / naki wabite
Upon returning he tells us the Tale
of his Pilgrimage
From brother to brother 8: 233
the sword is transferred
巡礼の / 帰りて旅の / 物がたり
兄から兄に / 傅く脇ざし
Junrei no / kaerite tabi no / monogatari
Kyou kara kyou ni / kashizuku wakizashi
Obsessed, plum blossoms touch his forehead hair
Hail rushing 8: 234 evening of sacred dance love crosses over
狂えば梅に / さはる前髪
霰ふる / 踏歌の宵を / 恋渡り
kurueba ume ni / sawaru maegami
arare furu / tauka no yoi o / koi watari
Because this is anthropology, I give the BRZ commentary in English, Japanese, and Romanization:
Crazed for love, heart burning, without thought body developing, the disorder of forehead hair touched by plum blossoms . . .Beautiful boys and girls gather for touka ceremony, search to find a lover, boys with forehead hair and girls dance to the song.
恋に狂う心が燃えて、思わず体が進み出るのか梅花にふれる前 髪の乱れ。。。
美々しき男女の踏歌の集いは、恋しき人をさがし求めて恋わたると。。。
前髪の男の子と歌を舞う女の子の恋とした。
Koi ni kuruu kokoro ga moete, omowazu karada ga susumi-deru no ka,
ume hana ni fureru maegami no midare…
Bibishiki danjo no touka no tsudoi wa, koishiki hito o sagashi motomete koi wataru to…
maegami no otoko no ko to uta o mau onna no ko no koi to shita.
Oh my dear, remember! 8: 251 my name as a baby
Your flower face in brothel by the bay is made to cry
我がおさな名を / 君はしらずや
花の顔 / 室の湊に / 泣かせけり
Waga osana na o / kimi shirazu ya
Hana no kao / muro no minato ni / nakase keri
Granddaddy’s ball sack sticks to the brushwood
All the children 8: 260 the “God of Poverty” they call this
祖父のふぐり / 柴にとりつけ
子ども / 皆貧乏神と / 名をよびて
Jiiji no fuguri / shiba ni toritsuke
Kodomo mina / bimbou-gami to / na o yobite
Known by sight she got together with packhorse driver
Soon as they marry 8: 278 she pulls the clappers
見知られて/ 近付成し / 木曽の馬士
嫁入するより / はや鳴子引
Mishirarete / chikazuki narishi / Kiso no mago
Yome risuru yori / haya naruko hiki
Living alone an old worn out mallet with white hair
The outcome of regret 8: 305
koto case is empty
ひとり住 / ふるき砧を /しらげけり
うらみ果てや / 琴箱のから
Hitori sumi / furuki kinuta o / shirage keri
urami hatete ya / koto-bako no kara
As the owl not hiding her self hunts for love
Tears from those eyes 8: 318 fall as horse chestnuts
梟の /身をもかくさぬ / 恋をして
なみだくらべん / 橡落ちる也
Fukurou no / mi o mo kakusanu / koi o shite
Namida kuraben / tochi ochiru nari
Waking from sleep his finger movements play the flute
Good practice together 8: 321 at older brother’s knee
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.
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.
