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-11


Verses Only: Tsukeku Section 1

1678 to 1681

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

Once you have absorbed the commentaries, you may enjoy reading the verses by themselves; when in doubt go to section 1

 

 

Papier-mache bald, but
she will not throw away -
Today as is,
wishing to care for it
till Doll’s Festival
Till twilight crescent                        1:5
shall ladle peach wine
Calm peaceful magical
thinking cannot be surpassed

 

 

 

So confusing:
path of truth versus
path of love?
Unable to proceed                               1: 9
dark night of futility

 

 

 

Disconnected, the cat                          1:13
outside, how she cries
Charcoal fire
gone out, twas cold
in retirement

 

 

 

Moon at dawn                                   1: 15
only my shadow figure
for a friend
Still deep in the night
a lonesome traveler

 

 

 

So it will not melt                                    1:17
this ice we dedicate
New Year’s dawn
the morning sun a faint
glimmering

 

 

 

“Like the Goddess
of Spring” our princess
is neat and tidy
Green willow her hips
and hair like willows
Weary of waiting                                       1:18
wind through the pines
also is longing

 

 

Starting to learn
the alphabet from
ra-mu-u-i-no
Foolishness has stopped,                     1:21
youngster in the bedroom

 

 

 

Starting to flirt
hair parted in middle
becomes glossy
That vision emerging                         1:24
from the back of her head

 

 

 

After such a long time
he seeks her pardon
An employee                                      1:28
has leisure time only
in others’ eyes

 

 

So quietly descends
hand of the dancer
More than appears                                1:31
a small child is obedient
to the Energy

 

 

Right or wrong
from the pine shadows
someone comes
Impatient with people
who provoke with words
When pushed                                              1:34
again pushing back
in a crowd

 

 

After a quarrel
the soft rubbing sounds
of hands wringing
White tissue paper                                       1:63
soaked by her tears

 

 

River wind so cold                                       1:91
midnight to the outhouse
Leaving Kyoto                                              1:92
today Mika no Hara
belly painful

 

 

 

Birds call together                                        1: 102
their laughing voices

 

 

 

So radiant  a Moon                                        1: 105
as the goddess Lakshmi
Her divine
necklace adorns the mountain
clouds at dawn 

 

 

Like a navel cord                                             1: 107
his visits to Yoshiwara
shall be cut off
He resents the thunder
of the midnight drum

 

  

 

From the kitchen calls                              1: 120
voice of a servant girl
Passageway
to the second-story
a bit far, but. . .

 

 

For you, my dear,
a red silk underskirt
of crimson leaves
Vows made, in autumn                            1: 127
she became pregnant

 

 

 

Airing in summer heat
heavenly feather robe
Her cloak discarded                                 1: 141
in Yoshino mountains
strumming koto
Wind through the leaves
blows a bamboo flute
His hermitage                                          1: 142
among pines and cedars
outside Kyoto

 

 

 

Family relationships                               1: 147
so difficult to escape
In the world
when there are daimyo
are merchants too
The willow is green                               1: 147
credit pulls you in

 

 

 

 

That night Mount Fuji                            1: 155
with Mount Tray-on-legs
Plane shavings
lit by pine torch, burst
into flames


 

 

Village showers
bisexuals go crazy
either way
People die for love                                  1: 157
the wind makes a sound
Water flowing on our sleeves
cannot quench the great fire

 

 

 

Benevolence from above                          1: 164
down comes cost of rice

 

 

 

Well, that’s that!                                       1:187
yesterday has passed
globefish soup
Noticing the coldness
to the tip of my toes

 

 

 

After several
cups of wine. . . sadly
past sunset
The moon as long ago                              1:197
old friends now granddads

 

 

Are you calling
for a horse to borrow?
ho-toto-GI-su
Woods in morning shade                         1: 207
aren’t you really a fox?

 

 


 

Ragged and tattered                                 1: 210
the goddess works at night
as maple leaves fall
In smoke from the lantern
she appears as the Moon

 

 

 

In green face                                           1: 223
of laughing mountain
Spring is seen
Cascade from earthernware
He drinks all he can drink
Voices rising
in storm on the waves
a tour boat
Wild geese! Plovers!                                       1: 224
fools with their friends

 

 

 

Mother of a lost child                                       1: 234
is your pelvis upset?

 

 

 

Nine year old                                                     1: 238
high priest’s high spirits
last the autumn

 

 


From one thousand                                             1: 249
stanzas to ten trillion
at tip of nose

 

 

 

Young guys are drawn to                                   1: 239
waves of doorway curtain
Bloated faces
drowned in the watery
pool of love

 

 


The traveller’s
greasy smell on the pillow
so disgusting!
Sardines are roasted by                                 1: 253
inconstancy of their vows

 

 

 

Father a minister of state                              1: 270
his wealth gone in spring
Personal items
and a twelve layer robe
of faint mist

 

 

 

Weak in love                                                    1: 282
the royal princess’
royal words
Along with her nurse
she has an iron shield

 

 

 

 

basho4humanity@gmail.com 

 


 







<< Basho Tsukeku 10 A (K-10) (K-12) Verses Only: Tsukeku 2 >>


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