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-19


Verses Only: Tsukeku Section 9

芭蕉連句全注解、九冊から連句 From late 1693 to the summer of 1694 with commentaries to each link

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

No stars could be seen
on that fateful night
Empty stomachs                                          9: 11
especially in battle
are decisive

 

 

 

Chopping greens
to serve on top of rice,
thoughts elsewhere
Not out with the horse                                      9: 13
but inside making love
Thread seller
coming after four-o’clock,
a wrong sound

 

 

 

Calculating                                               9: 16
how to get through life
in the Capital
They send out no notice
of daughter's joyful birth.

 

 

 

Hustle and bustle                                           9: 19
on wharf for rice shipments
going and returning
Going to Meguro Temple
bunch of hot blooded men

 

 

Pole for drying cloth,
icicles long and short
With one hand                                                  9: 41
on abacas he records
sales of rice

 

 

 

Before the sun rises
winter sky tinted red
Boatload of fish                               9: 51
from the depths spread out
over the beach

 

 

 

Without power
in her skinny arms
she worries -
No reason to mend                                        9: 67
his cotton garments

 

 

 

Pulling leeches from ox
on a rest from plowing
Dyed black                                                      9: 96
male temple servant’s
heart heavy

 

 

Flawless blue
fabric spreads over
the large yard
Infant crawls about                                             9: 99
getting ‘that place’ dirty

 

 

 

Thief of rice plants                                     9: 101a
released from the net
Viewing the moon,
the love from his parents
was not enough
Dew which has fallen                                9: 101b
where does it go?

 

 

 

Scatter of snow
beneath conical hat
reaches her hood
Wiping hilt of sword                                          9:107
kerchief freezes to it

 

 

She has cut her hair
yet maintains her self -
For such fragrance                                            9: 110
the watchtower curtains
are pushed aside

 

 

Today too they spend
at play, giving advice
In father’s time,
prosperous, the doctor’s                 9: 117
younger sons

 

 

 

Moon at daybreak
meager as his breakfast
of sliced mackerel
His sail set to eight                         9:130
voice of the boatman

 

 

Company boss
got our chrysanthemums
what a pain!
Strict not to let his                                        9: 145
daughter meet people

 

 

 

 

Suddenly speaking out
about my dead mother
All night long
the nun’s chronic pain
press to soothe
Only slices of konnayku
remaining harvest moon
With first geese
he tries out a cushion
on his saddle
Dew as your opponent
sword drawn in a flash
Town notables
lined up, getting drunk
under blossoms
Jostled in temple gateway
for nembutsu pantomimes
An east wind,
the fumes of nightsoil
wafting about
All he does is sit there
but elbow gives him pain
News from Edo,
shopkeeper across street
has returned

 

 

Suddenly speaking out                                 9: 146
about my dead mother
All night long
the nun’s chronic pain
press to soothe

 

 

Only slices of konnyaku                     9: 147
remaining harvest moon
With first geese
I try out a cushion
on my saddle

 

 

 

Dew as your opponent                          9: 148
sword drawn in a flash

Town notables

lined up, getting drunk
under blossoms

 

 

 

Jostled in temple gateway                   9: 148
for nembutsu pantomimes -
An east wind                                          9: 148
the fumes of nightsoil
wafting about

 

 

 

All he does is sit there
but elbow gives him pain
News from Edo,                                          9: 149
shopkeeper across street
has returned

 

 

 

 


With coins picked up,
replacing tatami covers
For the festival                                         9: 151
the wife entertains
her relatives

 

 

A new bride,
without neighbors knowing,
joins our house
Standing screen shadow                                  9: 154
a trayful of sweets

 

Everything
for her son’s marriage
mother decides
Buds bursting open                                         9: 164
area of cotton fields

 

 

 

Wings flap in sequence                                     9: 175
wild geese under moon
Every mouth                                                       9: 175
shall sample this year
new sake

 

 

 

Bottle has fragrance                                      9:172
going to buy vinegar
Three whole years                                         9:173
on a journey from a journey
to a journey

 

 

 

Glaring about,
she orders the children
to “behave!”
While she puffs the ash                                      9: 177
from broiled miso

 

 

 

Gradually                                                             9: 180
helped to sit up, she
combs her hair
Cat fondly caressed
by the one I adore
To stop blossoms                                                  9: 180
from falling, if only
there was a way

 

 

 

Beneath her eyelids
overflow the stars
Forced to stand                                                       9: 196
against her will, she dances
ever so delicately

 

 

 

Their engorged
stomachs now subsiding,
morning moon
Sleeping then carousing                      9: 202
old friends at O-bon

 

 

 

All the children                                     9: 204
I see have this year’s
smallpox scars
Angel sharks hanging
on old bamboo screen

 

 

Quietly peeking
into sake revelry –
In the bedroom                                                   9: 210
no one is sleeping
evening moon

 

 

Making preparations
to work in the night
Younger sister
has been requested
by a good family
To the Priest first of all                                   9: 211
Father sends a letter

 

 

 

Going to see traces
of a house washed away
Dojo loach soup                                                 9: 212
makes him stronger
than young men
Drop in price of tea
to sell out the stock

 

 

 

To this withered willow
spring brings only regret -
Traces of snow
cleared off by the wind,
moon in haze
Her futon rolled up                                  9: 214
she dreams of love
Relationship
ruined because an asshole
lives next door
Monk with beggar’s bowl
brought inside to listen
She cries about                                       9: 215
what happened in secrecy,
roof of thatch

 

 

 

Over rinsed whites
lark sings to the sky
Girls only                                                  9: 219
going to view blossoms
rise in a flock

 

 

Day in spring
birth room attendants’
long tedium
One by one they eat                               9: 247
warm water over rice

 

 

 

From an early age                                   9: 249
blaming all on the Gods
Once more a chicken
was stolen from the coop -
this morning’s moon

 

 

Till it’s soft
you must boil this year’s
homegrown barley
Together with rice planters                         9: 255
early rising on a journey

 

 

On Life’s Journey                                          9: 259
plowing a small field
going and returning
Path of a water rail
across a roof slat

 

She waits in vain
upon words hard as nails
false and cold
With her sleeve she sweeps                      9: 277
dew from her forelocks
Removing his headband
he lets down ox’s load
One river                                                    9: 295
crossed in the cold
of daybreak

 

 

 

 

 

For a pilgrimage
to Ise, even stealing
is forgiven
Smiling row of clouds                           9: 310
welcome the rising sun

 

 

 

Bonfire past,                                         9: 311
neighborhood children
practice Noh
For time of five springs 
preparations for life

 

Basho4humanity@gmail.com






<< Verses Only: Tsukeku Section 8 (K-18) (K-20 ) Verses only : Tsukeku section 10 >>


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