Arakida Moritake

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Arakida Moritake 荒木田守武

1473 – August 30, 1549
文明5年 - 天文18年8月8日（1549年8月30日)
The dates vary, now celebrated on September 15.



a Japanese poet who excelled in the fields of waka, renga, and in particular haikai.
He studied renga with Sōgi.
He was the son of Negi Morihide, and a Shintoist.
At the age of 69, he became head priest of the Inner Ise Shrine.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


Now a ritual in his memory, Moritake sai 守武祭
is held at Ise Uji Shrine 宇治神社 every year on September 15
(it used to be August 8)
伊勢市宇治今在家町

. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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kigo for mid-autumn

Moritake ki 守武忌 Moritake Memorial Day
8th day of the 8th lunar month
now September 15

. Memorial Days of Famous Poeple .



荒木田守武忌連句大会 Haiku Meeting in honor of his memorial day
September 12, 2009

Moritake is the ancestor, forefather of haikai poetry
守武は俳祖
together with Basho from Iga 伊賀の松尾芭蕉
source : ehigasa


守武の忌は露けくて鳩すずめ
Moritake no ki wa tsuyukekute hato suzume

on Moritake day
doves and sparrows
full of dew

Matsuta Hiromu 松田ひろむ


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Basho at the grave of Moritake:

秋の風伊勢の墓原なほ凄し
aki no kaze Ise no hakahara nao sugoshi

. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .


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A fallen blossom
returning to the bough, I thought --
But no, a butterfly.
Tr. Steven D. Carter



source : daihachishou


落花枝にかへると見れば胡蝶哉
rakka eda ni kaeru to mireba kochoo kana


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from 俳人百家撰


quote
Arakida Moritake
Originator of the style of poetry known as Ise haikai (haiku).
Member of the priesthood (shinshoku) of the Inner Shrine (Naikū) at the Grand Shrines of Ise (Ise Jingū) in the period of Warring Provinces (sengoku, ca. 1457-1568). Arakida was the ninth son of Suppliant Priest (negi) Sonoda Morihide and grandchild of famed author Fujinami Ujitsune (1402-1487).

Appointed to the Senior Fourth court rank and the title of First Suppliant (ichi no negi) at Naikū in the final years of the warring era, a period of severe hardship in the history of the shrines.

Besides fulfilling duties overseeing Shinto rites and liturgy, Arakida pursued a deep interest in the poetry of Iio Sōgi (1421-1502) and Iio Munenaga, whose works inspired his own haikai and renga (linked verse). His poems of this type were included in a compilation titled Shinsen tsukubashū. In 1536 he composed the verse:

New Year's Day -
How it evokes
the Age of the Gods

元日や神代のことも思はるる
ganjitsu ya jindai no koto mo omowaruru

This and other poems of a similar highly elegant style were included in anthologies such as Haikai renga dokugin senku (also called Higan senku) and Hōraku senku (Akitsushima senku). In addition, his exhortation of the general public urging the preservation of public morals were issued in a collection called
Yo no naka hyakushu (One Hundred Poems of the World), widely known as the Ise Analects (Ise rongo).

Moritake died on the eighth day of the eighth month of 1549 at the age of seventy-seven. Among his most famous poems is the verse:

Coming to the end of our journey at the peak of
Mount Kajimi
The wind in the pines, the wind in the pines

Kamijiyama waga koshikata mo yukusue mo
mine no matsukaze mine no matsukaze

A figure of Moritake, seated and clad in ceremonial vestments is kept in the Jingū History Museum (Jingū Chōkokan) of the Outer Shrine at Ise.
A memorial to Moritake's spirit (Moritake Reisha) was enshrined during the mid-1640s on the premises of his house, but it was later moved and jointly venerated at the shrine Uji Jinja.
source : Nakanishi Masayuki, 2006




元日や神代のことも思はるる

Painting of this memorial stone at the rose park near Ise Shrine
source :　yotchan


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古今狂歌袋 Kokon kyookabukuro
Kyokabukuro Picture Book



荒木田(あらきだ)守武(もりたけ) Arakida Moritake

虎に乗り片割れ舟に乗れるとも
人の口はにのるな世の中

（歌意）
たとえ虎に乗るとか、壊れた舟に乗る様なことがあろうとも、世間を渡って行く時は人の噂に上（のぼ）るようなことはするよ。


甚久(じんきゅう)法師 Jinkyuu Hooshi (right)

かつらにもかゝらて朽し木のはしの
おれさへ寂しい秋の夕暮


(歌意）
つる草も絡まないうちに木の橋が朽ち折れてしまったことさえいっそう寂しさがつのる秋の夕暮。
（僧侶の私には「鬘」も縁がないが、鬘も被れないほど年老いて朽ちた木の端の様な俺すら、秋の夕暮れはもの寂しいものだ

source : ezoushijp


(Hyakunin isshu) Kokon kyoka-bukuro
(百人一首) 古今狂歌袋
Treasury of Ancient and Modern Kyoka
(One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each))

illustrated book
Print artist
Kitao Masanobu (北尾政演 Santo Kyoden)
source : www.britishmuseum.org


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Moritake Day -
every leaf falling
in its own way

- Shared　by Tomislav Maretic -
Joys of Japan, 2012

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落花枝にかへると見れば胡蝶哉

Larry Bole commented :
According to Blyth: "There are several poems said to be 'Moritake's] death verse. One of them is:
asagao ni kyoo wa miyuran waga yo kana

My lifetime;
Today it may appear
Like the morning-glory, alas!"

Yoel Hoffman translates this as:
Today / my life is mirrored in / a morning glory.

Hoffman makes reference to a different 'death poem' said to be written by Moritake, quoting Kikaku as follows: "Kakei, a pupil of Basho's, edited a collection of poems called 'Aranoshu' and included in it a death poem ostensibly written by Moritake: 'Twilight / a eulogy for petals / falling ['chiru hana o / Namu Amida Butsu to / yuube kana'].' I am convinced that this is a mistake, for a Shinto priest is not likely to abandon the world with [a Buddhist prayer]. It is more likely that Moritake merely wrote the poem after seeing flowers wilt."

Blyth does not mention 'chiru no hana' as a death poem, but he does translate it as:

The cherry blossoms
Falling, scattering:
An evening of Namuamidabutsu.

- source : (September 2017, facebook) -

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Japanese Reference

荒木田守武


*****************************
Related words

***** Introducing Japanese Haiku Poets　


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- #ArakidaMoritake #moritake -
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Shoso Otsuni . Iwama Otsuni

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Shoso Otsuni / Shoosoo Otsuni
松窓乙二（しょうそうおつに）
Iwama Otsuni 岩間乙二 （いわまおつに）
Ivama Ocuni, Iwama Otuni
(1756 - 1823)

otsu and ni both mean TWO.

Many of his haiku are about the customs and life in Northern Japan. He was born in Shiraishi Town. He settled in Shiraishi later and was known as the Old man from Mount Wasurezu わすれず山の翁. He was the priest of temple Senjuu-In 千住院.
He died on July 9 at the age of 69.

He studied a lot about Taniguchi Buson (Yosa Buson).

He was one of the great four poets, "Shitennoo" 奥州俳諧四天王 in Northern Japan.
He travelled a lot, mostly in Northern Japan and even to Hakodate, Hokkaido, and promoted haiku in this area, with the support of the Lord of Matsumae Han. He took the name of 斧柯社 in Hokkaido.

Another name was
Wasurezu yama no ogina わすれず山の翁 Old Man from Wasurezu Mountain

Wasurezuyama (Wasuresu no yama)不忘山 is a mountain in Miyagi perfecture, Shiroishi town. It is about 1705 meters high and belongs to the mountain range of Zao 蔵王連峰.



Kakejiku by Shoso Otsuni, Hakodate
Photo from Ishino san


His grave is at mount Jinbayama 陣場山.

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Quote from
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/member/member.html?fb20010923a2.htm


Fact and fiction meet in re-creation of Ainu past
By HIROAKI SATO
... snip ....

One such account by the haiku poet Otsuni (1756-1823) gives us a glimpse of Ainu life in the early 19th century. When Otsuni and his traveling companions wake one morning to find that two of their seven packhorses, left untethered overnight, are nowhere to be seen, a young Ainu woman jumps on a horse bareback and in no time brings them back. It was something few Japanese could dream of a woman doing, and left a lasting impression on Otsuni.

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Japanese Reference

http://www.shiroishi.info/osanpo_031028/osanpo_031028.htm

http://blog.livedoor.jp/tosamarunaka/archives/52999201.html

http://www.kcn.ne.jp/~nanto/saibase/otuji.htm

http://ambitious.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/hoppodb/map/doc/0D024170000000.html


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HAIKU


芹堤で 出たりな鷺の すみかより

寝て起きて 愚（おろか）も是（これ）や 春心

吹きためて風は置くやら春ごころ

春の朝 蜆（しじみ）は黒きものぞかし

名月の 夜にも炭やく 煙かな

降る雪に深山しきみは高くあれ

涼しさや 願のいとの吹きたまる





© PHOTO http://www.city.hakodate.hokkaido.jp/soumu/hensan/hyakuchin/104.htm


芹堤（せりづつみ）

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source : buuwataru

plate about his haiku memorial stone

鶴などは年よるものを春の山
tsuru nado wa toshi yoru mono o haru no yama

even a crane
has to get older -
spring in the mountains


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source :　taishi

栗まくやわすれすの山西にして
kuri maku ya wasuresu no yama nishi ni shite

planting chestnuts -
Mount Wasurezu
in the West

This stone is in the park in Shiroishi town, Masuoka.
白石市益岡町　Miyagi.


Wasuresu no yama 不忘山

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koronda o e ni mite hisashi nabe matsuri

Read three versions in English here:
source : Robin Gill


. WKD : "pot festival", nabe matsuri 鍋祭（なべまつり） .


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Basho of the North 北の芭蕉 - 松窓乙二伝


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My Reference

Introducing Japanese Haiku Poets　

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Iga Manko - Dohoo

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Iga Manko 伊賀万乎（まんこ）

In some translations his name is given as Banko.
The first Chinese character of his name,
万, can be read MAN or BAN.

? - 1724, August 15
生年不詳 - 1724年（享保9年）8月15日）

His name was Osakaya Jiroo Tayu (Jiro-dayu, Jiroodaiu)
大坂屋次郎大夫
He was a rich merchant in Iga Ueno.

In 1691 on the 23 of the third lunar month he had a blossom viewing party in his estate, where Matsuo Basho was present as the guest of honor.
伊賀万乎亭(ﾏﾝｺﾃｲ)で花見 Iga Manko Tei de Hanami


Iga Manko was one of the students of Matsuo Basho.

. Iga Shoomon 伊賀蕉門 Basho students of Iga province.


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Basho and Doho discussing hokku poetry

quote
Basho : poetry derives as a “close communion with nature” and t“leads to a ‘transpersonal’ theory of poetry, since such a communion presupposes the dissolution of the poet’s ego.”
Doho : . . . to submerge himself within a natural object, to perceive its delicate life and feel its feelings, out of which a poem forms itself.
A poem may skillfully delineate an object; but, unless it embodies feelings which have naturally emerged out of the object, the poem will fall short of the true poetic sentiment, since it presents the object and the poet as two separate things.

Basho and the Poetics of “Haiku” - by Makoto Ueda


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Three haiku from the Sarumino 猿蓑 and
Zoku-Sarumino 続猿蓑 collection:


田の畝の豆つたひ行蛍かな　　　　　　　(猿蓑)

更る夜や稲こく家の笑聲　　　　　　　　(続猿蓑)
涼しさよ牛の尾振て川の中　　　　　　(続猿蓑)


田の畝の豆つたひ行蛍かな
たのうねのまめつたいゆくほたるかな
ta no une no mame tsutai yuku hotaru kana

「畝」は「畦」の誤記であろう。農家では、しばしば田の畦道に大豆を植えたものである。蛍は、この枝豆を食べたくて畦伝いに飛んでいるのであろう、という身もふたも無い句。
une is maybe a spelling mistake of the kanji for aze.
Farmers planted edamame beans along the aze paths of the rice paddies. And the fireflies came along to eat the beans.
source :　www2.yamanashi-ken.ac.jp

(Keene reads this as heri, Blyth as aze.)

. . . . .


田の畝の豆つたひ行螢かな
ta no heri no mame tsutai yuku hotaru kana

Along the border of the fields
Following the bean plants
Go the fireflies.

Banko
[Tr. Donald Keene]

Kyorai writes:
This verse was originally one by Boncho that the Master [Basho] had corrected. When we were compiling 'The Monkey's Cloak', Boncho remarked, "This verse has nothing special to recommend it. Let's leave it out." Kyorai answered, "The lights of the fireflies following the bean plants at the edge of a field splendidly evoke a dark night."

But Boncho was not convinced by these words. The Master said, "If Boncho throws it away, I'll pick it up. It fortunately happens that one of the Iga poets has a similar verse that I can modify into this one." Thus, it finally appeared as Banko's poem.
[end of excerpt]

Hass's note:
Iga was Basho's home district, and he took a special interest in its poets.
[end of note]

. Fireflies of Seta and Haiku



ta no une no mame tsutaiyuku hotaru kana

On the ridge between fields
proceeding along the bean plants
the lights of fireflies
Tr. Earl Miner and Hiroko Odagiri

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. Compiled by Larry Bole:

Blyth describes him as:
"Banko, who died in 1724, was a man of Iga, Basho's home town, and a disciple of Basho."

Blyth translates one of Banko's haiku in this entry, the same one mentioned in Kyorai's "Conversations with Basho":

ta no aze no mame tsutaiyuku hotaru kana

The fireflies
Thread the beans of the path
Through the rice-field.
Banko, Tr. Blyth

. . . . .

And Blyth translates one of Banko's haiku, also about a firefly,
in vol. 3 of "Haiku", in the entry on "Fireflies":

te no hira wo hau ashi miyuru hotaru kana

The fire-fly;
As it crawls on my palm,
Its legs are visible.
Banko, Tr. Blyth




More online references about Banko:

In an essay by Cor van den Heuvel, in Modern Haiku (vol. 33.2, Summer 2002), titled
"Lafcadio Hearn and Haiku," van den Heuvel compares translations by Blyth and Hearn of the Banko haiku immediately above. Here is Hearn's translation (it's not clear which book of Hearn's it's from):

Oh, this firefly! as it crawls on the palm of my
hand, its legs are visible [by its own light]!


Robin Gill, in his book,
"Rise, ye sea slugs" (from google books online) has a haiku by 'Banko', but the haiku is dated 1777, so either it's a different Banko,
or else the date is wrong.

kosori au samusa mo oke no namako kana --
Banko (1777)

what a cold
'tete-a-tete': sea slugs
in a bucket


we meet
like sea slugs in a tub
of cold water
Tr. Gill, both versions


Unfortunately, Lenore Mayhew, in her translation of "Monkey's Raincoat," only translates a small selection of the independent 'hokku', which doesn't include any by Banko.

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More haiku by Manko

万乎 まんこ
（～享保9年（1724）8月15日）
伊賀蕉門の一人。伊賀上野の豪商大坂屋次郎大夫。 米と金銀の交換を業とした金融業者。倉庫業も営む。「猿蓑」・「有磯海」・「笈日記」に作品が収められている。元禄4年3月23日、自邸に芭蕉を招待し、その折に入門。

田の畝の豆つたひ行螢かな　　（『猿蓑』 『去来抄』）

煤拂せうじをはくは手代かな　　（『炭俵』）

あたらしき翠簾まだ寒し梅花　　（『續猿蓑』）

小米花奈良のはづれや鍛冶が家　　（『續猿蓑』）

李盛る見世のほこりの暑哉　　（『續猿蓑』）

枯のぼる葉は物うしや鶏頭花　　（『續猿蓑』）

更る夜や稲こく家の笑聲　　（『續猿蓑』）

大年や親子たはらの指荷ひ　　（『續猿蓑』）

source : www2.yamanashi-ken.ac.jp


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Japanese Reference

. 伊賀万乎



BTW
manko まんこ is a Japanese word for the female genitals, often translated as cunt or pussy.
This word was sort of "unspeakable" in the Kanto region, but not so much in Osaka.


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伊賀土芳 Iga Tohoo
服部土芳 Hattori Dohoo, Hattori Doho
(1657 - 1730)
明暦3年（1657年） - 享保15年1月18日（1730年3月6日）
Hattori Yasuhide

Is best-known work is Sanzooshi 三冊子 with the teachings of Matsuo Basho. It was published in 1702.
A compilation of his own poems from 1688 to 1729 is
Minomushian shuu 養虫魔集 Collection from Minomushi Hut


棹鹿のかさなり臥る枯野かな
saojika no kasanari fuseru kareno kana

the wild deer
are lying side by side
in withered fields . . .


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When Matsuo Basho left Iga,
Doho was only 10 years old and now they met after 19 years in Kyoto.

To show his pleasure, Basho wrote

命二つの中に生きたる桜かな
. inochi futatsu no naka ni ikitaru sakura kana .


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. Iga Shoomon 伊賀蕉門 Basho students of Iga province.


shoomon 蕉門 Shomon, Basho students, Basho's school
shoofuu 蕉風 Shofu, Basho style haiku

. Basho jittetsu 芭蕉十哲
10 great and most important disciples of Basho


***** Introducing Japanese Haiku Poets　


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Nakamura Kusatao

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Nakamura Kusatao 中村草田男

(1901-1983)
1901年（明治34年）7月24日 - 1983年（昭和58年）8月5日）




He was born the first son to father Osamu (the Japanese consul at Shinkoku at that time), mother Mine at Amoi, Fukken province, Shinkoku (China), in 24th, Jul. 1901(Meiji 34). His real name is Seiichiro.
He came home to Matsuyama with his mother, at the age of 4.

In 1925 (Taisho 14), he went on to the department of German literture, Tokyo Univ. via Matsuyama Junior High-school and Matsuyama High-school. In 1929 (Showa 14), at the age of 29, he became Kyoshi's pupil and became a member of "Todai Haiku meeting". He contributed many Haiku to "Hototogisu" getting Shuoshi Mizuhara's guidance.

It was as of 1939 (Showa 14) that the first Haiku peetry "Choshi 長子" was published in which appeared the many excellent Haiku such as

"Snow is just falling now,
I feel the Meiji era has become
the far-off days"

Since that time, his group have been called "pursuer of human being" on the grounds of that his haiku fashion have indicated the trace of an uphill struggle to get along with human life.
Hakyo Ishida and Shuson Katoh belonged to this group.

He wrote the lyrics for the school song of Matsuyama Kita Highschool in connection with Denzaburo Futagami(a one-time principal of the Highschool), who was Kusatao's contemporary at the Highschool.

The name of the monthly magazine "Banryoku 万緑" edited by Kusatao was connected with the Haiku

"My own child's teeth have
began to come through in
all over fresh greenery"

appeared in Haiku poetry "Hi no Tori-Fire Bird 火の鳥 "(published in 1939).

"Banryoku" has been established as a season word after this Haiku.
In adition to that, this Haiku magazine edited by Kusatao has symbolized the group of people with eternal youthful spirit and has been keeping up the steady pace as avant-garde literature until today.
source : www.lib.ehime-u.ac.j

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Shared by Nomura Shigeru
Joys of Japan

冬の水一枝の影も欺かず
fuyu no mizu hitoeda no kage mo azamukasu

face of the winter pond
doesn't reflect
even a leaf...
Tr. Hideo Suzuki


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比喩もろとも信仰消えて枯野の日
hiyu morotomo shinko kiete kareno-no hi

The metaphors are
gone, and so is my faith . . .
sun over a moor.

Die Metaphern
erloschen und mit ihnen der Glaube.
Sonne auf der Heide
Tr. Mario Fitterer


. Metaphors and Haiku .


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虹に謝す妻よりほかに女知らず
niji ni shasu tsuma yori hoka ni onna shirazu

thanks to the rainbow
apart from my wife I do not know
other women


. Woman and KIGO .


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咳くとポクリッとベートーヴェン響く朝
shiwabuku to pokuritto Beetooben hibiku asa

as I am coughing
Beethoven reverberates
in the morning


. Beethoven and Haiku .



More translations by Gabi Greve


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木の葉髪文芸ながく欺きぬ
ko-no-ha gami bungei nagaku azamukinu


Japanese Reference

中村草田男


. Ishida Hakyo (Ishida Hakyoo 石田波郷) .


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Related words

***** Introducing Japanese Haiku Poets　


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Mizuta Masahide

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Mizuta Masahide 水田 正秀(みずた まさひで)

（～享保8年（1723）8月3日、享年67歳）


His grave in Otsu Town at the
Graveyard for Haiku Poets
滋賀県大津市龍ケ岡俳人墓地


©　yamasiro-m
LINK with more grave photos.


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The following was compiled by Larry Bole


Seishuu, also Masahide (1657-1723). Surname Mizuta.
Born at Zeze in Oomi, he is variously described as having been a samurai or a merchant and later a physician. While young, he practiced waka. He had the Nameless Hermitage (Mumyooan 無名庵) made for Basho to stay at Gichuu Temple (or Yoshinakadera 【義仲寺】 .. ぎちゅうじ(義仲寺)) in Oomi, and assisted Basho in other ways. The two participated with others in an eight-person kasen while Basho was staying with him in 1691.
His hokku are included in 'Sarumino' [The Monkey's Straw Raincoat], [and] a stanza is also in [the kasen] 'Ume Wakana' [Plum Blossoms and Fresh Shoots].

Quote from
"The Monkey's Straw Raincoat: and Other Poetry of the Basho School,"
introduced and translated by Earl Miner and Hiroko Odagiri
(hereafter referred to as
EM & HO), Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 1981



Blyth says of Masahide's "storehouse" haiku:

Masahide is famous for a very pretentious verse approved by Basho:

蔵焼けて 障るものなき 月見哉
kura yakete sawaru mono naki tsukimi kana

My storehouse burnt down,
There is nothing to obstruct
The moon-view.
trans. Blyth

Now that my storehouse
has burned down, nothing
conceals the moon.
trans. Yoel Hoffmann

Hoffmann says that this poem "was much praised by Basho."


my storehouse burnt down
nothing now stands in the way
of moon viewing
Tr. Kit Nagamura



my storehouse burned down
now there is nothing to prevent
the moon viewing . . .
Tr. Gabi Greve / Fires in Edo

(The haiku has the cut marker KANA at the end of line 3.)

Storehouse (kura) and Haiku


. . . . .


Other of Masahide's haiku (found in 'Sarumino'):




yarimochi no nao furitatsuru shigure kana
(winter stanzas, #5)

The spear-bearers in file
brace their weapons yet more firmly
against the drizzle
trans. EM & HO

EM & HO comment:
They are part of a daimyo's procession. Their action is of more pyschological value than to the purpose of keeping dry. Walking along the narrow road, they have a seemingly endless journey...

The halberdiers
Continue to flourish their spears
In the winter rain
trans. Blyth

An alternate translation by Blyth:

The javelin bearers
Still brandish them
In the winter rain.

Blyth comments:
On the daimyo procession rain has begun to fall, but they still raise and lower their spears and continue their accompanying rhythmical cries.



inoshishi ni fukikaesaruru tomoshi kana
(summer stanzas, #124)

The wild boar rushes
with such a wind as to drive back
the hunters' torches
trans. EM & HO



Shigaraki ya chayama shi ni yuku fuufuzure
(summer stanzas, #145)

At Shigaraki
off to teagroves in the hills
go husband and wife
trans. EM & HO

EM & HO comment:
At the border of Iga and Yamashiro, Shigaraki was in one of the major tea-growing centers of Japan.
Shigaraki



hinooka ya kogarete atsuki ushi no shita
(summer stanzas, #176)

Breezeless Hinooka
and hot to the point of burning
hangs the cart ox's tongue
trans. EM & HO

EM & HO comment:
"Hi no oka 日ノ岡," "Hill of the Sun" had a steep slope enclosed by hills that made it hot even by the standards of nearby Kyoto, as the poor straining beast shows.
. . Hi-no-Oka Pass




shibukasu ya karasu mo kuwazu arahatake
(autumn stanzas, #244)

The sour persimmon pulp
not even crows will eat such stuff
spread over rough fields
trans. EM & HO

EM & HO comment:
Land is being reclaimed from uplands or a river area. Persimmons squeezed for juice for dyeing or some such use have been reduced to pulp to fertilize fields that may be planted in a few years. We take the major pause to come after the first line.



haru no hi ni shimioote kaeru kyoozukue
(stanza 19, from the kasen, 'Ume Wakana')

on the fine spring day
the assembled monks end their chants
and each to his sutra
trans. EM & HO

EM & HO comment:
The monks have been together in a great hall, chanting together for some special grand rite. As it ends, they file out, each to his own study...getting a good glimpse of the spring scene. "Kyoozukue" are stands for holding the sutras for reading: "and each to his stand." But of course the monks go from one rite or observation to another.



Here is a haiku about Masahide, composed by Izen (1646-1711 惟然（いぜん）), on "the night before Basho's death," according to Blyth:

hipparite futon ni samuki warai kana

Pulling the bed-clothes
Back and forth, back and forth,
Wry smiles.
Izen, trans. Blyth

Blyth comments:
This verse was occasioned by Izen and Masahide, sleeping under the same quilt. Basho himself smiled when he read it. Master and disciples had the relation of parent and children.


Yoel Hoffmann, in discussing Masahide, says:
It seems that Masahide became very poor after his storehouse burned down. His poet friend Jozen, who came to visit him in 1703, reported that Masahide had no blanket for his two children, and had to cover them with mosquito netting.



Masahide's death poem:

行時は月にならびて水の友
yuku toki wa tsuki ni narabite mizu no tomo

While I walk on
the moon keeps pace beside me:
friend in the water.
Masahide, trans. Hoffmann


When I depart,
Let me be friends with the water,
Like the moon.
trans. Blyth


MIZU NO TOMO is the title of a Japanese book about Masahide.

水の友（水田正秀追善集）


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barn's burnt down
now
I can see the moon

Masahide
(tr. by Lucien Stryk and Takashi Ikemoti)




ぬすびとや取り残されし窓の月
nusubito ya tori-nokosareshi mado no tsuki

the thief left it behind:
the moon
at my window

　Ryokan 良寛




calm mind
on an autumn night
leaves rustle

Gabi Greve

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木隠れや鼠の小社下紅葉
kogakure ya nezumi no shoosha shita momiji

hidden among the trees -
a shrine with mice and
red leaves on the ground
Tr. Gabi Greve



. WKD : Shrines and Haiku .

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Japanese Reference

水田正秀（孫右衛門）

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Related words

***** Introducing Japanese Haiku Poets　


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