The Spring of My Life

by Kobayashi Issa

on this moonlit night after

  ten nights of sutras

  moromoro no

  gusha mo tsukiyo no

  jūya kana

  So small! Perilously

  clinging to Mount Fuji,

  the young willow

  Chonbori to

  fuji no kowaki no

  yanagi hana

  Envious even

  of the child being punished

  on New Year’s Eve

  Shikararuru

  hito urayamashi

  toshi no kure

  A butterfly

  flutters past—my body feels

  the dust of ages

  Chō tonde

  waga mi mo chiri no

  tagui kana

  In their bamboo hats

  they whisper “Good-bye, good-bye,”

  in a falling mist

  Kasa de suru

  saraba saraba ya

  usugasumi

  It’s regrettable

  that you follow after me,

  little butterfly

  Kinodoku ya

  ore wo shitōte

  kuru kochō

  At the flowerpot,

  the butterfly listens:

  true Buddha Dharma

  Hanaoke ni

  chō mo kiku kayo

  ichidaiji

  In a warm spring rain

  a rat is slowly drinking

  Sumida River

  Harusame ya

  nezumi no nameru

  sumidagawa

  Dear evening swallow,

  today is a burden—and

  trust nothing tomorrow!

  Yūtsubame

  ware ni wa asu no

  ate mo nashi

  A new fawn twitches,

  shaking free a butterfly,

  then naps once again

  Saoshika ya

  chō wo furutte

  mata nemuru

  The morning glories,

  blossoming, have thatched the roof

  of my hermitage

  Asagao no

  hana de fukitaru

  iori kana

  In a light spring rain

  a discarded letter blows

  through a bamboo grove

  Harusame ya

  yabu ni fukaruru

  sute-tegami

  The winter wren

  goes about her business

  without a sound

  Kossori to

  shite kasegu nari

  misosazai

  The field wren,

  searching here, there, everywhere—

  has she lost something?

  Misosazai

  kyoro kyoro nan zo

  otoshita ka

  Graciously, the dog

  steps out of my way along

  this snowy trail

  Inudomo ga

  yokete kurekeri

  yuki no michi

  I know everything

  about the old householder,

  even his shiver

  Mi ni sou ya

  mae no aruji no

  samusa made

  By a neighbor’s light

  I sit in a rented room:

  cold and cold food tonight!

  Tsugi no ma no

  hi de zen ni tsuku

  samusa kana

  Stopping at the gate,

  I hear the Mii Temple bell,

  sound frozen in the air

  Kadoguchi ni

  kite kōru nari

  mii no kane

  Good company,

  the cat sits among us

  on New Year’s Eve

  Onakama ni

  neko mo za toru ya

  toshiwasure

  The third crescent moon,

  this spring night so very cold

  its back too is curved

  Mikazuki wa

  soru zo samusa wa

  saekaeru

  Freezing moonlight falls

  on the legs of great Nio guards

  at the temple gate

  Kangetsu ni

  tatsu ya niō no

  karassune

  Fast as it can go—

  sailing into the fire—

  a single hailstone!15

  Abaraya ni

  tonde hi ni iru

  arare kana

  The hail has fallen—

  in moonlight the young hookers

  quietly return

  Tama arare

  yotaka wa tsuki ni

  kaerumeri

  Like the burning

  of this charcoal fire, our years

  too will soon expire

  Sumi no hi ya

  yowai no heru mo

  ano tōri

  Only a few people

  at a glance; at a glance, leaves

  fall here, leaves fall there

  Hito chirari

  konoha mo chirari

  horari kana

  Buddha beside a field,

  and blooming from his nose,

  a long icicle

  Nobotoke no

  hana no saki yori

  tsurara kana

  My father also

  studied these high mountains

  from his winter hut

  Oya mo kō

  mirareshi yama ya

  fuyugomori

  The young bush warbler,

  with a bright yellow voice,

  calls for its parents

  Uguisu ya

  kiiro na koe de

  oya wo yobu

  Even in good light

  the guy in this self-portrait

  looks awfully cold

  Hiikime ni

  mite sae samuki

  soburi kana

  “The sewage ditch

  is over here!” the old horse

  calls in midnight cold

  Shōbenjo

  koko to uma yobu

  yosamu kana

  Early this morning,

  falling silently, a single

  paulownia leaf

  Kesa hodo ya

  kosori to ochite

  aru hitoha

  The turnip farmer

  with a turnip points the way

  back to the road

  Daikohiki

  daiko de michi wo

  oshiekeri

  Trembling helplessly

  like a solitary heart,

  this pampas grass stalk

  Hosusuki ya

  hosoki kokoro no

  sawagashiki

  I am leaving now.

  You may play together

  happily, crickets!

  Dete iku zo

  naka yoku asobe

  kirigirisu

  Be a good friend and

  tend to our house while I’m gone,

  my little cricket!

  Otonashiku

  rusu wo shite iro

  kirigirisu

  Take care in the grass—

  don’t wipe out those pearls of dew,

  little cricket!

  Shiratsuyu no

  tama fungaku na

  kirigirisu

  Tell me as you go,

  wild goose, how often you’ve seen

  Mount Asama’s smoke

  Kaeru kari

  asama no keburi

  ikudo miru

  Keeping the infant

  safe from harsh autumn wind:

  the old scarecrow

  Chinomigo no

  kazeyoke ni tatsu

  kagashi kana

  Beautiful full moon—

  nothing extraordinary

  to the old scarecrow

  Meigetsu ni

  kerorito tachishi

  kagashi kana

  Where does it come from,

  such bitter winter cold,

  I ask you, scarecrow?

  Dochira kara

  samuku naru zo yo

  kagashi-dono

  The moor crow is so

  satisfied, having landed

  on the bashō tree

 
; Nogarasu no

  jōzu ni tomaru

  bashō kana

  Calm, indifferent

  as if nothing’s transpired—

  the goose, the willow

  Kerorikan

  to shite kari to

  yanagi kana

  “A party of one,”

  the innkeeper duly noted.

  A cold autumn night

  Ichinin to

  chōmen ni tsuku

  yosamu kana

  People! Compelled to go

  when not even a scarecrow

  remains standing

  Hito wa isa

  suguna kagashi mo

  nakarikeri

  Just beyond my reach,

  that chestnut is inviting:

  what color! what size!

  Hirowarenu

  kuri no migoto yo

  ōkisa yo

  Rice piled everywhere,

  Jizō looks even more lonely

  by this country road

  Ine tsunde

  jizō wabishi ya

  michi no hata

  The sacred night dance:

  as bonfires pop and cackle,

  painted leaves fall in

  Yokagura ya

  takibi no naka e

  chiru momiji

  When I finally die,

  I hope you’ll tend my grave,

  little grasshopper!

  Ware shinaba

  hakamori to nare

  kirigirisu

  Snowy white dew—and

  above the potato fields,

  the River of Heaven

  Shiratsuyu ya

  imo no hatake no

  amanogawa

  Thus spring begins: old

  stupidities repeated,

  new errors invented

  Haru tatsu ya

  gu no ue ni mata

  gu ni kaeru

  Just beyond the gate,

  a neat yellow hole—

  someone pissed in the snow

  Massugu na

  shōben-ana ya

  kado no yuki

  With this rising bath-mist

  deep in a moonlit night,

  spring finally begins

  Yukeburi mo

  tsukiyo no haru to

  nari ni keri

  People working rice fields,

  from my deepest heart, I bow.

  Now a little nap

  Ta no hito wo

  kokoro de ogamu

  hirune kana

  In the beggar’s tin

  a few thin copper coins

  and this evening rain

  Jubako no

  zeni shigomon ya

  yūshigure

  For you too, my fleas,

  the night passes so slowly.

  You too are lonely

  Nomidomo mo

  yonaga daro zo

  sabishi karo

  Brilliant moon,

  is it true that you too

  must be busy?

  Meigetsu ya

  kyo wa anata mo

  isogashiki

  The winter fly

  I caught and finally freed

  the cat quickly ate

  Fuyu no hae

  nigaseba neko ni

  torarekeri

  A faint yellow rose

  almost hidden in deep grass—

  and then it moves

  Yamabuki ya

  kusa ni kakurete

  mata soyogu

  Mother, I weep

  for you as I watch the sea

  each time I watch the sea

  Naki-haha ya

  umi miru tabi ni

  miru tabi ni

  As the great old trees

  are marked for felling, the birds

  build their new spring nests

  Kiru ki tomo

  shirade ya tori no

  su wo tsukuru

  Like misty moonlight,

  watery, bewildering—

  our temporal way

  Oboro oboro

  fumeba mizu nari

  mayoi michi

  My dear old village,

  every memory of home

  pierces like a thorn

  Furusato ya

  yoru mo sawaru mo

  bara no hana

  A sheet of rain.

  I remain alone among

  cherry blossom shadows

  Furu ame ni

  hitori nokori shi

  hana no kage

  A flowering plum

  and a nightingale’s love song—

  yet I am alone

  Ume sakedo

  uguisu nakedo

  hitori kana

  My old village lies

  far beyond what we can see,

  but there the lark sings

  Furusato no

  mienaku narite

  naku hibari

  This world of dew

  is only a world of dew—

  and yet . . . oh and yet . . .

  Tsuyu no yo wa

  tsuyu no yo nagara

  sarinagara

  This suffering world:

  the flowers will blossom, but

  even at that . . .

  Ku no shaba ya

  sakura ga sakeba

  saita tote

  Swatting the housefly

  on the blossom, I also crush

  the flower

  Hae uchi ni

  hana saku kusa mo

  utare keri

  Here in Shinano

  are famous moons, and buddhas,

  and our good noodles

  Shinano de wa

  tsuki to hotoke to

  ora ga soba

  When the wild turnip

  burst into full blossom

  a skylark sang

  No daiko mo

  hana saki ni keri

  naku hibari

  The distant mountains

  are reflected in the eye

  of the dragonfly

  Tōyama ga

  medama ni utsuru

  tombo kana

  What’s the lord’s vast wealth

  to me, his millions and more?

  Dew on trembling grass

  Nan no sono

  hyakumangoku mo

  sasa no tsuyu

  Before this autumn wind

  even the shadows of mountains

  shudder and tremble

  Akikaze ya

  hyoro hyoro yama no

  kageboshi

  This year on, forever,

  it’s all gravy for me now—

  spring playtime arrives

  Kotoshi kara

  marumoke zo yo

  shaba asobi

  I wish she were here

  to listen to my bitching

  and enjoy this moon

  Kogoto iu

  aite mo araba

  kyo no tsuki

  Gratitude for gifts,

  even snow on my bedspread

  a gift from the Pure Land

  Arigata ya

  fusuma no yuki mo

  Jodo yori

  The old dog listens

  intently, as if to the

  work songs of the worms

  Furu inu ya

  mimizu no uta ni

  kanji-gao

  As it grows colder

  every night, even the songs

  of worms grow fainter

  Usosamu ya

  mimizu no uta mo

  hitoyo zutsu

  My spring is just this:

  a single bamboo shoot,

  a willow branch

  Waga haru wa

  take ippon ni

  yanagi kana

  From that woman

  on the beach, dusk pours out

  across ebbing tides

  Onna kara saki e

  kasumu zo

  shiohigata

  Don’t kill that poor fly!

  He cowers, wringing

  his hands for mercy

  Yare utsu na

  hae ga t
e wo suri

  ashi wo sum

  Before I arrived,

  who were the people living here?

  Only violets remain

  Waga mae ni

  dare dare sumi shi

  sumire zo mo

  At this lonely grave,

  the one constant visitor

  is a winter wren

  Ara sabishi

  tsuka wa itsumo no

  misosazai

  Nearly frostbitten,

  the village prostitute scrapes

  soot from an iron pan

  Shimogare ya

  nabe no sumi kaku

  kokeisei

  The maidenflower,

  amazingly, stands idly

  in the empty field

  Ominaeshi

  akkerakon to

  tateri keri

  A mountain temple—

  hearing the stag’s piercing cry

  from the balcony

  Yamadera ya

  en no ue naru

  shika no koe

  O autumn winds,

  tell me where I’m bound, to which

  particular hell

  Aki no kaze

  ware wa mairu wa

  dono jigoku

  From the Great Buddha’s

  great nose, a swallow comes

  gliding out

  Daibutsu no

  hana kara detaru

  tsubame kana

  A world of dew,

  and within every dewdrop

  a world of struggle

  Tsuyu no yo no

  tsuyu no naka nite

  kenka kana

  Naturally,

  I bow my head on holy

  Kamiji Mountain

  Onozukara

  zu ga sagaru nari