English translation by Haruo Shirane at Columbia University.
Winter Days
The rains of the long journey have torn my hat, and my coat has crumbled in the daily storms.
Accustomed as I am to extreme poverty, I feel sorry for myself.
Suddenly remembering that master of mad verse who travelled long ago in this province, I wrote...
mad verse: in the withering gusts a wanderer - how much like Chikusai I have become! - Basho. animation: Yuriy Norshteyn
mad verse: in the withering gusts a wanderer - how much like Chikusai I have become!
who's that? Sasanqua spraying over a rain hat - Yasui. animation: Kihachiro Kawamoto
who's that? Sasanqua spraying over a rain hat
making the Master of Early Dawn construct a brewery - Kakei. animation: Fumio Oi
making the Master of Early Dawn construct a brewery
a red-haired horse shaking dew off its mane - Jugo. animation: Tatsutoshi Nomura
a red-haired horse shaking dew off its mane
Korean grass the long thin blades colorless - Tokoku. animation: Shn-ichi Suzuki
Korean grass the long thin blades colorless
in the scattered light harvesting rice plants in the fields - Shohei. animation: Haru Fukushima
in the scattered light harvesting rice plants in the fields
my grass hut -- where I offer the heron lodging - Yasui. animation: Takuya Ishida
my grass hut -- where I offer the heron lodging
having to hide while the hair grows back - Basho. animation: Raoul Servais
having to hide while the hair grows back
"the pain of deception" she thought squeezing her dry breasts - Jugo. animation: Noriko Morita
"the pain of deception" she thought squeezing her dry breasts
by an unfading stupa sobbing with heavy heart - Kakei. animation: Tatsuo Shimamura
by an unfading stupa sobbing with heavy heart
a silhouette in the early dawn cold lighting a fire - Basho. animation: Yoichi Kotabe, Reiko Okuyama
a silhouette in the early dawn cold lighting a fire
an empty house the owners disappeared from poverty - Tokoku. animation: Aleksandr Petrov
an empty house the owners disappeared from poverty
in a rice field the Koman willow dropping its leaves - Kakei. animation: Maya Yonesho
in a rice field the Koman willow dropping its leaves
a man pulling the boat in the mist - is he lame? - Yasui. animation: Yoji Kuri
a man pulling the boat in the mist - is he lame?
at dusk gazing sideways at the thin moon - Tokoku. animation: Uruma Delvi
at dusk gazing sideways at the thin moon
retiring from court to a street of gossipy neighbours - Jugo. animation: Seiichi Hayashi
retiring from court to a street of gossipy neighbours
asking the Second Nun about the cherry trees in full bloom at the imperial palace - Yasui. animation: Azuru Isshiki
asking the Second Nun about the cherry trees in full bloom at the imperial palace
"butterflies in the thick weeds" she wept blowing her nose - Basho. animation: Bretislav Pojar
"butterflies in the thick weeds" she wept blowing her nose
a palanquin: behind a bamboo blind faintly a face - Jugo. animation: Katsushi Boda
a palanquin: behind a bamboo blind faintly a face
"now's the time!" releasing an arrow of resentment - Kakei. animation: Masahiro Katayama
"now's the time!" releasing an arrow of resentment
a pine in memory of a bandit bends broken by the wind - Basho. animation: Mark Baker
a pine in memory of a bandit bends broken by the wind
for a while it lasted a stream named for Sogi - Tokoku. animation: Yuichi Ito
for a while it lasted a stream named for Sogi
doffing a rain hat to soak deliberately in the northern showers - Kakei. animation: Keita Kurosaka
doffing a rain hat to soak deliberately in the northern showers
parting the withered winter grass a single green endive - Yasui. animation: Reiko Yokosuka
parting the withered winter grass a single green endive
shattered white shards - someone's bones or what? - Tokoku. animation: Yuko Asano
shattered white shards - someone's bones or what?
squid shells divination in a barbarian country - Jugo. animation: I.K.I.F.
squid shells divination in a barbarian country
I can't solve sorrow's mystery a cuckoo - Yasui. animation: Bairong Wang
I can't solve sorrow's mystery a cuckoo
a long night consuming an urn of autumn water - Basho. animation: Isao Takahata
a long night consuming an urn of autumn water
at the temple lodging of Japan's Li Po-moon gazing - Jugo. animation: Norio Hikone
at the temple lodging of Japan's Li Po-moon gazing
a lute player sticking rose of Sharon in his hood - Kakei. animation: Masaaki Mori
a lute player sticking rose of Sharon in his hood
an offering to the traces of a dead ox grass at dusk - Basho. animation: Taku Furukawa
an offering to the traces of a dead ox grass at dusk
carrying on the head a basket of shad - Tokoku. animation: Co Hoedeman
carrying on the head a basket of shad
my prayers to an early dawn to be pregnant - Kakei. animation: Jacques Drouin
my prayers to an early dawn to be pregnant
today going to the eyebrow ceremony for the younger sister - Yasui. animation: Fusako Yusaki
today going to the eyebrow ceremony for the younger sister
for the court bath filtering out the Shiga flowers with silk gauze - Tokoku. animation: Koji Yamamura
for the court bath filtering out the Shiga flowers with silk gauze
the walkway reflecting the shadows of wisteria - Jugo. animation: Kihachiro Kawamoto