Issa the Haiku Poet II

小林一茶
Issa Kobayashi (1763-1828) - Historical Background

 Utagawa Hiroshige,  'Senju Great Bridge'
from the woodblock print series 'One hundred views of Edo' 1856  

The Edo period and the House of Stewart


The Edo period, which is known for “chounin” (which refers to the new "town people") culture, lasted 265 years, from 1603 to 1868. The year 1603 happened to be the same year in which the Tudor house of England ended with the death of Queen Elisabeth, and began the House of Stewart with the coronation of King James I. In fact, King James and the Edo shogunate exchanged letters and gifts, and some of them are preserved in the Tower of London.



One of the 'three greatest Haiku poets' of the Edo period


In the Edo period the form of haiku came about and prospered. Matsuo Basho was the one who created the standard of haiku known today. For that reason, we can easily consider him to be one of the greatest poets in Japanese literature. Next to Basho and Buson, Kobayashi Issa was another celebrated haiku-poet of the Edo period.  He was born to a farmer family, but it didn't prevent him from becoming a famous master of haiku.


Former and later part of the Edo period


The Edo period was the third and last shogunate (feudal system ruled by the shogun, the general commander of all samurai warriors). It followed directly after the 'Sengoku' (Warring States) era, with Japan divided into many territories dominated by local lords.

After the chaotic Warring States era, people wanted to restore classical Japanese culture. Because of this, the works of Basho were sprinkled with knowledge of and reference to classical literature.

But in the later part of the Edo period in which Issa lived, with the development of the economy, culture was passed into the hands of the townsmen, which included merchants and artisans.


Modernity of Issa


The modern political system in Japan did not appear until the Meiji Restoration (1868), which had been carried out in order to survive the Age of Imperialism. However the culture of the Edo period had become popular and modern, free from the limitation of specific social classes.

Issa created his poems in a plain and direct way, using colloquial expressions and dialects, not fearing to express his own individuality as a poetic personality. This anticipated the way of thinking that we see in modern haiku, which prospered in the context of naturalism.




Reference (in Japanese):
Revaluation of Issa (NHK) / Scotland - The unknown bond with Japan (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
http://www.nhk.or.jp/kaisetsu-blog/400/265412.html
http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/press/pr/wakaru/topics/vol120/index.html







Issa's Haiku works 
Original text, with modern Japanese and English translations

1.


Five feet of snow
So I guess this would be
My final abode 

(Season word: snow - winter)

これがまあ終の栖か雪五尺

Kore ga maa/Tsui no sumika ka/Yuki go syaku


ここにまあ、

おれは骨をうめるのかな・・・

外には雪が一メートル半。

2.

'Don't hit me please!'
Rubbing his hands and feet
The fly is praying to you.

(Season word: fly - summer)


やれ打つな蝿が手をすり足をする
Yare utsuna/Hae ga te o suri/Ashi o suru


「おねがい、打たないで」
ハエが一生懸命、たのんでます。
手や足であなたをおがんでますよ。


3.

Spring evening -
Where there is water
Remains the light.

(Season word: spring light - spring)

春の日や水さえあれば暮残り
Haru no hi ya/Mizu sae areba/Kure nokori


春の陽光は、
水があればそれにうつり、
夕暮れにも残っている。


4.

Spring moon-
Fresh water drops shall drip
If I could touch you!

(Season word: spring noon - spring)


春の月さはらば雫垂りぬべし
Haru no tsuki/Sawaraba shizuku/Tarinu beshi


春の月よ
おまえにもし触れたなら、
みずみずしい雫がしたたることだろう。


5.


Summer mountain-
With every step I take
I see more of the sea.

(Season word: summer mountain - summer)


夏山や一足づつに海見ゆる

Natsuyama ya/Hitoashi dutsu ni/Umi miyuru


夏山を登る
その一歩一歩にしたがって、
海が少しずつ大きく見えてくる。

6.



My weeping child
You ask for me to grab you
The harvest moon?

(Season word: the harvest moon - autumn)


名月をとってくれろと泣く子かな
Meigetsu o/Totte kurero to/Naku ko kana


わが子よ、
そうやって泣き叫ぶのかい
中秋の名月をとってくれとねだって。

Presentation armour of King James I  (Tower of London)

Text and translation by Yamatologos 2018 with the help of Forest Muran