banana tree in a storm —
a night of listening
to rain in a bucket
bashô nowaki tarai ni ame o kiku yo kana
芭蕉野分盥に雨を聞く夜かな
see you later
I’ll be snow-viewing
until I’m rolling in it
izasaraba yukimi ni korobu tokoro made
いざさらば雪見に転ぶ所まで
wintry winds —
I am just like
Chikusai
kogarashi no mi wa Chikusai ni nitaru kana
木がらしの身は竹斎に似たる哉
coming upon them, on a mountain road
how lovely!
wild violets
yamaji kite nani yara yukashi sumire gusa
山路来て何やらゆかしすみれ草
a family, all of them
with canes and white hair
visting the cemetery
ie wa mina tsue ni shiraga no haka mairi
家はみな杖に白髪の墓参り
Buddha’s birthday —
wrinkled hands pressed together
sound of rosary beads
Kanbutsu ya shiwade awasuru juzu no oto
灌仏や皺手合する数珠の音
Originally the “storm” verse had two excess morae, “nowaki shite (as it storms).” Originally the “snow-viewing” verse started with “iza yukan (so, let’s go).” “Wintry winds” originally had excess morae, “kyôku kogarashi (mad verse wintry winds).” “Wild violets” originally had “nan to naku nani yara yukashi (why, how lovely!).” “A family, all of them” originally had “ikka mina (the whole family).” “Buddha’s birthday” also originally sounded like “nehan e ya (nirvana painting);” did he revise it later? Surely there are others of this kind. All of them show our Teacher’s changes of heart, and should be appreciated.
