VENTISUÁVITAS.

Matsuo Bashô haiku # 840/812/814/810/803/823/924:


Lingering summer heat:

Summer lingers on --
the Harvest Moon feels hot
cool breeze enjoyment . . .

ÁESTAS PERMÁNET
LÚNA AUTUMNÁLIS CÁLET
VENTISUÁVITAS


[白狐]

[MB840, autumn, 1693.]
natsu kakete / meigetsu atsuki / suzumi ka na.

"summer hanging(-on)/taking(-time) > prolonging //
Harvest Moon ("famous Moon") hot //
enjoying-the-cool-breeze ("cool-taste")."

Latin version:

[aestas = hot time >> aestus = heat.]
"summer(- heat < poetic) -- endures //
full Moon closest to the autumn equinox -- is hot //
of-wind--loveliness/pleasantness."
["permánet" or "pérmanet" ??]
_ _ _

The vase in this haiku is inferred by the verb "ireru". The joke is
that Bashô enjoyed the plum and camellia on the vase in stead of
the flowers he put them in:

Leaning down I put
the flowers in and enjoy
the plum and camellia.


[白狐]

[MB812, winter, 1692.]
uchi-yorite / hana ire sagure / ume tsubaki.

"uchi (from: utsu = hit, beat) + verb [> leaning] = down, off
flower(s) put-in enjoy[> natural beauty]
[saguru = look for, investigate, explore, enjoy (~~).]
_ _ _

At the end of the year spooky looking carolers went from house to house
singing and dancing, as they begged for food and such,
and wishing people a happy New Year:

A sparrow leaves its nest
and smiles at the carolers,
or is that me smiling ?!


[白狐]

[MB814, year's end, 1692.]
sekizoro wo / suzume no warau / de-tachi ka na.

"(at) carolers (acc.) // sparrow's smiling // to-come-out--standing-up, ~~ "
["standing-up" is a noun here, not a verb !!]
_ _ _

On a drawing by Bashô of 9th c. poet and hermit Hán Shān
["hèn-shèèn" > "Cold Mountain".]
showing him from the back with a broom:

Sweeping the garden
he forgets the snow, so what
does he need the broom for ?!


[白狐]

[MB810, winter, 1692.]
niwa hakite / yuki wo wasururu / hahaki ka na.

"garden sweeping // snow (acc.) forget // broom [=hôki], ~~ "
_ _ _

From a thank-you letter to Ukô, doctor Bonchô's wife,
for a thoughtful gift: chrysanthemums were protected
from frost by coating them with unspun cotton:

First morning frost --
a 'mum starts to get chilly
a cotton waist band.

PRIMO GELU --
HOC CHRYSANTHES TREMISCIT
CINGULUM LANATUM


[白狐]

[MB803, autumn, 1692.]
hatsu shimo / kiku hië somuru / koshi no wata.

"first frost // 'mum get-chilly starts-to // waist's cotton."

Latin version:

"prie-móo gee-lóe -- / hok krie-sán-tes tree-míes-kiet /
síen-goe-loem la-náa-toem." [R=tong-tip-R//G=zoals-in-Engels.]

"through first frost / this 'mum starts to shiver / girdle lined with wool."
[there was no cotton in Roman Times.]
_ _ _

A hokku to send off monk/priest Sengin comparing him with a crane:

A crane's feathers --
a [white] blossom cloud
in a black robe.

Kraanvogelveren --
een wolk van [witte] bloesems
in een zwart gewaad.


[白狐]

[MB823, spring, 1693.]
tsuru no ke no / kuroki koromo ya / hana no kumo.

NB: A Japanese crane is white with black on neck and wings.

"crane's feathers' // black robe and // of-blossom(s) cloud."
[when a crane stands resting on one leg, it looks like a tree, so,
Jane, it's "blossom cloud" and NOT "cloud(s) of flowers" !!]
_ _ _

Jane's translation of this haiku is alright. Even though calling
a carnation (anjer, oeillet) a Sweet William ["is called ... in Europe"]
is a nice touch, it does change the haiku into something un-Japanese:
acc. to Tangorin.com the 2nd literal meaning of nadeshi-ko is
"lovable, caressable girl (Archaism)." [ko = child, boy, girl.]

The camphor is the father, the carnation is the son he says good-bye to:

Dew on a camphor
-- splashing tears onto
a carnation.


[白狐]

[MB924, summer, year unclear.]
nadéshi-kò ni / kakáru námida yà / kúsu no tsúyu.

"onto carnation // splashing tear(s) -- // of-Cinnamomum-Camphora dew."
_ _ _

Source: "Bashô - The Complete Haiku", translated by Jane Reichhold.

And many thanks to: http://tangorin.com/