64 Basho Hokku Translations - A selection of Makoto Ueda's translations

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Basho and His Interpreters: 
Selected Hokku with Commentary

by Makoto Ueda

The following list of sixty-four (64) of the two-hundred-fifty-six (256) hokku translations by Ueda stand out for their emphasis on the verbs or have one or more lines in a verse ending with a verb. They represent 25% of the book’s translated hokku.

*Note that all of the Basho hokku presented in the book use verbs in their normal context. None stretch the meaning for the sake of novelty or added surprise.

pg. 19:

haru / ya / koshi / toshi / ya / yukiken / kotsugonori

spring / ? / came / year / ? /  went  / Second-Last-Day

was it spring that came

or was it the year that went?
the Second Last Day

pg. 21:
tsuki / zo / shirube / bonata / e / irase / tabi / no / yado

moon / ! / guidance / this-way / to / please-enter / travel / ‘s / lodging

the moon will guide you . . .

this way, traveler; please come

into the inn here

pg. 30:
kite / mo / miyo / Jinbe / ga / haori / hanagoromo

come / ! / see / Jinbei / ‘s / robe / flower-garment

come and look!
put on a Jinbei robe

and admire the blossoms

pg. 39:
neko / no/ tsuma / hetsui / no / kuzure / yori / kayoikeri
cat / ‘s / mate / cooking-stove / ‘s / crumble / from / frequent

the lover cat

over a crumbled stove

comes and goes

pg. 42:

ara / nani / tomo / na / ya / kino / wa / sugite / fukutojiru

oh / anything / ! / is-nonexistent / ! / yesterday / as-for / passing / fugu-soup

oh, nothing’s happened to me!
yesterday has passed––

fugu soup

pg. 54:
kumo / nani / to / ne / wo / nani / to/ naku / aki / no / kaze

spider / what / thus / voice / [acc.] / what / thus / chirp / autumn / ‘s / wind

spider––what is it,

what is it you are crying?
autumn wind

pg. 57:
kareeda / ni / karasu / no / tomarikeri / aki / no / kure

bare-branch / on / crow / ‘s / is-perched / autumn / ‘s / evening

on a bare branch

a crow has alighted . . .

autumn nightfall

pg. 65:
yuki / no / ashita / kitori / karazake / wo / kami / etari

snow / ‘s / morning / alone / dried-salmon / [acc.] / chew / can

the morning of snow––

all alone, I chew
dried salmon meat

pg. 71:
basho / uete / mazu / nikumu / ogi/ no / futaba / kana

banana-plant / planting / first / hate / miscanthus / ‘s / seed-lobe / kana

by my new banana plant

the first sign of something I loathe––

a miscanthus bud

pg. 76:
basho / nowaki / shite / tarai / ni / ame / wo / kiku / yo / kana

banana-plant / autumn-gale / doing / tub / in / rain / [acc.] / hear / night

banana plant in the autumn gale––

the sound of rain pattering

in the tub tonight

pg. 81:
asuagao / ni / ware / wa / meshi / ku / otoko / kana

morning-glory / to / I / as-for / meal / eat / man / kana

with morning glories

a man eats breakfast

––that is what I am

pg. 88:
uguisu / wo / tama / ni / nemuru / ka / taoyanagi

warbler / [acc.] / soul / as / sleep / ? / graceful-willow

is that warbler

her soul? there sleeps

a graceful willow

pg. 98:
haru / tatsu / ya / shinnen / furuki / kome / gosho

spring / begin / : / New-Year / old / rice/ five-sho

spring begins––

new year, old rice

ten quarts

pg. 102:
kirishigure / Fuji / wo / minu / hi / zo / omoshiroki

mist-rain / Fuji / [acc.] / not-see / day / ! / interesting

in the misty rain

Mount Fuji is veiled all day––

how intriguing!

pg. 105:
michinobe / no / mukuge / wa / uma / ni / kuwarekeri

roadside / ‘s / rose-mallow / as-for / horse / by / has-been-eaten

by the road

a rose mallow . . . it has been

eaten by my horse!

pg. 120:

kyoku / kogarashi / no / mi / wa / Chikusai / ni / nitaru / kana

comic-verse / wintry-gust / ‘s / self / as-for / Chikuai / to / resemble / kana

in the wintry gust

a wanderer . . . how like Chikusai

I have become!

pg. 123:

umi / kurete / kamo / no / koe / honokani / shiroshi

sea / grow-dark / wild-duck / ‘s / voice / faintly / white

the sea darkens––

a wild duck’s call

faintly white

pg. 129:

Karasaki / no / matsu / wa / hana / yori / oboro / nite

Karasaki / ‘s / pine / as-for / blossom / than / haziness / being

the pine tree
of Karasaki, looking hazier
than the blossoms

pg. 135:

natsugoromo / imada / shirami / wo / tori / tsukusazu
summer-robe / yet / louse / [acc.] / catching / complete-not

my summer robe

there are still some lice

I have not caught

pg. 139:

yoku / mireba / nazuna / hana / saku / kakine/ kana

closely / when-look / shepherd’s-purse / flower / bloom / hedge / kana

looking closely, I see

a shepherd’s purse blooming

under the hedge

pg. 149:

hatsuyuki / ya / suisen / no / ha /no /tawamu / made

first-snow / daffodil / ‘s / leaf / ‘s / bend / till

the first snow

just enough to bend

the daffodil leaves

pg. 156:
haranaka / ya / mono / ni / mo / tsukazu / naku / hibari

mid-field / thing / to / even / not-attach / sing / skylark

above the moor

not attached to anything

a skylark sings

pg. 158:

kami / haete / yogan / aoshi / satsukiame

head-hair / growing / countenance / pale / fifth-month-rain

hair on my head

starts to show, my face has paled––

long seasonal rain

pg. 162:

shizu  no / ko / ya /ine / suri / kakete / tsuki / wo / miru

rustic / ‘s / child / rice / husking / leaving / moon / [acc.] / I see

a peasant’s child

husking the rice, pauses

to look at the moon

pg. 165:

yase / nagara / wari / naki / kiku / no / tsubomi / kana

growing-thin / while / reason / nonexistent / chrysanthemum / ‘s / bud / kana

emaciated

yet somehow the chrysanthemums

begin to bud

pg. 177:

iza / saraba / yukimi / ni / korobu / tokoro / made

now / then / snow-viewing / for / tumble / place / to

now then, let’s go out

to enjoy the snow . . . until

I slip and fall!

pg. 181:

nani / no / ki / no / hana / to / wa / shirazu / nioi / kana

what / ‘s / tree / ‘s / bloom / so / as-for / not-know / smell / kana

from which tree’s bloom

it comes, I do not know––

this fragrance

pg. 189:

hana / no / kage / utai / ni / nitaru / tabine / kana

blossom / ‘s / shade / no / to / resembling / travel-sleep / kana

in the blossom’s shade

as in the no drama

a traveler sleeps

pg. 191:

horohoro / to / yamabuki / chiru / ka / taki / no / oto

horohoru / with / mountain-rose / fall / ! / rapid / ‘s / sound

petal by petal

yellow mountain roses fall––

sound of the rapids

pg. 193:

nao / mitashi / hana / ni / ake / yuku / kami / no / kao

still / wish-to-be / blossom / in / down / go / deity / ‘s / face

all the more I wish to see

in those blossoms at sawn

the face of the god

pg. 199:

hototogisu / kie / yuku / kata / ya / shima / hitotsu

hototogisu / disappearing / go / direction / : / island / one

hototogisu––

where it disappears

a lone island

pg. 204:

tsukigane / mo / hibiku / yo / nari / semi / no / koe

temple-bell / also / sound / like / is / cicada / ‘s / voice

the temple bell too

seems to start ringing––

cicadas’ screech

pg. 205:

omoshirote / yagate / kanashiki / ubane / kana

exciting / presently / sad / cormorant-boat / kana

so exciting

and, after a while, so sad––

cormorant fishing

pg. 217:

uzumibi / mo / kiyu / ya / namida / no / niyuru / oto

banked-fire / even / vanish / : / tear / ‘s / boiling / sound

don’t they quench

even the banked charcoal?
those hissing tears

pg. 235:

ishi / no / ka / ya / natusugusa / akaku / tsuyu / atsushi

stone / ‘s / smell / : / summer-grass / red / dew / hot

the stone’s smell

summer grasses look red,

dewdrops warm

pg. 246:

nomi / shirami / uma / no / shitosuru / makuramoto

flea / louse / horse / ‘s / piddle / near-pillow

fleas, lice––

a horse piddles

near my pillow

pg. 249:

shizukasa / ya / iwa / ni / shimiiru / semi / no / koe

stillness / : / rock / to / permeate / cicada / ‘s / voice

the stillness––

seeping into the rocks

cicadas’ screech

pg. 251:

samidare / wo / atsumete / hayashi / Mogami-gawa

fifth-month-rain / [acc.] / gathering / swift / Mogami-River

gathering the rains

of the wet season, how swiftly flows

the Mogami River!

pg. 269:

tsuki / izuki / kane / wa / shizumeru / umi / no / soko

moon / where / bell / as-for / is-sunken / sea / ‘s / bottom

where is the moon?

the temple bell is sunk

at the bottom of the sea

pg. 272:

fuji / no / mi / wa / haikai / ni / sen / hana / no / ato

wisteria / ‘s / seed ‘ as-for / haikai / to / make / flower / ‘s / subsequence

wisteria beans

will be my haikai,

flowers being gone

pg. 275:

hatsushigure / saru / mo / komino / wo / hoshigenari

first-winter-shower / monkey / also / small-straw-raincoat / [acc.] / look-wanting

first winter shower––

the monkey also seems to want

a small raincoat

pg. 277:

fuyuniwa / ya / tsuki / mo / ito / naru / mushi / no / gin

winter-garden / : / moon / also / thread / being / insect / ‘s / recitation

the winter garden––

thinning to a thread, the moon

and an insect’s singing

pg. 278:

iza / kodomo / hashiri / arikan / tamaarare

now / child / running / will-walk / hail

come, children,

let’s go out and run

in the hail!

pg. 287:

cho / no / ha / no / ikutabi / koyuru / hei / no / yane

butterfly / ‘s / wing / ‘s / how-many times / cross-over / fence / ‘s / roof

butterfly’s wings––

how many times do they flit

over the roofed wall?

pg. 293:

hi / no / michi / ya / aui / katamuku / satsuki-ame

sun / ‘s / road / : / hollyhock / lean / fifth-month-rain

towards the sun’s path

hollyhock flowers turning

in the seasonal rain

pg. 296:

yagate / shinu / keshiki / wa / miezu / semi / no / koe

soon / die / appearance / as-for / not-show / cicada / ‘s / voice

soon they will die––

yet, showing no sign of it,

cicadas screech

pg. 297:

tonbo / ya / toritsuki / kaneshi / kusa / no / ue

dragonfly / : / holding / is-unable / grass / ‘s / upside

a dragonfly

vainly trying to settle

onto a blade of grass

pg. 308:

higoro / nikuki / karasu / mo / yuki / no / ashita / kana

ordinarily / hateful / crow / even / snow / ‘s / morning / kana

always hateful––

those crows, except in this

morning’s snow scene

pg. 309:

yamazato / wa / Manzai / ososhi / ume / no / hana

mountain-village / as-for / Manzai / late / plum / ‘s / blossom

in the mountain village

Manzai dancers are late––

plum blossoms

pg. 314:

hototogisu / otakeyabu / wo / moru / tsukiyo

hototogisu / large-bamboo-grove / [acc.] / seep / moonlit-night

hototogisu––

through a vast bamboo forest

moonlight seeping

pg. 321:

Miidera / no / mon / tataka / baya / kyo / no / tsuki

Mii-Temple / ‘s / gate / knock / wish / today / ‘s / moon

shall we go and knock

on the gate of Mii Temple?

the moon of tonight

pg. 325:

suisen / ya / shiroki / shoji / no / tomoutsuri
daffodil / : / white / shoji / ‘s / mutual-reflection

daffodils,

white paper screens, reflecting

one another’s color

pg. 326:

yuki / wo / matsu / jogo / no / kao / ya / inabikari

snow / [acc.] / await / drinker/ ‘s / face / : / lightning

the faces of those

who love to drink––

a flash of lightening

pg. 333:

uo / tori / no / kokoro / wa / shirazu / toshiwasure

fish / bird / ‘s / heart / as-for / not-know / year-end-party

how fish and birds

feel at heart, I do not know––

the year-end party

pg. 337:

neko / no / koi / yamu / toki / neya / no / oborozuki

cat / ‘s / love / stop / whereupon / bed / ‘s / hazy-moon

cat’s love––

when it is over hazy

moonlight in the bedroom

pg. 341:

aokute / mo / aru / beki / mono / wo / togarashi

green also / is / should / thing / yet / pepper

as green as ever

it should have remained––

the pepper pod

pg. 350:

tsuki / hana / no / gu / ni / hari / taten / kan / no / iri

moon / blossom / ‘s / foolishness / on / needle / will-prick / cold / ‘s / entrance

still the fool

given to the moon and blossoms!

the coldest season starts

pg. 354:

hototogisu / koe / yokotau / ya / mizu / no / ue

hototogisu / voice / lie / : / water / ‘s / topside

hototogisu––

the shriek lies stretched

across the water

pg. 359:

kodomo-ra / yo / hirugao / sakinu / uri / mukan

children / ! / bindweed / have-bloomed / melon / will-peel

children!

bindweed flowers have opened,

I’ll peel a melon

pg. 361:

asagao / ya / kore / mo / mata / waga / tomo / narazu

morning-glory / : / this / also / again / my / friend / is-not

the morning glory––

that, too, now turns out to be

no friend of mine

pg. 381:

mugi / no / ho / wo / chikara / ni / tsukamu / wakare / kana

wheat / ‘s / ear / [acc.] / strength / for / clutch / parting / kana

clutching wheat ears

to support myself, I bid

farewell

pg. 383:

samidare / ya / kaiko / wazurau / kuwa / no / hata

fifth-month-rain / : / silkworm / ail / mulberry / ‘s / field

long seasonal rain––

a silkworm ailing

in the mulberry field

pg. 406:

kono / michi / ya / yuku / hito / nashi / ni / aki / no / kure

this / road / : / go / person / nonexistent / with / autumn / ‘s / evening

on this road

where nobody else travels

autumn nightfall

pg. 408:

shiragiku / no / me / ni / tatete / miru / chiri / mo / nashi

white-shrysanthemum / ‘s / eye / in / catching / see / dust / even / nonexistent

white chrysanthemum

without a speck of dust

the eyes can catch