The only substantial
collection in English
of Basho's renku, tanka,
letters and spoken word
along with his haiku, travel
journals, and essays.
The only poet in old-time
literature who paid attention with praise
to ordinary women, children, and teenagers
in hundreds of poems
Hundreds upon hundreds of Basho works
(mostly renku)about women, children,
teenagers, friendship, compassion, love.
These are resources we can use to better
understand ourselves and humanity.
Interesting and heartfelt
(not scholarly and boring)
for anyone concerned with
humanity.
“An astonishing range of
social subject matter and
compassionate intuition”
"The primordial power
of the feminine emanating
from Basho's poetry"
Hopeful, life-affirming
messages from one of
the greatest minds ever.
Through his letters,
we travel through his mind
and discover Basho's
gentleness and humanity.
I plead for your help in
finding a person or group
to take over my 3000 pages of Basho material,
to edit and improve the material, to receive 100%
of royalties, to spread Basho’s wisdom worldwide
and preserve for future generations.
Quotations from Basho Prose
The days and months are
guests passing through eternity.
The years that go by
also are travelers.
The mountains in silence
nurture the spirit;
the water with movement
calms the emotions.
All the more joyful,
all the more caring
Seek not the traces
of the ancients;
seek rather the
places they sought.
From volume 1 of the Basho Renku Zenchuukai: Tsukeku written from 1665 to 1678
芭蕉連句全注解、一冊から付句. Also many passages of Basho Spoken Word. 日本語もRomanization given.
Selected, Translated, and Explored by Jeff Robbins
Words of Basho in this font, bold
Words of other poets in same font, not bold
This is the first of ten sections containing 416 Basho stanzas along with stanzas by other poets that compliment Basho’s visions of humanity; Explore with me
“the astonishing range of social subject matter and compassionate intuition
that Basho reveals in his links.”
Michele Root-Bernstein, PhD
The BRZ volume number and page number for each Basho stanza is given to the right of first line of the verse. These numbers will enable you to find the commentary to each tsukeku in the corresponding B section
Papier-mache bald, but she will not throw away. Today as is, wishing to care for it till Doll’s Festival
Till the twilight crescent 1: 5 shall ladle peach wine
Calm peaceful magical thinking cannot be surpassed
兀田 頼子 も / 捨てぬ わらはべ
けふあると /もてはやし けり / 雛 迄
月 の 暮れ まで / 汲む もも の 酒
長閑なる/仙の遊にし/くはあらじ
Hageta hariko mo / sutenu warawa be
Kyō aru to / motehayashi keri / hiina made
Tsuki no kure made /kumu momo no sake
Nodoka naru /sen no yuu ni shi / kuwa araji
Confusion between path of truth and path of love
Unable to proceed 1:9 dark night of futility
まどはれな / 実 の 道 や / 恋 の 道
ならで通えば / 無性 闇 夜
Madoware na / makota no michi ya / koi no michi
Narade tōeba / mushō yami no yo
Moon at dawn 1: 15 only my shadow figure for a friend
Still deep in the night a lonesome traveler
在明 の / 影 法師 のみ / 友と して
未だ 夜 深き に/ ひとり たびびと
Ariake no / kagebōshi nomi / tomo o shite
Mada yoru fukaki ni / hitori tabibito
So it will not melt 1:17 this ice we dedicate
New Year’s dawn the morning sun a faint glimmering
解けぬやうにと/氷りささぐる
あけて今朝 /あさ日ほのぼの /ほのめきて
Tokenu you ni to /kouri sasaguru
Akete kesa /asahi honobono / honomekite
“Like the Goddess of Spring” our princess is neat and tidy Green willow her hips and hair like willows
Weary of waiting 1:18 wind through the pines also is longing
佐保 姫 と/ 言ん 姫 御 の /身 だしなみ
青 柳 腰 / ゆふ 柳 髪
待ち あぐみ / 松 吹 風 も / なつかし や
Sayohime to / iwan himegumi no / mi-dashinami
Aoyanagi koshi / yuu yanagi-gami
Machi-agumi / matsu fuku kaze mo / natsukashi ya
Starting to learn the alphabet from ra-mu-u-i-no
Foolishness has stopped, 1:21 youngster in the bedroom
いろはおば /らむういのより/習い初め
わるさもやみし/閨の稚い
Iroha oba / ra-mu-u-i-no yori /narai-some
Warusa mo yamishi / neya no osaai
Worship of Big Dipper shrine ritual admirable
Setting forth the prospects of the boat are our concern
Family lives with tears while the journey lasts
北斗を祭る儀式殊勝や
出し初る舟の行衛を気遣れ
涙でくらす旅の留主中
Hokuto o matsuru / gishiki shushou ya
Deshi somuru / fune no ikue o / ki-zukaware
Namida de kurasu / tabi no rushuchuu
Starting to flirt hair parted in middle becomes glossy
So a vision emerges 1:24 from back of her head
だてなりし / ふり分け 髪 は / のび ねる や
俤 に たつ / かの うしろ つき
Date-narishi / furiwake kami wa / nobi neru ya
omokage ni tatsu / kano ushiro-zuki
After such a long time he seeks her pardon
An employee 1:28 has leisure time only in others’ eyes
久しぶり にて/ 訪 妹 が 許
奉公の / 隙 も 余所 目 の / 隙 と みつ
Hisashiburi nite / tō imo ga gari
hōkō no / hima mo yoso me no / hima to mitsu
Quietly descending hand of the dancer
More than appears 1:31 a small child is obedient to the Energy
いとも 静 な / 舞 の 手 くだり
見かけより/ 気 は おとなしき / 小 児 にて
Ito mo shizuka na / mai no te kudari
Mikake yori / ki wa otonashiki / ko chigo nite
Right or wrong – from shadow of pines he emerges Impatient with people who provoke with words
When pushed 1:34 again pushing back in a crowd
是非ともに あの松影へ御であれ
堪忍ならぬ /詞からかい
おされては /又押し返す /人込みに
Zehi tomo ni / ano matsu kage e / ou deare
Kannin naranu / kotoba karakai
Osarete wa / mata oshikaesu / hitogomi ni
After a quarrel the soft rubbing sounds of hands wringing
White tissue paper 1:63 soaked by her tears
口舌事 / 手をさらさらと / おしもんで
しら紙ひたす/ 涙也けり
Kusetsu-goto / te o sara sara to / oshimonde
Shira kami hitasu / namida nari kere
River wind so cold 1:91 midnight to the outhouse Leaving Kyoto 1:92 today Mika no Hara belly painful
川かぜ寒き / 夜半の雪隠
都出て/ けふみかのはら / いたむらし
Kawa kaze samuki / yohan no setchan
Miyako idete / kyō mika no hara / itamurashi
Awaji Island away from methods, see another place
Birds calling together 1:102 their laughing voices
淡路嶋 / 仕形ばなしの /余所にみて
とも呼ぶ鳥の / 笑ひごえなる
Awaji Island / shikata banashi no / yoso ni mite
Tomo yobu tori no / warai-goe naru
As the goddess Lakshmi 1:105 so radiant a moon
Auspicious her headdress on mountain clouds at dawn
吉祥天女も /これほどの月
あつらえの瓔洛かくる山かづら
Kichijou tennyo / kore hodo no tsuki
Atsurae no / yokuraku kakuru / yama kazura
This morning’s snow 1: 107 poor woman with one cent melts the Dharma
Wind as bamboo spatula pares down personal wealth
Like a navel cord 1:107 his visits to the brothel shall be cut off
He resents the thunder of the midnight drum
今朝の / 雪貧女一文が / 糊をとく
風進退を / 削る竹べら
臍の緒を / 吉原がよい /きれはてて
かみなりの 太鼓 / うらめしの中
Kesa no yuki / hinnyo ichimon ga / nori o toku
Kaze shindai o / kezuru take bera
Heso no o o / Yoshiwara ga yoi / kire hatete
Kaminari no taiko / urameshi no naka
In the first stanza Basho wrote nori with the kanji for paste (糊) as wordplay; he knew the Japanese reader would see the other nori (法) for the Dharma, or “law” of Buddhism that all things must die and return.
From the kitchen calls 1:120 voice of a servant girl
Passageway to the second-story a bit far, but. . .
台所より /下女のよびごえ
通路の /二階はすこし / 遠けれど
Daitokoro yori / gejo no yobigoe
Tsuuro no / nikai wa sukoshi / tōkeredo
For you, my dear, a red silk underskirt of crimson leaves
Vows made, in autumn 1:127 she became pregnant
君ここに /もみのニ布の /下紅葉
契りし秋は /産妻なりけり
Kimi koko ni / momiji no futano no / shita momiji
Chigirishi aki wa / ubume narikeri
Heavenly feather robe airing in the hot season
Shell discarded 1:141 in Yoshino mountains strumming koto
Wind through the leaves blows the bamboo flute
His hermitage 1:142 among pines and cedars outside Kyoto
実土用なり / あまの羽衣
うつせみも / 吉野の山に / 琴弾きて
青嵐ふく / ひとよぎりふく
松杉の / 木の間の庵 / 京ばなれ
Geni doyō nari / ama no hane-goromo
Utsusemi mo / yoshino no yama ni/ koto hikite
Ao arashi fuku / hitoyogiri fuku
Matsu sugi no / ki no ma no an / kyō-banare
Family relationships 1: 147 are difficult to escape
In this world when there are daimyo are merchants too
The willow is green 1: 147 credit pulls you in
親類分は / のがれがたしや
世の中よ / 大名あれば / 町人あり
柳は緑 / かけは取りがち
Shinseki bun wa / nogare-gatashi ya
Yo no naka yo / daimyou areba / tojin ari
Yanagi wa midori / kake wa tori-gachi
That night Mount Fuji 1:155 with Mount Tray-on-legs
Plane shavings lit by pine torch, burst into flames
その夜の富士に / 足打の山
かんな屑 /だいまつはつと / ふりたてて
Sono ya no fuji ni / ashi uchi no yama
Kanna kuzu / taimatsu hatsu to / furitatete
Village showers bisexuals go crazy either way
People die for love 1:157 the wind makes a sound
Water flowing on sleeves cannot quench the great fire
村時雨 衆道ぐるひの 二道に
人死の恋風さはぐなり
大火事を袖行く水に ふせぎかね
Mura shigure / shudō-gurui no / futa michi ni
Hitojini no koi / kaze sawagu nari
Ou kaji wo / sode yuku mizu ni / fusegikane
Benevelence from above 1: 164 reduces cost of rice
慈悲はかみより/さがる米の値
Jihi wa kami yori / sagaru kome no ne
Well, that’s that! 1:187 yesterday has passed globefish soup
Noticing the coldness to the tip of my toes
あら何とも /なやきのふは過ぎて / 河豚汁
寒さ しさつて /足 の 先 まで
Ara nani to mo / na ya kinou wa sugite / fuguto-jiru
Samusa shisatte / ashi no saki made
After several cups of wine . . . sadly past sunset
The moon as long ago 1:197 old friends now granddads
一ニ献 / 跡はさびしく /くれすぎて
月はむかしの / 親仁友達
Ichi ni kon / ato ha sabishiku / kure sugite
Tsuki wa mukashi no / oyaji tomodachi
Are you calling for a horse to borrow? ho-toto-GI-su
Woods in morning shade 1: 207 aren’t you really a fox?
飛乗の / 馬からからふと / 時鳥
森の朝影 / 狐ではないか
Tobinori no /uma kara karau / hototogisu
Mori no asa kage / kitsune de wa nai ka
Ragged and tattered 1:210 the goddess works at night as maple leaves fall
In smoke from the lantern she appears as the Moon
つづれとや / 仙女の夜なべ / 散紅葉
瓦灯 の 煙 に / 俤 の 月
Tsuzure to ya / sennyo no yonabe / chiru momiji
Gatou no kemuri ni / omokage no tsuki
From green face 1: 223 of laughing mountain Spring is seen
Earthenware cascade drink all you can drink Voices rising in a storm on the waves a tour boat
Wild geese! Plovers! 1: 224 these fools are friends
青いつら / 笑山より /春 見えて
かはらけの瀧の / めばのむほど
声がたつ/ 嵐に波の / 遊山舟
雁よ千鳥よ / あはう友達
Aoi tsura / warau yama yori / haru miete
Kawarake no tatsu no meba nomu hodo
Koe ga tatsu / arashi ni nami no / yusanbune
Kari yo chidori yo / ohou tomodachi
Mother of a lost child 1:234 is your pelvis upset?
迷ひ子の母 腰がぬけたか
Mayoi go no haha / koshi ga nuketa ka
Nine year old 1:238 high priest’s high spirits last the autumn
Juusai no / oshō no uwaki / aki fukete
十歳の / 和向の 上気 / 秋 更けて
Young guys are drawn to 1:239 waves of doorway curtain
Bloated faces drowned in the watery pool of love
わかいものよる / のうれんの波
恋の渕 / 水におぼるる /人相有
Wakai mono yoru / nōren no nami
Koi no fuchi / mizu ni oboruru / ninsō ari
From one thousand 1: 247 verses to ten trillion at tip of nose
千句より / 十万億も / 鼻の先
Senku yori / juu man oku mo / hana no saki
The traveller’s greasy smell on the pillow so disgusting!
Sardines are roasted by 1:253 inconstancy of their vows
旅 枕 油 くさきや / 嫌うらん
鰯 で かりの / 契り やかるる
Tabi makura / abura kusasa ya / kirauran
Iwashi de kari no / chigiri yakaruru
In the verses of other poets, there is too much making and the heart’s immediacy is lost. What is made from the heart is good; the product of words shall not be prefered.
或る人の句は、作に過ぎて心の直ぐを失ふなり。
心の作はよし、詞の作は好むべからず。
Aru hito no ku wa, saku ni sugite kokoro no massagu o ushinau nari.
Kokoro no saku wa yoshi, kotoba no saku wa konomu bekarazu.
Father a minister of state his wealth gone in spring 1: 270
Personal items and a twelve layer robe of faint mist
父大臣の / かねつぶす春
手道具や / 十二一重の /薄霞
Chichi daijin no / kane tsubusu haru
Temichi gu ya / juuni hitoe no / usu-gasumi
Weak in love 1:282 the royal princess’s royal words
I plead for your help in finding a person or group to take over my 3000 pages of Basho material, to edit and improve the presentation, to receive all royalties from sales, to spread Basho’s wisdom worldwide and preserve for future generations.
The only substantial
collection in English
of Basho's renku, tanka,
letters and spoken word
along with his haiku, travel
journals, and essays.
The only poet in old-time
literature who paid attention with praise
to ordinary women, children, and teenagers
in hundreds of poems
Hundreds upon hundreds of Basho works
(mostly renku)about women, children,
teenagers, friendship, compassion, love.
These are resources we can use to better
understand ourselves and humanity.
Interesting and heartfelt
(not scholarly and boring)
for anyone concerned with
humanity.
“An astonishing range of
social subject matter and
compassionate intuition”
"The primordial power
of the feminine emanating
from Basho's poetry"
Hopeful, life-affirming
messages from one of
the greatest minds ever.
Through his letters,
we travel through his mind
and discover Basho's
gentleness and humanity.
I plead for your help in
finding a person or group
to take over my 3000 pages of Basho material,
to edit and improve the material, to receive 100%
of royalties, to spread Basho’s wisdom worldwide
and preserve for future generations.
Quotations from Basho Prose
The days and months are
guests passing through eternity.
The years that go by
also are travelers.
The mountains in silence
nurture the spirit;
the water with movement
calms the emotions.
All the more joyful,
all the more caring
Seek not the traces
of the ancients;
seek rather the
places they sought.
