Matsuo Basho's Haiku

346 Pages·2010·0.62 MB·English

Basho¯’s Haiku

Basho¯’s Haiku
Selected Poems by Matsuo Basho¯
Matsuo Basho¯
Translated by, annotated,
and with an Introduction by
David Landis Barnhill
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK PRESS
Published by
State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2004 State University of New York
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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Matsuo Basho¯,1644–1694.
[Poems. English. Selections]
Basho¯’s haiku : selected poems by Matsuo Basho¯ / translated by
David Landis Barnhill.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7914-6165-3 — 0-7914-6166-1
1. Haiku—Translations into English. 2. Japanese poetry—Edo
period, 1600–1868—Translations into English. I. Barnhill, David
Landis. II. Title.
PL794.4.A227 2004
891.6’132—dc22
2004005954
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
for Phyllis Jean Schuit
spruce fir trail
up through endless mist
into White Pass
sky

C o n t e n t s
Preface ix
Selected Chronology of the Life of Matsuo Basho¯ xi
Introduction: The Haiku Poetry of Matsuo Basho¯ 1
Translation of the Hokku 19
Notes 155
Major Nature Images in Basho¯’s Hokku 269
Glossary 279
Bibliography 283
Index to Basho¯’s Hokku in Translation 287
Index to Basho¯’s Hokku in Japanese 311
Index of Names 329
vii

P r e f a c e
“You know, Basho¯ is almost too appealing.” I remember this
remark, made quietly, offhand, during a graduate seminar on
haiku poetry. I’m not sure the other student even noticed the
comment, but it spoke volumes not only about the scholar, but
about Basho¯’s impact on Japanese culture and now our own. It
was about one hundred years ago that Basho¯ became known in
the West through the translations of Basil Hill Chamberlain
and, more importantly, the influence on the poet Ezra Pound.
That influence expanded in midcentury, with R. H. Blyth’s volu-
minous and high quality translations of haiku and the surge of
American interest in Japanese culture following World War II.
The last fifty years has seen increasing interest in Basho¯ among
scholars, poets, nature writers, and environmental philosophers.
In this translation of Basho¯’s haiku and the accompanying
volume, Basho¯’s Journey: The Literary Prose of Matsuo Basho¯,
I offer a collection of his poetry and prose that I hope will help
extend that interest and his influence even further. It has been
decades in the making, with a numerous people who have
impacted it in a variety of ways. Professor Lee Yearley first
introduced me to East Asian culture, the study of religion, and
the intellectual life. Poets Kenneth Rexroth and Gary Snyder
intensified my interest while enriching my perspective. Profes-
sors Edwin Good and Susan Matisoff were instrumental to my
graduate work on Basho¯, as was Makoto Ueda, whose scholar-
ship on Basho¯ has been extraordinarily important. Friends Scott,
Jerry, Phil, Zack, and Bill helped ensure the trip would be a long
and strange one. My wife, enduring my solitary character and
ix