みじか夜や足跡浅き由比ヶ浜 蕪村
mijika yo ya ashiato asaki yui-ga-hama
short summer night
faint footprints on the sand
Yui-ga-hama
—Buson
(trans. David LaSpina[1])
(Print by Arai Yoshimura)
The last line—Yui-ga-hama—refers to a beach in Kamakura. I have read that at this beach the hot spring water wells up through the sand, making walking on the beach a very pleasant and relaxing experience.
This is a simple verse, with him simply painting the picture of a peaceful night walking on the beach. He is also making a subtle Buddhist comment on the transience of life and legacy: like the footprints, we will also grow faint soon enough and eventually fade away.
Luckily for us, his faint footprints haven't yet vanished from our world.
❦
 | David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. |
That is, me! If you like this translation, feel free to use it. Just credit me. Also link here if you can. ↩