There is some thought that this might be Issa's death poem, but to the best of my knowledge researchers are divided on that idea. At any rate, this is one of Issa's more playful verses, talking to his insect friends. Issa's kindness towards all the creatures in nature is one of the reasons for his enduring popularity in Japan.

The kigo here is kirigirisu, grasshopper. It is a kigo for early autumn, not winter (as now we are into winter according to the Japanese almanac, see my recent Microseasons post) but since by Western reckoning we are still in autumn, I figure we are good. In Bashō's day the word actually meant cricket, or today's kōrogi, but by the time of Issa it had switched to being used for grasshoppers.

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.

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1. That is, me! If you like this translation, feel free to use it. Just credit me. Also link here if you can. ↩