There's an old saying about how spring makes us feel young. Might it also make us feel like fools? Let's see what Issa has to say about that...

^{Old Man and Dog by Shibata Zeshin}

I featured this haiku a few weeks ago in my Today in Japan for 29 Feb post, but I wanted to take a second look at it. Most of you in Blockchain Poets probably didn't read that post anyway, so this is new to you.

Issa wrote this at the beginning of his 60th year, his kanreki year, which is a special year in Japan due to being the year that return to the same zodiac symbol of your birth. Everyone knows of the twelve animals of the Asian zodiac, but the five elements that go with it are less well-known. Every year's animal also has one of five elements; altogether this makes a cycle of 60 years.

Although today making it to one's kanreki year isn't anything special, back in the day it would have been a little more rare and exceptional. In his diary before this haiku, Issa was musing about why he was able to live so long despite his difficult childhood. He concluded that it was because of his lack of talent. This was followed by the haiku above.

Self-mockery is not an uncommon thing for haiku poets. Issa especially was often very self-deprecating. This was in part because he was a very serious follower of Pure Land Buddhism, a faith that encouraged people to acknowledge our own follies. Moreover, Pure Land teaches that this world is corrupt and fallen; Issa was very devout and believed the teachings, but he also kept a twinkle in his eye and used it as a playful source of humor.

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. He blogs here and at laspina.org. Write him on Twitter or Mastodon.

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