Year
Translation
The spring has past
And the year has gone—
Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve!
Original Japanese
春や来し年や行きけん小晦日
Pronunciation
Haru ya koshi
Toshi ya yuki-ken
Ko-tsugomori
Literal
Spring has past
Year has gone
Day before New Year’s Eve
Commentary
According to Oseko’s Basho’s Haiku Vol. 2, this haiku is a parody of similar tanka found in Kokin Waka-Shu and Tales of Ise.
Original Japanese | Pronunciation | Literal | My Translation |
From Kokin Waka-Shu | |||
年の内に 春は来にけり 一とせを 去年とや言はむ 今年とや言はむ | Toshi no uchi ni Haru ha ki ni keri Hito tose wo Kozo to ya i wa-n Kotoshi to ya i wa-n | Within the year Spring has come In one year it is Last year called? This year called? | Within the year, Spring has come! During this time, Has last year finished, Or this year begun? |
From Tales of Ise | |||
君や来し 我や行きけん 思ほえず 夢か現か 寝てか覚めてか | Kimi ya koshi Ware ya yuki-ken Omo ho-e-zu Yume ka utsutsu ka Nete ka same-te ka | You come I go? I do not remember Dream or reality? Sleeping or waking? | Did you come, Or did I go? —I do not remember. Was it dream or reality, Sleeping or waking? |