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- moon
- He says he feels as though he had actually climbed into the sky where the sun and moon follow their paths.
- sky
- Basho is at one with the cosmos here; he has the sun going down on one side
and the moon coming up on the other. He goes beyond Buddhism here to some
pre-Buddhist mountain worship. Here his night in the clouds recalls the
mountain pass and Matsushima; it is the same sort of experience but with a
different quality than the others. They are all different. They are all
uncomfortable, sleepless nights, but one deals with beauty, one with
discomfort, and one with religious solemnity.
- swordsmith
- This apparently refers to a swordsmith who had a forge here around 1200 and
who took the name of the mountain. Later, over the years, a number of
swordsmiths have used that name and worked here. The swordmakers not only
tmeper their swords in the water, they purify themselves in this sacred
water before making their swords.
- Ryosen
- Ryosen Spring is mentioned in the Shih Chi as a place where
the finest swords are tempered."
- Kansho
- Kansho and Bakuya were a Chinese husband and wife who made two famous swords
which took their names. Here Basho is inviting us to remember something far
separated from him in both time and space. The message is that true art
will endure. If you bring your deepest devotion to it, your art will be
known and will endure.
- Gyoson
- Gyoson was a poet of the late Heian period. He wrote the poem found in
Kinyoshu #556:
Omine nite omohi mo kakezu sakura no hana no sakitarikeru wo
miteyomeru:
Morotomo ni/ aware to Omohe/ Yamasakura/ hana yori hoka ni/
shiru hito mo nashi.
(Completely pathetic, I feel, the mountain cherry,
unknown to people except for its blossoms).
- Mt. Haguro
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This poem has been interpreted in two ways - one to emphasize the darkness of
Mount Haguro and the faint light of the moon. The other emphasizes the pale
light of the moon which highlights the chilliness of the scene.
- Mt. Gassan
- In English it is hard to see how this poem works. Instead of "columns of
clouds" it is "Kumo no mine" which contrasts the "Tsuki no yama". So we
have day and night, cloud and moon, peak and mountain, based on the idea of
Mount Gassan as Tsuki no yama. Which of these combinations is real? Is it
a dream or is it reality?
- reticent tears
- Basho may be weeping tears of gratitude for having the opportunity to
drench himself in the secrets of secrets of sacred Mount Yudono.
- Mt. Yudono
- At Yudono pilgrims leave all their money, emblematic of their willingness to
give up worldly things for the sake of religion. Thus many coins are offered and they are scattered on the way leading to the shrine. Sora weeps tears of emotion at this sight.
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