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Basho and his Narrow Road to the Deep North

From Back Roads to Far Towns
by Cid Corman and Kamaike Susume, Grossman Publishers, 1968.

Station 38 - Daishoji

Stayed just outside the castle town of Daishoji at the Zenshoji. Still in Kaga country. Sora at this temple only last night and left here:

all night long
hearing fall winds
the mountain behind.

A single night feels like a thousand li. I heard fall winds too, resting in temple dormitory, and towards daybreak voices chanting sutras clearer, gongs, and went to refectory. Today had to be off into Echizen country and with that in mind hurrying from the temple, young priests came hurrying down the steps after me with paper and ink-slab. At that moment willows in the yard were shedding leaves:

sweeping the yard
let me leave the temple
the willow's failings.

Sandals already on, jotted it hastily down for them.

(Aug 10?) At boundary of Echizen, inlet of Yoshizaki, hired a boat there for the pines of Shiogoshi.

all night long
storm-fraught waves
moon dripping
Shiogoshi's pines

In this one poem are the various feelings of the place expressed. To add to it would be just pointing one finger too many.


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