Tasting Vintage Haiku - Hoshino Tsubaki

Hoshino Tsubaki (1930- )

One of the major missions of The World Haiku Club is to "find" and help new talent realise him-/herself to his/her full potential. Using wine jargon, this could be called "En Primeur" in haiku.

We also enjoy at WHC, good wines, especially wines of good vintage. "Tasting Vintage Haiku" is a feature where excellent vintage haiku from well-known vineyards may be sampled.

In this issue, we will taste some superb vintage haiku from Tsubaki Hoshino of Kamakura, Japan. You can read more about Hoshino Tsubaki in two articles in the feature, "This is Your Haiku Life".

tenkai to kono yo wo musubu kumo no ito

linking heaven
and this world,
a spider's filament

(English version by ST)

tenkai=heaven, paradise, to=and, kono=this, yo=world, wo=object particle, musubu=to link, combine, kumo=spider, no=possessive particle, ito=thread, string, line, but here it is spider’s silk

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sado mie-te oo-unabara no chijitsu kana

Sado Isle in view
day stretches to an end
on the vast sea

(English version by ST & DWB)

sado=Sado Island, north of Niigata; mie-te=has come in view; oo-unabara=a big ocean; chijitsu=lenthening day, sunset getting later, a spring kigo; kana=kireji, exclamation (Tsubaki is obviously conscious of Basho's haiku: araumi ya Sado ni yokotau ama no kawa, or rough sea/ over Sado Island/ milky way)

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shin-ryo no nami-ma ni hana-tsu yotsude-ami

fresh coolness
released between waves
a four-cornered fishnet

(English version by ST & DWB)

shin-ryo=new or fresh cool, meaning it has become cool, an autumn kigo, "suzushi" (ryo without shin=new or fresh) would be a summer kigo; no=possessive particle; nami-ma=between waves (of the sea); ni=to, towards; hana-tsu=old form of hana-su, to release, throw; yotsude-ami=four-cornered (fishing) net

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yuu-Fuji ni eda sashi-nobe-te kaeri-bana

toward "evening Fuji"
a branch extends...
out-of-season blooms

(English version by ST & DWB)

yuu=evening; Fuji=Mount Fuji, ni=towards, to; eda=branch; sashi-nobete/sashi-noberu=extend, stretch; kaeri-bana=flower trees blooming again in winter, such as cherry, plum, pear etc., a winter kigo

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risshun ya tuski no usagi wa mimi tate-te

spring has sprung!
the rabbit-in-the-moon's
ears stand straight up

(English version by ST & DWB)

risshunn=start of spring; ya=kireji, emphasis; tsuki=moon; no=possessive particle; usagi=rabbit or hare; mimi=ear; tate-te/tate-ru=to stand, erect, raise, straighten

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haku-hyo no naka yori kusa no tachi-agaru

out of
the thin ice
grasses rise

(English version by ST)

haku=thin; hyo=ice; no=possessive particle; naka=inside; yori=from; kusa=grass(es); no=subject particle; tachi-agaru=stand up, rise

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tarappu wo ori so-shun no Iyo no tsuchi

airplane ramp;
as I descend, the early spring
of Iyo's earth

(English version by ST & DWB)

tarappu=gangway ladder; wo=object particle; ori=to descend, go down, walk down; soshun=early spring; no=possessive particle; Iyo=old name for Ehime Prefecture whose capital is Matsuyama; no=possessive particle; tsuchi=ground, earth

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shizuku goto kesa no tsubaki wo sonae keri

raindrops and all
I have offered camellia flowers
picked this morning

(English version by ST)

shizuku=drop, dripples of water, trickle; goto=together with, all included; kesa=this morning; no=possessive particle; tsubaki=camellia; wo=object particle; sonae/sonaeru=to offer (to a god), make an offering, dedicate; keri=adverb for some completed action, past or present/past perfect

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atarashiki megane ni haru no sanga ari

a new pair
of eyeglasses in spring,
these mountains and rivers

(English version by ST & DWB)

atarashiki=new; megane=a pair of eyeglasses; ni=in, at etc; haru=spring; no=possessive; sanga=mountains and rivers; ari=there exist

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todai no tsuke-ba ugoki-nu haru no yami

the lighthouse,
being lit, has started to move
spring night-shadows

(English version by ST & DWB)

todai=lighthouse; no=possessive particle; tsuke-ba=if or when (it is) lit, or switched on; ugoki-nu=moved, has started to move; haru=spring; no=possessive particle; yami=darkness, the shadows of night

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kageroe-ba too-yama hikuku nari-ni-keri

heat waves shimmering
the distant mountains
have become lower

(English version by ST & DWB)

kagero=filament of air, shimmering of heated air, air-waving with heat; kageroe-ba=if or when such kagero occurs; too-yama= distant mountains; hikuku/hikui=low, nari-ni-keri=have become, or became

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cho-cho ni ookiku mon no aite ori

for butterflies a wide open gate

(English version by ST & DWB)

cho-cho=butterfly; ni=to, for; ookiku/ookii=big, large, wide; mon=gate; no=possessive particle; aite/aku=open; ori=be in the state of

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tetsu-bo no ikkai-ten no hana no sora

exercise bar --
with one turn, the sky
of cherry blossom

(English version by ST & DWB)

tetsu-bo=iron exercise bar; no=possessive particle; ikkai-ten=one turn, one round; no=possessive particle; hana=cherry blossom, no=possessive particle; sora=sky

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ajisai no parii ni sake-ba, pari no iro

hydrangea,
when flowering in Paris,
Paris-coloured

(English version by ST & DWB)

ajisai=hydrangea; no=subject particle; parii=Paris; sake-ba=if or when (it) flowers; pari=Paris; no=possessive particle; iro=colour

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kyo yori wa hitori no zen yo tsuyu-tomoshi

from this day,
my meals alone under this light --
rainy season

(English version by ST & DWB)

kyo=today; yori=from; wa=subject particle; hitori=alone, single; no=possessive particle; zen=meal; yo=exclamation particle; tsuyu=rainy season; tomoshi=light [I assume Tsubaki is talking about the death of her husband]

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otto tooku te no todoka-zaru tsuyu no tsuki

my husband far away,
unreachable
rainy season moon

(English version by ST & DWB)

otto=my husband; tooku=far away; te=hand; no=subject particle; todoka-zaru=do not reach; tsuyu=rainy season; no=possessive particle; tsuki=moon

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hototogisu naku kata no mado ake-te oku

mountain cuckoo
where singing is heard,
a window left open

(English version by ST & DWB)

hototogisu=cuckoo; naku=cry, sing; kata=direction; no=possessive particle; ake-te/akeru=open; oku=to keep, leave

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tsuyu fukaki koto mo hotoke no kokoro kana

long rainy season...
this must also be
Buddha's will

(English version by ST & DWB)

tsuyu=rainy season; fukaki=long in; koto=the fact that...; mo=too, also; hotoke=Buddha; no=possessive particle; kokoro=heart; kana=kireji, exclamation [Shakespeare would have said, "There is providence in the length of the rainy season"]

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aka Fuji ya umi no soko yori hi wa noboru

red Fuji...
out from the lake's bottom
sunrise

(English version by ST & DWB)

aka=red (red Fuji); ya=kireji, exclamation; umi=lake; no=possessive particle; soko=bottom; yori=from; hi=sun, wa=subject particle; noboru=rise

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chojo wa higasa wo tatamu hodo no kaze

the top --
a breeze just strong enough
to fold my parasol

(English version by ST & DWB)

chojo=peak, summit; wa=subject particle; higasa=parasol; wo=object particle; tatamu=fold; hodo=extent, degree; no=possessive particle; kaze=wind, breeze

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kyo yori wa ashita ga suki-na soda-sui

more than today
I like tomorrow --
drinking soda

(English version by ST)

kyo=today; yori=(more) than; wa=emphasis particle; asu=tomorrow; ga=subject (object) particle; suki-na=like, prefer; soda-sui=soda water

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shinobu to-wa koishiki koto yo yu-hashii

to remember
is to love...evening
on the veranda

(English version by ST & DWB)

shinobu=remember; to-wa=that..., to do...; koishiki/koishii=missing someone, loving someone; koto=thing; yo=exclamation particle; yu-hashii=sitting on the veranda in the evening

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rodai yori waga sei-shun no umi mie-te

from this balcony,
the sea of my own springtime
visible

(English version by ST & DWB)

rodai=balcony;yori=from, out of;waga=my, our, one's own;sei-shun=youth, springtime of life, adolescence;no=posessive;umi=sea, beach, seashore; mie-te=visible

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kie-te yuku hanabi ni tsuki no nokori keri

disappearing
fireworks, the moon,
a remnant left behind

(English version by ST & DWB)

kie-te=disappear, vanish; yuku=progressive, kie-te yuku=disappearing; hanabi=firework(s); ni=to, for; tsuki=moon; no=subject particle; nokori-keri=has remained, has been left behind

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shusui ni utsura-nu mirai ari-ni-keri

autumn water,
not reflecting the future
there once was

(English version by ST & DWB)

shusui=autumn water; ni=to; utsura-nu=not reflect; mirai=future; ari-ni-keri=there has been, there was

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kosumosu ni yubin-bako no kakure-taru

beneath cosmos
the postbox has been
hidden

(English version by ST & DWB)

kosumosu=cosmos flower; ni=particle; yubin-bako=letter box; no=subject particle; kakure-taru=to have got hidden, to have disappeared, hidden

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aki no ka no kaze no suki-ma ni hairi-kuru

mosquito of autumn --
in through a hole
in the wind, it comes

(English version by ST & DWB)

aki=autumn; no=possessive particle; ka=mosquito; no=possessive particle; kaze=wind; no=possessive particle; suki-ma=gap; ni=to, into; hairi-kuru=enter, come in

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mado yori-mo taka-ki susuki no naka ni sumu

higher than my windows,
the susuki grasses
where I live

(English version by ST & DWB)

mado=window; yori-mo=than; taka-ki=high(er); susuki=Japanese pampas grass, Miscanthus; no=possessive particle; naka=inside; ni=in; sumu=live

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yo-yo no tsuki Kyoshi-sensei to iru-yona

night by night,
the moon, as if being
with Master Kyoshi

(English version by ST & DWB)

yo-yo=every night, night after night; no=possessive particle; tsuki=moon; Kyoshi-sensei=Master Kyoshi; to=with; iru=be; yona=as if

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hito ugoki kiku no nioi mo ugoki-keri

people move about
chrysanthemum scent
also moved about

(English version by ST & DWB)

hito=person(s); ugoki/ugoku=to move; kiku=chrysanthemum; no=possessive particle; nioi=fragrance, perfume; mo=too, as well; ugoki-keri=has moved, moved

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kotori kite kofuku sukoshi oite-yuku

small birds come,
and leave behind a tiny bit
of happiness

(English version by ST & DWB)

kotori=little bird(s); kite=come and; kofuku=happiness; sukoshi=a little, small amount; oite-yuku=leave (something) behind

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konomi otsu koi to ai to-wa chigau mono

nuts fall
"new love" and "true love"
are two different things

(English version by ST & DWB)

konomi=nuts; otsu=to fall; koi=love as in love affair or infatuation; to=and; ai=love in a deeper sense; to-wa=particle; chigau=differ; mono=thing, or emphasis

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nabe ni-tatsu shun to hakusai hori-komu

the pot begins to boil...
swhoosh! I throw in chopped
Chinese cabbage

(English version by ST & DWB)

nabe=pot; ni-tatsu=begin to boil; shun to=onomatopaea; hakusai=Chinese cabbage; hori-komu=throw in, hurl, toss in

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koi-meku ya yukimi-shoji wo shime-te yori

premonition of love...
the moment I slid shut
the snow viewing door

(English version by ST)

koi-meku=excited with love, falling in love, premonition of love; ya=kireji, exclamation; yukimi-shoji=shoji sliding door for viewing snow; wo=object particle; shimete-yori=the moment (the shoji sliding door is closed)

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tebukuro ni daiyamondo no yubi shizu-me

putting on gloves,
I bury the finger
with the diamond

(English version by ST & DWB)

tebukuro=a pair of gloves; ni=in; daiyamondo=diamond; no=possessive particle; yubi=finger(s); shizume/shuzumu=to sink, bury

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mamori tsugu itto no ari kozo-kotoshi

a legacy to pass on:
this single light,
last year, this year

(English version by ST & DWB)

mamori/mamoru=to keep, preserve, protect; tsugu=to succeed to; (mamori-tsugu= a compound verb, meaning preserve and hand down from generation to generation, (here Tsubaki is obviously talking about Kyoshi's tradition); itto=a single light; no=subject particle; ari=old form of aru to mean exist, there is; kozo-kotoshi=impossible to translate, it means simply last year this year but has become a kigo of the New Year for one to reflect on the year which has just passed and look up for the coming year which has just broken

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hatsu-tabi wa sheekusupia no nemuru kuni

my first trip of the year --
to the country where
Shakespeare sleeps

(English version by ST)

hatsu-tabi=the first journey in the New Year; wa=subject particle; sheekusupia=Shakespeare; no=subject particle; nemuru=to sleep, here it means to be buried, final resting place; kuni=country

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Read: Hoshino Tsubaki: A Shining Example of Excellence and Modesty by Susumu Takiguchi

Read: Sea Grass and Wild Flowers (Meeting Hoshino Tsubaki, Hoshino Takashi and Tamamo) by D.W. Bender