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VI. From the Literature:  Japanese Death Poems
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From: deans12@aol.com

The book "JAPANESE DEATH POEMS Written by Zen Monks and Haiku
Poets on the Verge of Death." was compiled by Yoel Hoffmann.
Publisher, Charles E.  Tuttle Company, Inc..  ISBN 0-8048 1505-4.
Library of Congress Catalog Card No.  85-52347.  Cost $ 17.50.  I
purchased it from the University Bookstore, Seattle, Washington.
Phone number (206) 634-3400.  Sorry I don't have the address but
they are wonderful to deal with over the phone.

BASHO
Died on the twelfth day of the tenth month 1694 at the age of fifty-one.

On a journey, ill:                     Tabi ni yande
my dream goes wandering       yume wa kareno o
over withered fields.                 kakemeguru


BUSON
Died on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, 1783 at the age of
sixty-eight

Of late the nights                      Shiraume ni
are dawning                             akaru yo bakari to
plum-blossom white.                  narinikeri


CHOGO
Died on the third day of the ninth month, 1806 at the age of forty-five

I long for people -                     Hito koishi
then again I loathe them:           hito mutsukashishi
end of autumn.                         aki no kure


CHORI
Died on the nineteenth day of the tenth month, 1778 at the age of
thirty-nine

Leaves never fall                       Uso ni chiru
in vain - from all around             ha mo nashi yomo no
bells tolling.                               kane no koe


ISSA
Died on the nineteenth day of the eleventh month, 1827 at the age of
sixty-five
                                                _
What matter if I live on -             A mama yo
a tortoise lives                            ikite mo kame no
a hundred times as long.             hyaku-bu ichi

*******

From one basin                          Tarai kara
to another -                                 tarai ni utsuru
stuff and nonsense.                     chimpunkan

note:  "Accounts of Issa's death do not indicate that he wrote a death poem;
these two poems are held to be his death poems by popular tradition."


KAEN
Died on the thirteenth day of the ninth month, 1772 at the age of
seventy-five

A back-yard chrysanthemum       Uragiku ya
looked at the setting sun               yuhi ni mukai
and faded.                                  shibominuru


OKANO KIN'EMON KANEHIDE
Died on the fourth day of the second month, 1703 at the age of twenty-four

Over the fields of                         Sono nioi
last night's snow -                        yuki no ashita no
plum fragrance.                           noume kana



SHIKI
Died on the nineteenth day of September, 1902 at the age of thirty-six

The loofah blooms and                 Hechima saite
I, full of phlegm,                           tan no tsumarishi
become a Buddha.                       hotoke kana

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