Matsuo Bashō

“... the sparrow’s chirp, the crow’s caw, the willow’s green, the cherry blossom’s pink, are the truth of the Zen master and the essence of Basho's style.”

“The fact that Saigyō composed the poem that begins, "I shall be unhappy without loneliness," shows that he made loneliness his master. He also wrote:In the mountain villagewho are you calling, yobuko-bird?I thought you lived alone.”

“Mount Fuji, towering up from the earth, supporting the firmament so high above, seems to rend open the clouds that the sun and moon might shine through. Viewed from any position, the mountain seemingly presents its finest vista, infinitely changing. The poet is at a loss for suitable verses; the scholar finds his words lacking; the painter, throwing down his brushes, scurries off. Even if by chance an immortal should descend from Mount Miǎogūyè, would he be able to compose suitable verses, or paint a faithful picture?”

“It was a rainy day when I crossed over the Hakone Barrier, and all the mountains were veiled in clouds.”

“Even if you have three or four extra syllables—or as many as five or seven—you need not worry as long as the verse sounds right.”

“I feel lonely as I gaze at the moon. I feel lonely as I think about myself, and I feel lonely as I ponder upon this wretched life of mine. I want to cry out that I am lonely, but no one asks me how I feel.”

“やがて死ぬけしきは見えず蝉の声yagate shinukeshiki wa miezusemi no koe”