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- First Things, New Things 初物 hatsumono -
"First things" were important to the haikai poets of the Edo period, since they carried a lot of "wabi and sabi" with their limited appearance only once in a year.
Many "First things" belong to the season of the first lunar month, now mostly the New Year.
But
There are many other New and First activities and things throughout the year.
First things often start with HATSU ...
or end in .... SOME / ZOME.
There is also .... HAJIME for the first time
. WKD : First Things, New Things .
The first katsuo skipjack of the season was one of the most expensive delicacies in Edo.
Even Basho wrote a hokku about it.
目に青葉 山ほととぎす初かつお
me ni aoba yama hototogisu hatsu katsuo
green leaves to look at
hototogisu in the mountains
first Katsuo skipjack
Yamaguchi Sodoo 山口素堂 Sodo
(1642 - 1716)
He was a disciple of Basho
under construction
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- - - - - hatsu 初 - - - - -
千鳥立ち更け行く初夜の日枝颪
. chidori tachi fuke-yuku shoya no hieoroshi .
shoya (soya) 初夜 , lit. "first night", refers to the "double-hour of the dog" 戌の刻, now about 9 in the evening.
It can also mean the "first night" of a newly-wedded couple.
初秋や畳みながらの蚊屋の夜着
. hatsu aki ya tataminagara no kaya no yogi .
first sign of autumn.
Basho uses his folded mosquito net as a blanket.
初秋や海も青田の一みどり
. hatsu aki ya umi mo aota mo hito midori .
(autumn) autumn begins. the sea and the fields one shade of green
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- - - - - There is a proverb
hatusmono nanajuu gonichi 初物75日 / "初物七十五日"
"If you eat a "first thing",
your life will be prolonged for 75 days.
初花に命七十五年ほど
hatsu hana ni inochi nanajuu gonen hodo
hatsu hana ni / inochi shichi jū / go nen hodo
from these first blossoms
I will gain at least
seventy-five years
Written in 延宝6年, Basho age 35
Basho must be looking at some really beautiful cherry blossoms.
Or maybe he is joking about the relationship with the young ladies ?
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初真桑四つにや断たん輪に切らん
. hatsu makuwa yotsu ni ya tatan wa ni kiran .
hatsu makuwa yotsu no ya kiran wa ni kiran
(summer) first Makuwa melon. cut it in quarters? or round slices?
初時雨猿も小蓑を欲しげなり
. hatsu shigure saru mo komino o hoshige nari .
(winter) winter drizzle, monkey, straw coat. - first from Sarumino 猿蓑
初時雨初の字を我が時雨哉
. hatsu shigure hatsu no ji o waga shigure kana .
(winter) first winter drizzle. the character "first".
初霜や菊冷え初むる腰の綿
. hatsu shimo ya kiku hie somuru koshi no wata .
(autumn) chrysanthemums. first frost. cotton wrapper around my hip
初茸やまだ日数経ぬ秋の露
. hatsutake ya mada hikazu henu aki no tsuyu .
(autumn) first mushrooms. few days have passed. dew in autumn
初午に狐の剃りし頭哉
. hatsu-uma ni kitsune no sorishi atama kana .
(New Year) First Day of the Horse. a fox shaved your head
for Zekitsu 是橘
- - - - - - - - - - hatsu yuki, hatsuyuki 初雪 first snow - - - - -
初雪に兎の皮の髭作れ
. hatsu yuki ni usagi no kawa no hige tsukure .
(winter) first snow. rabbit, fur. beard
初雪や聖小僧の笈の色
. hatsuyuki ya hijiri kozoo no oi no iro .
(winter) first snow. mendicant monk. color of his backpack
初雪やいつ大仏の柱立て
. hatsu yuki ya itsu Daibutsu no hashira date .
(winter) first snow. Daibutsu temple, Nara. erect new columns
初雪や懸けかかりたる橋の上
. hatsu yuki ya kakekakaritaru hashi no ue .
(winter) first snow. on the bridge under construction - The Great Bridge of Fukagawa 深川大橋
初雪や幸ひ庵にまかりある
. hatsu yuki ya saiwai an ni makariaru .
(winter) first snow. luckily. I am in my own hut.
初雪や水仙の葉のたわむまで
. hatsuyuki ya suisen no ha no tawamu made .
(winter) first snow. enough to bend the daffodils
初桜折しも今日はよき日なり
. hatsuzakura orishi mo kyoo wa yoki hi nari .
(spring) first cherry blossom. today is a good day
at Iga Ueno 伊賀上野, temple Yakushi-Ji
蓬莱に聞かばや伊勢の初便り
. hoorai ni kikabaya Ise no hatsudayori .
hōrai ni / kikabaya Ise no / hatsu dayori
(New Year) Horai decoration and first news. I would like to hear.
鎌倉を生きて出でけん初鰹
. Kamakura o ikite ideken hatsugatsuo .
(summer) first katsuo skipjack bonito. town of Kamakura. to be alive
顔に似ぬ発句も出でよ初桜
. kao ni ninu hokku mo ideyo hatsu zakura .
(spring) first cherry blossoms, my face, Hokku
この梅に牛も初音と鳴きつべし
. kono ume ni ushi mo hatsune to nakitsu beshi .
(spring) plum blossoms. an oxen might shout his first moo
今日ばかり人も年寄れ初時雨
. kyoo bakari hito mo toshiyore hatsushigure .
(winter) first winter drizzle. just today. growing older.
めづらしや山を出羽の初茄子
. mezurashi ya yama o Dewa no hatsu nasubi .
(summer) Minden eggplants from Dewa, How special!
咲き乱す桃の中より初桜
. saki midasu momo no naka yori hatsu-zakura / hatsuzakura .
(spring) first cherry blossoms. peach blossoms everywhere.
芹焼きや裾輪の田井の初氷
. seriyaki ya susowa no ta-i no hatsu goori . seri yaki ya
(winter) first ice. dropwort (Japanese parsley). irrigation pond
初春まづ酒に梅売る匂ひかな
. shoshun mazu sake ni ume uru nioi kana .
New Year, sake and plum blossoms
旅人と我が名呼ばれん初時雨
. . . . . tabibito to waga na yobaren hatsu shigure .
(winter) first winter drizzle. traveller. my name.
柳行李片荷は涼し初真桑
. yanagigoori katani wa suzushi hatsu makuwa .
(summer) first melon. wicker box luggage. coolness
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- - - - - hajime 初め, はじめ - - - - -
風流の初めや奥の田植歌
. fuuryuu no hajime ya Oku no taue uta .
(summer) planting rice in the paddies, Oku, furyu-the elegant, acomplished
花を宿に始め終りや二十日ほど
. hana no yado ni hajime owari ya hatsuka hodo .
(spring) cherry blossoms. from beginning to end about 20 days
十六夜はわづかに闇の初め哉
. izayoi wa wazuka ni yami no hajime kana .
(autumn) sixteenth night moon. beginning of darkness
大津絵の筆のはじめは何仏
. Ootsu e no fude no hajime wa nani botoke .
(New Year) first use of the brush. Otsu-e paintings. Buddha image
暫時は滝に籠るや夏の初め
. shibaraku wa taki ni komoru ya ge no hajime .
(summer) waterfall. summer retreat. for some time
七夕や秋を定むる夜のはじめ
. Tanabata ya aki o sadamuru yo no hajime .
(autumn) Tanabata star festival. now autumn has really come
at the home of Yadoo 野童 Yado in Kyoto
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- - - - - some そめ - - - - -
新藁の出初めて早き時雨哉
. shinwara no desomete hayaki shigure kana .
new straw is already coming out
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This hokku includes the character of HATSU 初,
but in the old spelling of Hase長谷, Hatsuse 初瀬, a place and temple near Nara.
うかれける人や初瀬の山桜
. ukarekeru hito ya Hatsuse no yamazakura .
ukare-keru hito ya Hatsuse no yama-zakura
(spring) mountain cherry blossoms. people wander around at Hase temple
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. WKD : First Things, New Things .
. Cultural Keywords used by Basho .
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