2014-12-14

Furuike no

I can't believe I never heard these two great senryū before.

古池のそばで芭蕉はびくりする
furuike no/ soba de Bashō wa/ bikuri suru
Old pond—/ nearby, Bashō/ startled, jumps
芭蕉翁ぽちゃんといふと立止り
Bashō-ō/ pochan to iu to/ tachidomari
Bashō/ hearing a splash/ pauses

Both are quoted in Hayashi Eriko 林えり子's Ikiteiru Edo-kotoba 生きている江戸ことば ("Living Edo-ese") (Shūeisha 2000, p67)

(My first impulse was to translate Bashō-ō 芭蕉翁 as "Old Bashō", but (a) that might imply a parallel with furuike which isn't there at all, and (b) -ō 翁 is actually a respectful way of addressing an aged man, while "Old X" in English is rustically affectionate at best.)

Popularity factor: 2

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languagehat:

The venerable Basho?

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Matt:

I like it! It even works in an appropriately culty way when his disciples just call him 翁: "Well, the Venerable said such-and-such..."

Aime la vérité, mais pardonne à l'erreur

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