Matsuo Bashō (松尾 芭蕉;Japanese pronunciation:[ma.tsɯ.o(|)ba.ɕoː],[1] 1644 – November 28, 1694);[2] bornMatsuo Kinsaku (松尾 金作), later known asMatsuo Chūemon Munefusa (松尾 忠右衛門 宗房)[3] was the most famous Japanese poet of theEdo period. During his lifetime, Bashō was recognized for his works in the collaborativehaikai no renga form; today, after centuries of commentary, he is recognized as the greatest master ofhaiku (then calledhokku). He is also well known for his travel essays beginning withRecords of a Weather-Exposed Skeleton (1684), written after his journey west toKyoto andNara.[4] Matsuo Bashō's poetry is internationally renowned, and, in Japan, many of his poems are reproduced on monuments and traditional sites. Although Bashō is famous in the West for his hokku, he himself believed his best work lay in leading and participating inrenku. As he himself said, "Many of my followers can write hokku as well as I can. Where I show who I really am is in linking haikai verses."[5]
Bashō was introduced to poetry at a young age, and after integrating himself into the intellectual scene ofEdo (modern Tokyo) he quickly became well known throughout Japan. He made a living as a teacher; but then renounced the social, urban life of the literary circles and was inclined to wander throughout the country, heading west, east, and far into the northern wilderness to gain inspiration for his writing. His poems were influenced by his firsthand experience of the world around him, often encapsulating the feeling of a scene in a few simple elements.
Matsuo Bashō was born in 1644, nearUeno, inIga Province.[6][7] The Matsuo family was ofsamurai descent, and his father was probably amusokunin (無足人), a class of landowning peasants granted certain privileges of samurai.[8][6]
Little is known of his childhood. The Matsuo were a majorninja family, and Bashō was trained in ninjutsu.[9] In his late teens, Bashō became a servant to Tōdō Yoshitada (藤堂 良忠) most likely in some humble capacity,[6][10] and probably not promoted to full samurai class.[11] It is claimed he served as cook or a kitchen worker in some near-contemporaneous accounts,[Notes 1] but there is no conclusive proof.[6] A later hypothesis is that he was chosen to serve aspage (koshō [ja]) to Yoshitada, with alternative documentary evidence suggesting he started serving at a younger age.[13]
He shared Yoshitada's love forhaikai no renga, a form of collaborative poetry composition.[14] A sequence was opened with a verse in 5-7-5mora format; this verse was named ahokku, and would centuries later be renamedhaiku when presented as a stand-alone work. Thehokku would be followed by a related 7-7 mora verse by another poet. Both Bashō and Yoshitada gave themselveshaigō (俳号), orhaikaipen names; Bashō's wasSōbō (宗房), which was simply theon'yomi (Sino-Japanese reading) of his adult name, "Munefusa (宗房)." In 1662, the first extant poem by Bashō was published. In 1726, two of Bashō's hokku were printed in a compilation.[clarification needed]
In 1665, Bashō and Yoshitada together with some acquaintances composed a hyakuin, or one-hundred-verserenku. In 1666, Yoshitada's sudden death brought Bashō's peaceful life as a servant to an end. No records of this time remain, but it is believed that Bashō gave up any possibility of samurai status and left home.[15] Biographers have proposed various reasons and destinations, including the possibility of an affair between Bashō and a Shintomiko named Jutei (寿貞), which is unlikely to be true.[16][page needed] Bashō's own references to this time are vague; he recalled that "at one time I coveted an official post with a tenure of land", and that "there was a time when I was fascinated with the ways of homosexual love": there is no indication whether he was referring to real obsessions or fictional ones.[17] (Biographers of the author, however, note that Bashō was involved in homosexual affairs throughout all his life[18] and that among his lovers were several of his disciples;[19] in Professor Gary Leupp's view, Bashō's homoerotic compositions were clearly based on his personal experiences[20]). He was uncertain whether to become a full-time poet; by his own account, "the alternatives battled in my mind and made my life restless".[21] His indecision may have been influenced by the then still relatively low status ofrenga andhaikai no renga as more social activities than serious artistic endeavors.[22] In any case, his poems continued to be published in anthologies in 1667, 1669, and 1671, and he published a compilation of work by himself and other authors of theTeitoku school,The Seashell Game (貝おほひ,Kai Ōi), in 1672.[7] In about the spring of that year he moved toEdo, to further his study of poetry.[23]
Bashō meets two farmers celebrating the mid-autumn moon festival in a print fromYoshitoshi'sOne Hundred Aspects of the Moon. The haiku reads: "Since the crescent moon, I have been waiting for tonight."
In the fashionable literary circles ofNihonbashi, Bashō's poetry was quickly recognized for its simple and natural style. In 1674 he was inducted into the inner circle of thehaikai profession, receiving secret teachings from Kitamura Kigin (1624–1705).[6] He wrote thishokku in mock tribute to theshōgun:
甲比丹もつくばはせけり君が春kapitan mo / tsukubawasekeri / kimi ga haru the Dutchmen, too, / kneel before His Lordship— / spring under His reign. [1678]
WhenNishiyama Sōin, founder and leader of theDanrin school of haikai, came to Edo from Osaka in 1675, Bashō was among the poets invited to compose with him.[24] It was on this occasion that he gave himself thehaigō [jp] of Tōsei, and by 1680 he had a full-time job teaching twenty disciples, who publishedThe Best Poems of Tōsei's Twenty Disciples (桃青門弟独吟二十歌仙,Tōsei-montei Dokugin-Nijukasen), advertising their connection to Tōsei's talent. That winter, he took the surprising step of moving across the river to Fukagawa, out of the public eye and towards a more reclusive life.[25] His disciples built him a rustic hut and planted aJapanese banana tree (芭蕉,bashō) in the yard, giving Bashō a newhaigō and his first permanent home. He appreciated the plant very much, but was not happy to see Fukagawa's nativemiscanthus grass growing alongside it:
ばしょう植ゑてまづ憎む荻の二葉哉bashō uete / mazu nikumu ogi no / futaba kana by my new banana plant / the first sign of something I loathe— / a miscanthus bud! [1680]
Despite his success, Bashō grew dissatisfied and lonely. He began to practiceZenmeditation, but it seems not to have calmed his mind.[26] In the winter of 1682 his hut burned down, and shortly afterwards, in early 1683, his mother died. He then traveled toYamura, to stay with a friend. In the winter of 1683 his disciples gave him a second hut in Edo, but his spirits did not improve. In 1684 his discipleTakarai Kikaku published a compilation of him and other poets,Shriveled Chestnuts (虚栗,Minashiguri).[27] Later that year he left Edo on the first of four major wanderings.[28]
Bashō traveled alone, off the beaten path, that is, on theEdo Five Routes, which in medieval Japan were regarded as immensely dangerous; and, at first Bashō expected to simply die in the middle of nowhere or be killed by bandits. However, as his trip progressed, his mood improved, and he became comfortable on the road. Bashō met many friends and grew to enjoy the changing scenery and the seasons.[29] His poems took on a less introspective and more striking tone as he observed the world around him:
馬をさへながむる雪の朝哉uma wo sae / nagamuru yuki no / ashita kana even a horse / arrests my eyes—on this / snowy morrow [1684]
The trip took him from Edo toMount Fuji, Ueno, andKyoto.[Notes 2] He met several poets who called themselves his disciples and wanted his advice; he told them to disregard the contemporary Edo style and even his ownShriveled Chestnuts, saying it contained "many verses that are not worth discussing".[30] Bashō returned to Edo in the summer of 1685, taking time along the way to write morehokku and comment on his own life:
年暮ぬ笠きて草鞋はきながらtoshi kurenu / kasa kite waraji / hakinagara another year is gone / a traveler's shade on my head, / straw sandals at my feet [1685]
When Bashō returned to Edo he happily resumed his job as a teacher of poetry at hisbashō hut, although privately he was already making plans for another journey.[31] The poems from his journey were published asNozarashi Kikō (野ざらし紀行).
In early 1686, Bashō composed one of his best-remembered haiku:
古池や蛙飛びこむ水の音furu ike ya / kawazu tobikomu / mizu no oto an ancient pond / a frog jumps in / the splash of water [1686]
This poem became instantly famous. In April, the poets of Edo gathered at thebashō hut for ahaikai no renga contest on the subject of frogs that seems to have been a tribute to Bashō'shokku, which was placed at the top of the compilation.[32] For the rest of the year, Bashō stayed in Edo, continuing to teach and hold contests.
In the autumn of 1687 he journeyed to the countryside formoon watching, and made a longer trip in 1688 when he returned to Ueno to celebrate theLunar New Year. Back home in Edo, Bashō sometimes became reclusive: alternating between rejecting visitors to his hut and appreciating their company.[33] At the same time, he retained a subtle sense of humor, as reflected in hishokku:
いざさらば雪見にころぶ所迄iza saraba / yukimi ni korobu / tokoromade now then, let's go out / to enjoy the snow ... until / I slip and fall! [1688]
A statue commemorating Matsuo Bashō's arrival inŌgaki
Bashō's private planning for another long journey, to be described in his masterworkOku no Hosomichi, orThe Narrow Road to the Deep North, culminated on May 16, 1689 (Yayoi 27,Genroku 2), when he left Edo with his student and apprentice Kawai Sora (河合 曾良) on a journey to the Northern Provinces ofHonshū. At the time, these provinces were relatively unsettled.[34] Bashō and Sora headed north toHiraizumi, which they reached on June 29. They then walked to the western side of the island, touringKisakata onJuly 30, and began hiking back at a leisurely pace along the coastline. During this 150-day journey Bashō traveled a total of 600ri (2,400 km) through the northeastern areas of Honshū, returning toEdo in late 1691.[35]
By the time Bashō reachedŌgaki,Gifu Prefecture, he had completed the log of his journey. He edited and redacted it for three years, writing the final version in 1694 asThe Narrow Road to the Interior (奥の細道,Oku no Hosomichi). The first edition was published posthumously in 1702.[36] It was an immediate commercial success and many other itinerant poets followed the path of his journey.[7] It is often considered his finest achievement, featuringhokku such as:
荒海や佐渡によこたふ天の川araumi ya / Sado ni yokotau / amanogawa the rough sea / stretching out towards Sado / the Milky Way [1689]
On his return to Edo in the winter of 1691, Bashō lived in his thirdbashō hut, again provided by his disciples. This time, he was not alone; he took in his nephew Toin and a female friend Jutei, who were both recovering from illness. He had many great visitors.
Bashō wrote to a friend that "disturbed by others, I have no peace of mind".[37] Until late August 1693, he continued to make a living from teaching and appearances athaikai parties. Then he shut the gate to hisbashō hut and refused to see anybody for a month. Finally, he relented after adopting the principle ofkarumi or "lightness", a semi-Buddhist philosophy of greeting the mundane world rather than separating from it.
Bashō left Edo for the last time in the summer of 1694, spending time in Ueno and Kyoto before arriving in Osaka. There, he came down with a stomach illness and surrounded by his disciples, died peacefully.[38] Although he did not compose a formaldeath poem,[39] the following is generally accepted as his poem of farewell:
旅に病んで夢は枯野をかけ廻る tabi ni yande / yume wa kareno wo / kake meguru falling sick on a journey / my dream goes wandering / on a withered field [1694][40][41]
Rather than sticking to the formulas ofkigo (季語), which remain popular in Japan even today, Bashō aspired to reflect his real environment and emotions in hishokku.[42] Even during his lifetime, the effort and style of his poetry was widely appreciated; after his death, it only increased. Several of his students compiled quotations from him about his own poetry, most notablyMukai Kyorai and Hattori Dohō.[43]
During the 18th century, appreciation of Bashō's poems grew more fervent, and commentators such as Ishiko Sekisui and Moro Nanimaru went to great length to find references in hishokku to historical events, medieval books, and other poems. These commentators were often lavish in their praise of Bashō's obscure references, some of which were probably literaryfalse cognates. In 1793 Bashō was deified by the Shinto bureaucracy, and for a time criticizing his poetry was literally blasphemous.[43]
In the late 19th century, this period of unanimous passion for Bashō's poems came to an end.Masaoka Shiki, arguably Bashō's most famous critic, tore down the long-standing orthodoxy with his bold and candid objections to Bashō's style.[43] However, Shiki was also instrumental in making Bashō's poetry accessible in English,[44] and to leading intellectuals and the Japanese public at large. He invented the termhaiku (replacinghokku) to refer to the freestanding 5–7–5 form which he considered the most artistic and desirable part of thehaikai no renga.[43]
Critical interpretation of Bashō's poems continued into the 20th century, with notable works by Yamamoto Kenkichi, Imoto Nōichi, and Ogata Tsutomu. The 20th century also saw translations of Bashō's poems into other languages around the world. The position of Bashō in Western eyes as thehaiku poetpar excellence gives great influence to his poetry: Western preference forhaiku over more traditional forms such astanka orrenga have rendered archetypal status to Bashō as Japanese poet andhaiku asJapanese poetry.[47] Some western scholars even believe that Bashō invented haiku.[48] The impressionistic and concise nature of Bashō's verse greatly influencedEzra Pound, theImagists, and poets of theBeat Generation.[Notes 3]
On this question, Jaime Lorente maintains in his research work "Bashō y el metro 5-7-5" that of the 1012 hokkus analyzed by master Bashō 145 cannot fit into the 5-7-5 meter, since they are a broken meter (specifically, they present a greater number of mora [syllables]). In percentage they represent 15% of the total. Even establishing 50 poems that, presenting this 5-7-5 pattern, could be framed in another structure (due to the placement of the particle "ya"), the figure is similar. Therefore, Lorente concludes that the teacher was close to the traditional pattern.[49]
In 1942, the Haiseiden building was constructed inIga, Mie, to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Basho's birth. Featuring a circular roof named the "traveler's umbrella", the building was made to resemble Basho's face and clothing.[50]
Matsuo, Bashō (2005).Bashō's Journey: Selected Literary Prose by Matsuo Bashō. trans. David Landis Barnhill. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.ISBN978-0-7914-6414-4.
Matsuo, Bashō (2000).Narrow Road to the Interior and Other Writings. trans. Sam Hamill. Boston: Shambhala.ISBN978-1-57062-716-3.
Matsuo, Bashō (1999).The Essential Bashō. trans. Sam Hamill. Boston: Shambhala.ISBN978-1-57062-282-3.
Matsuo, Bashō (2004).Bashō's Haiku: Selected Poems of Matsuo Bashō. trans. David Landis Barnhill. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.ISBN978-0-7914-6166-2.
^Examples of Basho'shaiku written on the Tokaido, together with a collection of portraits of the poet and woodblock prints from Utagawa Hiroshige, are included inForbes & Henley 2014.
^松尾芭蕉 (in Japanese). The Asahi Shimbun Company. RetrievedNovember 22, 2010.;芭蕉と伊賀上野 (in Japanese). 芭蕉と伊賀 Igaueno Cable Television. RetrievedNovember 22, 2010.
^Norwich, John Julius (1985–1993).Oxford Illustrated Encyclopedia. Judge, Harry George., Toyne, Anthony. Oxford [England]: Oxford University Press. p. 37.ISBN0-19-869129-7.OCLC11814265.
^Drake, Chris (2012). "Bashō's 'Cricket Sequence' as English Literature".Journal of Renga & Renku (2): 7.
^Gregory M. Pflugfelder (1999).Cartographies of Desire: Male-Male Sexuality in Japanese Discourse, 1600–1950. University of California Press. p. 39.ISBN978-0520251656.
^Bolitho, Harold (2003).Treasures of the Yenching: Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of the Harvard-Yenching Library. Chinese University Press. p. 35.ISBN978-962-996-102-2.
Carter, Steven (1997). "On a Bare Branch: Bashō and the Haikai Profession".Journal of the American Oriental Society.117 (1):57–69.doi:10.2307/605622.JSTOR605622.
Forbes, Andrew; Henley, David (2014).Utagawa Hiroshige's 53 Stations of the Tokaido (Kindle ed.). Chiang Mai: Cognoscenti Books.ASINB00LM4APAI.
Lawlor, William (2005).Beat Culture: Lifestyles, Icons, and Impact. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.ISBN978-1-85109-405-9.
Gregory M. Pflugfelder (1999).Cartographies of Desire: Male-Male Sexuality in Japanese Discourse, 1600–1950. University of California Press. p. 39.ISBN978-0520251656.
Okamura, Kenzō (岡村 健三) (1956).Bashō to Jutei-ni芭蕉と寿貞尼 (in Japanese). Ōsaka: Bashō Haiku Kai.
Shirane, Haruo (1998).Traces of Dreams: Landscape, Cultural Memory, and the Poetry of Basho. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.ISBN0-8047-3099-7.
Kikaku, Takarai (2006). "An Account of Our Master Basho's Last Days".Springtime in Edo. Translated by Yuasa, Nobuyuki. Hiroshima: Keisuisha.ISBN4-87440-920-2.
Kokusai Bunka Shinkōkai (1948).Introduction to Classic Japanese Literature. Tokyo: Kokusai Bunka Shinkōkai.
Matsuo, Bashō (1666). "The narrow road to the Deep North", translated by Nobuyuki Yuasa. Harmondsworth, Penguin.ISBN0-14-044185-9
Lorente, Jaime (2020). Bashō y el metro 5-7-5. Toledo: Haijin books.
Leupp, Gary P. (1997).Male Colors: The Construction of Homosexuality in Tokugawa Japan. University of California Press.ISBN0-520-20900-1.
"Matsuo Bashō (松尾芭蕉)". Classical Japanese Database. RetrievedMay 12, 2008. Various poems by Bashō, in original and translation.
"Interpretations of Bashō". Haiku Poets Hut. Archived fromthe original on July 9, 2002. RetrievedMay 12, 2008. Comparison of translations by R. H. Blyth, Lucien Stryck and Peter Beilenson of several Bashō haiku.
Norman, Howard (February 2008)."On the Poet's Trail".National Geographic Magazine. Archived fromthe original on February 23, 2008. RetrievedMay 12, 2008. Interactive Travelogue of Howard Norman's journey in Basho's footsteps, including a map of the route taken.
"An Account of Our Master Bashō's Last Days". Simply Haiku: A Quarterly Journal of Japanese Short Form Poetry. Archived fromthe original on February 4, 2009. RetrievedJune 29, 2008. A translation by Nobuyuki Yuasa of an important manuscript by Takarai Kikaku, also known as Shinshi, one of Bashō's followers.
Norman, Howard (February 2008)."On the Poet's Trail".National Geographic Magazine. Archived fromthe original on March 6, 2008. RetrievedMay 12, 2008. Travels along the path Matsuo Bashō followed for Oku no Hosomichi. Photography by Mike Yamashita.
