Basho, age 46-47,

The 4th year of Genroku, 1691,
Hikone, on Lake Biwa

For me, it is late in October. I am heading east, driving alone, rushing to get home for Halloween after a trip to Bend, Oregon with my family. Returning home to Wichita, a long five-day trip through eastern Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, and western Kansas.

For Matsuo Basho, in 1691 (the 4th year of Genroku), it was late in September (or possibly the first of October). Heading east, heading home, stopping at the Meishoji Temple in Hikone, on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa. There he spoke with the head priest, Kono Riyu, in the temple garden. During Kono’s lifetime, he was known as Four Plum Trees because there were four colorful plum trees in the temple garden.

Tears of adoration —
falling leaves,
in Autumn colors
.
尊がる涙や染めて散る紅葉
Tōto garu namida ya somete chiru kōyō

The spectacular show of color in Fall is brief. By late October in Bend most of the Aspen leaves have fallen and turned brown. By the time, I am high in the mountains, returning home, the Aspen trees are stripped bare of leaves.

falling leaves in Autumn colors,
now brown on the ground,
late in October
.
the leaves now fallen,
the Aspen trees,
stand bare and naked
— Bashō no yōna, October, 2024

Kono Riku 河野 李由 (Kōno Riyukari, 1662-1705), the 14th head priest of the Hikone Myosho-ji Temple. (source Japanese Wikipedia). In the summer of 1691, Kono Riyu visited Basho in Kyoto at Rakushisha, the Hut of the Fallen Persimmon, where Basho worked on the Saga Diary (嵯峨日記, Saga Nikki).

Bashō no yōna is the pen name of the author of this blog. It roughly translates as Basho Wanabe (want to be), or not quite.

On Translation

Tōto garu namida, is it — “precious tears, tears of respect or tears of adoration.” One imagines that Basho was impressed not only by the sight of the beautiful fall colors, but also quite happy in seeing a dear friend. Kono was some twenty years younger. He was reportedly a disciple of Basho’s. It is said that after Basho’s death in 1694, Kono was given one of Basho’s hats as a memento.