At Taisui’s house
Basho attends an all night party at Taisui’s house, nearby in Fukagawa. It rained 折々 oriori, off and on (intermittently, or occasionally). Awaiting dawn.
Taisui’s courtesy name 苔水 / 岱水 translates as spring rain.
Taisui writes:
“Rain, but not enough to come through the jacket.”
Uwabari wo / tusanu hodo no / ame huri te
Bashō ponders this.
Perhaps, like the farmer, Basho wishes it would rain. The farmer gets a day off, the rice sprouts, and Basho delays his departure.
Occasional rain / no worry / rice seedlings sprout
雨折々思ふ事なき早苗哉
ame ori ori / omou koto naki / sanae kana
Notes on translation
May 皐月 satsuki is the month to plant rice seedlings 苗 nae.
Rain inspires us in all its forms. Like English, Japanese has many expressions for rain, the most general being 雨 ame. Compare 五月雨 samidare, a heavy rain that occurs in May. Also 降雨 jiàngyǔ, rainfall; 雨量 yǔliàng, rainfall.
As used by Basho, 雨折々 ame ori ori, is an occasional rain.