fall, hailstones!
with pillow on his head
a child

arare chire kukurimakura o ou kodomo


by Issa, 1813

The child has invented a clever way to defy the weather. The pillow in
question, kukurimakura, is stuffed with cotton or buckwheat chaff and
tied at both ends; Kogo dai jiten (Shogakukan 1983) 491. The child is
young and, most likely, poor, but nevertheless demonstrates his human
birthright of creativity--to Issa's applause.

Tr. David Lanoue
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

..........................................

Here is a great BLOG with illustrations to haiku of Issa

http://blog.so-net.ne.jp/nf_m/archive/c26735-1

and this is the one with child carrying a the pillow
http://blog.so-net.ne.jp/nf_m/2007-06-22

It does not have it on his head, but carries it like a rucksack.

Here is a link to the kukuri makura
http://www.treja.com/topics/070920/topics04/img/img02.jpg
www.treja.com/topics/070920/topics04/index.html

Japanese LINK... Museum of Makura
http://www.sirasaki.co.jp/makura-hakubutukann/makura-hakubutukann01.html

Photo: sleeping on such a makura
http://wishpafupafu.blog110.fc2.com/blog-entry-71.html

Now I still wonder why the child would carry his pillow on the back on
a day with hail ? !
Any ideas?


first try, keeping the normal Japanese grammar

fall, hailstones !
a child carries his pillow
on the back

GABI