Nozawa Boncho (野沢凡兆)

Boncho NOZAWA (1640 - 1714) was a haikai poet in the early Edo period. It is believed that he was born in Kanazawa, Kaga Province. He became a doctor in Kyoto where he met Basho MATSUO and studied under Basho, but he parted with Basho later. He fell into straitened circumstances in his later years. His wife, Tome (Ukou) NOZAWA was also a haikai poet.

Realistic poem was his specialty. He edited "Sarumino" with Kyorai MUKAI.

"Sarumino"

Town is filled with smells, above is a summer moon (it describes hot summer evening in the town where hot air is stationary under the summer moon)

Dripping from lye tub has stopped, a cricked is singing (It describes a scene: Dripping of lye from its tub stopped at quite night and in the silence, singing of a cricked is clearer)

A bush warbler, mud of rice field on a geta (Japanese wooden sandals) tooth (It describes a spring day; a bush warbler is a typical word for spring and mud of rice field is on a geta slat, as the field was muddy from thaw of snow or spring rain)

In Shimokyo (south part of capital), night rain falls on to snow (It describes: Snow is settling in Jokyo (north part of capital), but there are many houses and bright light are moving in Shimokyo, night rain falls on to settled snow)

Called crucian seller back, but disappeared into snow pellets (It describes: I tried to call back a crucian seller, but the seller was already out of sight because of snow pellets was falling heavily)

[Original Japanese]