1.  The Big!  or, . . . naïve impressions

是程の牡丹としかたする子哉　一茶

kore hodo no botan to shikata suru ko kana  --  issa (d. 1823)

(扇にて尺を取たるぼたん哉　一茶)

 (一間の床は牡丹にのまれたり　不角)

飯椀に一杯ぎりの牡丹哉　蕪村

meshiwan ni ippaigiri no botan kana – buson (d. 1783)

うそつきの世の中になる牡丹哉　許六

usotsuki no yo no naka ni naru botan kana  -- kyoroku/kyoriku (d. 1715)

牛のやうな蜂のなくぼたん哉　　一茶

ushi no yô na hachi no naku botan kana – issa (d. 1823)

皆様の御こゑのかかるぼたん哉　一茶

mina-sama no okoe no kakaru botan kana – issa  (d.1823)

牡丹咲いてあたりに花のなき如し　機一

botan saite atari ni hana no naki gotoshi   –  kiichi (d.1933)

花の雲凝て牡丹と晴にける　寶馬

hana no kumo korite botan to hare ni keru – ­­­­jiba? (17c?)

3.  Burning Red!   or, . . . looking for metaphors

しらぬ火の鏡にうつる牡丹哉　其角

shiranu hi no kagami ni utsuru botan kana – kikaku (d.1706)

蟻垤＝てつ　蟻王宮朱門を開く牡丹哉

gitetsu   giôkyû shumon o hiraku botan kana – buson (d.1783)

(夕くれの蟻握りこむ牡丹哉　也有)

波二翻舌本一吐二紅蓮一　　閻王の口や牡丹を吐んとす　蕪村

enô no kuchi ya botan o hakan to su  -- buson (d.1783)

紅牡丹折んとすれば燃んとす　成美

aka-botan oran to sureba moen to su – seibi (d.1816)

百両のなき魂もゆる牡丹哉　几董

hyaku-ryô no naki tama moyuru botan kana  d.1789

火の奥に牡丹崩るるさまを見つ　加藤楸邨

hi no oku ni botan kuzururu sama o mitsu   katô shûson  d.1993

5. Cats and Mice . . . what’s in a name

猫のよるは鼠の名なり廿日草　吉則

neko no yoru wa nezumi no na nari hatsukasô   –  yoshinori/kisoku? (1659)

猫自画賛 //  油断すな鼠の名も廿日草　也有

neko jigasan // yudan su na nezumi no na mo hasukasô – yayû  (d.1783)

猫のさかり過すないそげ廿日草　長頭丸

neko no sakari sugosu na isoge hatsukasô – teitoku (d.1653)

猫のさかり過ぎて牡丹の盛り哉　一松

neko no sakari sugite botan no sakari kana – ichimatsu/isshô (c1666)

猫の狂 いが相応のぼたん哉　一茶

neko no kurui ga sôô no botan kana – issa (d.1823)

錠さして牡丹のさかり守る夜哉　桃渓

jô sashite botan no sakari mamoru yo kana  -- tôkei (d.1820)

(盗まれし牡丹に逢へり明る年　太祇

nusumareshi botan ni aeri akuru toshi – taigi  (d.1771).  )

猫の鈴ぼたんのあっちこっち哉　一茶

neko no suzu botan no acchi kocchi kana – issa (d.1823)

後苑の牡丹に猫の目午なり　子規

gôen no botan ni neko no me bakari nari – shiki (d.1902)

線香に眠るも猫の牡丹哉　支考

senkô ni nemuru-mo neko-no botan kana – shikô (d.1731)

7.  The Lucky,  or, . . . blossom as talisman?

福もふく大福花のぼたん哉　一茶

fuku-mo-fuku daifuku[ôbuku?]-bana no botan kana   – issa  (d.1823)

富貴草も風にびんぼうゆるぎ草　任旨　

fûki-gusa mo kaze ni binbô-yurugi-gusa – ninshi  (c1656)

(耳たふも牡丹に似たる主哉　微笑

 mimitabu mo botan ni nitaru aruji kana – bishô )     

(かねかりに来てながめたる牡丹哉　山隣

 kane kari-ni kite nagametaru botan kana   sanrin 1704)

(譽たれは十念くれる牡丹哉　太祇Taigi ((d.1771))

てもさてもても福相のぼたん哉　一茶

te mo sate mo te mo  fukusô no botan kana (d.1823)

福介がちゃんと居てぼたん哉　一茶

fukusuke ga chanto suwatte botan kana  –  issa (d.1823)

福の神やどらせ給ふぼたん哉    一茶

fuku no kami yadorase tamau botan kana – issa (d.1823)

福の神下らせ給えぼたん咲　一茶

fuku no kami kudarase tamae botan saku – issa (d.1823)

ぼたん迄果報のうすき我が家哉　一茶

botan made kahô no usuki wagaya kana – issa  (d.1823)

(貧乏蔓にとり巻かれても牡丹哉　一茶 )

福来ると聞てほしがるぼたん哉  一茶

fuku kuru to kiite hoshigaru botan kana  (d.1823)

地車のとどろとひびく牡丹哉　蕪村

jiguruma no todoro to hibiku botan kana   – buson (d.1783)

大悠にうごき出したるぼたん哉　一茶　せい７

ôyô ni ugokidashitaru botan kana – issa (d.1823)

古庭にあり来りたる牡丹哉　嵐雪

furu niwa ni arikiritaru botan kana  – ransetsu (d.1707)

THE PEON AND THE PEONY

or, eight of the many notions about just one flower

Column #2

 (May 2005)

Haiku In Context      

robin d. gill

牡丹

2. The Chinese!  or, . . . the roots

唐音も少しいひたき牡丹哉　管鳥 (1773)

kara-oto mo sukoshi iitaki botan  kana – kanchô 

一輪に一句足らぬ牡丹哉　龍眠

ichi rin ni ikku taranu botan kana – ryumin (18c)

もろこしの雲を掴む白牡丹　蒼狐

morokoshi no kumo o tsukamu haku botan – sôko (c1777)

しし舞もせよや牡丹の花見酒　徳元

shishimai mo seyo ya botan no hanamizake – tokugen  (1647)

獅子舞の少しとどまる牡丹哉　三字

shishimai no sukoshi todomaru botan kana – sanji (c1759)

牡丹見に薄すりとよき唐茶哉　桃隣

botan-mi ni usuzuri to yoki karacha kana – tôrin (d.1719)

(三味線の音にはり合ぬ牡丹哉　木導

shamisen no ne ni wa hariawanubotan kana – mokudô (d.1723) )   

茶に酔ふたふりしてくれぬ牡丹哉　　知足

cha ni youta furishite-kurenu botan kana – chisoku (d.1704)

花やかに静なるものは牡丹哉　暁台

hanayaka ni shizuka-naru mono wa botan kana – gyôdai (d.1792)

4. The King is in!    or, . . . a moral example

ないらいそ花の王様なりけるぞ　嘯山

na irai so hana no ô-sama narikeru zo – shôzan (d.1801)

我が身の細うなりたや牡丹畑　鬼貫

waga mi no hosou naritaya [narita ya?] botan-batake – onizura (1738)

物いはば人は消ぬべし白牡丹　来山

mono iwaba hito wa kienu-beshi haku-botan – raizan (1716)

我ものを剪るに臆する牡丹哉　梅室

waga mono o kiru ni oku-suru botan kana – baishitsu (d.1852)

美服して牡丹に媚びる心あり　子規

bifuku-shite botan ni kobiru kokoro ari  --shiki (d. 1902)

牡丹花は肉あひのよき女哉　白央

botanbana wa shishiai no yoki onna kana – hakuô/jiô  (c1694)

したたかに水の打たき牡丹哉　花縣

shitataka ni mizu no uchitaki botan kana  kaken (d.1829)

低く居て冨貴をたもつ牡丹哉　太祇

hikuku ite fûki o tamotsu botan kana – taigi (d.1771)

おのづから頭の下たるぼたん哉　一茶

onozu kara zu no sagaritaru botan kana  –  issa (d.1823)

土へ手をつかねば見せぬ牡丹哉　太祇

tsuchi e te o tsukaneba misenu botan kana  -- taigi (d.1771)

見ろとてやぼたんの冨貴ぱっとちる　一茶

miro tote ya botan no fûki patto chiru – issa (d.1823)

大牡丹貧乏町とあなどるな　一茶(d.1823)

ôbotan bimbô mura to anadoru na – issa  

6.  The Life-cycle . . .  from dew to drop

仰向て雨露の乳呑牡丹哉　吟江

ao muite uro no chichi nomu botan kana – gine (c.1775)

花の露ぼたぼたぼたんの雫哉　慶友

hana no tsuyu botabota botan no shizuku kana – keiyû (1645)

寒からぬ露や牡丹の花の蜜　芭蕉

samukaranu tsuyu ya botan no hana no mitsu – bashô (d.1694)

方百里雨雲よせぬぼたん哉　蕪村

hôhyakuri amagumo yosenu botan kana – buson (d.1783)

一輪の中に風ある牡丹哉　晴阿

ichirin no naka ni fû aru botan kana – seia (1768)

散ぼたん昨日の雨（を）こぼす哉　一茶

chiru botan kinô no ame o kobosu kana  – issa (d.1823)

一重散って人驚かす牡丹　梅室

hitoe chitte hito odorokasu botan – baishitsu (d.1852)

 ( 牡丹散て打重なりぬ二三片　蕪村)

ぐわた／＼と崩れてしまふ牡丹哉　恭似

gatta gatta to kuzureteshimau botan kana  -- kyôni (1763)

白牡丹或夜の月にくづれけり　子規

hakubotan aru yo no tsuki ni kuzurekeri – shiki (1902)

奢にも日数さだめてぼたんかな　素丸

ogoso ni mo hikazu sadamete botan kana – somaru (d.1795)

8.  Odds & Ends . . .  

後の世の寝所にせんぼたん哉　一茶　

ato no yo no nedokoro ni sen botan kana  –  issa  (d.1823)

ふく／＼と乗らばぼたんの台哉　一茶

fukufuku to noraba botan no utena kana (d.1823)

       しべをわけて這い出る蜂の名残哉　芭蕉