Hanawa Iwo No Iro

I was reading Bashō, (if you couldn’t tell) and messing about for this piece with a Japanese translation, made by using Google Translate. I have no Japanese language skills, so can’t tell if the kanji and the romanji versions have the necessary elegance and spirit, or are clunky and poorly expressed. The title roughly translates as colours of the wreathed stone.

One version has the rain making calligraphy, the other a tattoo. Bashō talked about getting a paper coat for his travels, to protect him from the rain. I assume it must be waxed, but imagined miles and miles of words leaving scribbled or hammered marks, but quickly pouring away and vanishing.

Colours of the wreathed stone 花輪の岩の色 Hanawa no iwo no iro

i will wear

a paper coat

so spring rain

as it falls

may write on me

a tattoo

that quickly fades

着るでしょう

紙のコート

その春の雨

それが落ちるよう

私に書くかもしれません

入れ墨

それはすぐに消えます

kiredeshou

kami no kōto

sono haru no ame

sore ga ochiru yō

watashi ni kaku kamo shiremasen

irezumi

sore wa sugu ni kiemasu

i will wear

a paper coat

so summer rain

may write on me

as it falls

a calligraphy

that quickly fades

着るでしょう

紙のコート

その春の雨

それが落ちるよう

私に書くかもしれません

書道

それはすぐに消えます

kiredeshou

kami no kōto

sono natsu no ame

sore ga ochiru yō

watashi ni kaku kamo shiremasen

shodō

sore wa sugu ni kiemasu