Basho's Journey: The Literary Prose Of Matsuo Basho

211 Pages·2005·1.19 MB·English

by  David Landis Barnhill

Basho’s
Journey
The Literary Prose of Matsuo Basho
Translated and with an Introduction by
David Landis Barnhill
Basho¯’s Journey

Basho¯’s Journey
The Literary Prose of Matsuo Basho¯
Translated with an
Introduction by
David Landis Barnhill
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK PRESS
Published by
State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2005 State University of New York
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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Matsuo Basho¯,1644–1694.
Basho¯’s journey : the literary prose of Matsuo Basho¯ / translated with an
introduction by David Landis Barnhill.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents: Journey of bleached bones (Nozarashi Kiko) — Kashima journal
(Kashima kiko) — Knapsack notebook (Oi no kobumi) — Sarashina journal
(Sarashina kiko) — The narrow road to the deep north (Oku no hosomichi)
— Saga diary (Saga nikki) — Selected haibun.
ISBN 0-7914-6413-X (hc. : alk. paper)
ISBN 0-7914-6414-8 (pbk.: alk. paper)
1. Matsuo Basho¯, 1644–1694—Travel—Japan. 2. Japan—Description and
travel—Early works to 1800. 3. Authors, Japanese—Edo period, 1600–
1868—Travel. I. Barnhill, David Landis. II. Title.
PL794.4.A6 2005
895.6’132—dc22
2004054047
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
for Chuck and Larry Barnhill
true brothers along the path

C o n t e n t s
Acknowledgments ix
Selected Chronology of the Life of Matsuo Basho¯ xi
Maps xiv
Introduction: Basho¯’s Journey 1
1. Journey of Bleached Bones in a Field 13
2. Kashima Journal (Kashima kiko¯) 23
3. Knapsack Notebook (Oi no kobumi) 29
4. Sarashina Journal (Sarashina kiko¯) 45
5. The Narrow Road to the Deep North
(Oku no hosomichi) 49
6. Saga Diary (Saga nikki) 79
Selected Haibun 91
Notes 145
vii
viii Contents
Glossary 181
Bibliography 185
Index 189
A c k n o w l e d g m e n t s
Although Matsuo Basho¯ (1644–1694) was certainly a great
poet, his true genius only unfolds in his literary prose. The great
theme in his prose is the journey, a path through nature, time,
spiritual reality, and one’s life: “Each day is a journey, the jour-
ney itself home.” This translation has certainly been a journey,
decades in the making, with numerous people who have
impacted it in a variety of ways. Professor Lee Yearley first
introduced me to East Asian culture, the study of religion, and
the intellectual life. Poets Kenneth Rexroth and Gary Snyder
intensified my interest while enriching my perspective. Profes-
sors Edwin Good and Susan Matisoff were instrumental to my
graduate work on Basho¯, as was Makoto Ueda, whose scholar-
ship on Basho¯ has been extraordinarily important. Friends Scott,
Jerry, Phil, Zack, and Bill helped ensure the trip would be a long
and strange one. My wife, enduring my solitary character and
obsessive work, has been a true companion along the way. Guil-
ford College provided a nourishing environment for someone
dedicated to interdisciplinary approaches to learning, and the
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh now serves as a productive
home for such wayfaring. Thanks to Daniel Sattler for assidu-
ous work on the maps. And I am grateful to Nancy Ellegate and
the State University of New York Press for their support of this
project.
ix