every day Issa

Masajo 真砂女 1998 age 92

落椿罪ある者を通せんぼ
ochi tubaki tsumi aru mo no wo to^senbo

Lee & Emiko’s English

fallen camellias—
barring the way of someone
who has sinned

Seasonal word: camellia (spring)
Note: The most commonly seen camellias in Japan are the red ones.
When a blossom falls, it falls as a whole, rather than petal by petal. In the samurai culture, they are associated with bloody, cut-off heads, and
hence were not appreciated. However, white camellias are very much
favored in tea ceremony culture.

sakuo haig