Введение
Японский поэт-хайку (1882 – 1940)
Japanese haiku poet (1882 – 1940)
Сантока Танеда (種田 山頭火) — псевдоним Сёити Танеды (種田 正一), японского писателя и поэта-хайку. Он известен своими хайку в свободной форме — стилем, не подчиняющимся строгим правилам традиционного хайку.
Santōka Taneda (種田 山頭火) was the pen name of Shōichi Taneda (種田 正一), a Japanese author and haiku poet. He is known for his free verse haiku — a style which does not conform to the formal rules of traditional haiku.
Ранние годы
Сантока родился в деревне, расположенной в префектуре Ямагути, в зажиточной землевладельческой семье. Когда ему было одиннадцать лет, его мать покончила с собой, бросившись в семейный колодец. Хотя точная причина её поступка неизвестна, согласно дневникам Сантоки, его мать, наконец, достигла предела, когда она больше не могла жить с изменами мужа. После этого инцидента Сантоку воспитывала его бабушка. В 1902 году он поступил в Университет Васеда в Токио на факультет литературы. Там он начал злоупотреблять алкоголем, и в 1904 году, в начале русско-японской войны, бросил учёбу. Официальной причиной был указан "нервный срыв", который, по мнению некоторых, был эвфемизмом для частых и сильных опьянений. К тому времени его отец, Такедзиро, находился в настолько тяжёлом финансовом положении, что едва мог оплачивать обучение сына. В 1906 году Танеда, отец и сын, продали семейные земли, чтобы открыть сакэварню. В 1909 году отец устроил брак Сантоки с Сато Сакино, девушкой из соседней деревни. В своих дневниках Сантока признаётся, что зрелище тела матери, извлечённого из воды, навсегда отравило его отношения с женщинами. В 1910 году Сакино родила сына, Кена.
Santōka was born in a village located in Yamaguchi prefecture, to a wealthy land owning family. When he was eleven his mother committed suicide by throwing herself into the family well. Though the exact reason for her action is unknown, according to Santōka's diaries his mother had finally reached the point where she could no longer live with her husband's philandering. Following the incident, Santōka was raised by his grandmother. In 1902, he entered Waseda University in Tokyo as a student of literature. While there, he began drinking heavily, and in 1904, at the beginning of the Russo Japanese War, he dropped out of school. The documented reason was "nervous breakdown," which some believe to be a euphemism for frequent and severe drunkenness. By that time his father Takejirō was in such dire financial straits that he could barely afford to pay his son's tuition. In 1906, Taneda father and son sold off family land in order to open a sake brewery. In 1909 his father arranged for Santōka to marry Sato Sakino, a girl from a neighboring village. In his diaries, Santōka confesses that the sight of his mother's corpse being raised from her watery grave had forever tarnished his relationship with women. In 1910 Sakino gave birth to a son, Ken.
Поэтическая жизнь
В 1911 году Сантока начал публиковать переводы Ивана Тургенева и Ги де Мопассана в литературном журнале "Сэйнен" (青年, Youth) под псевдонимом Сантока (山頭火). Имя изначально происходит из списка *начин* (納音) – обозначений года рождения человека согласно китайскому шестидесятеричному циклу, используемых для гадания. Однако *начин* Сантока не имеет отношения к фактическому году рождения поэта. Слово "Сантока" можно понимать как минимум двумя способами. Прямое значение – "Огонь на вершине горы". Однако оно также может означать "Огонь кремационного ложа", поскольку "вершина горы" является метафорой для кремационных площадок в японском языке. Предполагается, что выбор этого имени мог быть связан с травматическим опытом самоубийства матери Сантоки. В том же 1911 году Сантока присоединился к местной группе хайку. В то время его хайку в основном придерживались традиционного слогового формата, хотя некоторые были гиперслоговыми, например:
In 1911, Santōka began publishing translations of Ivan Turgenev and Guy de Maupassant in the literary journal Seinen (青年, Youth) under the pen name Santōka (山頭火). The name is originally one of the list of natchin (納音), i. e., labels given to a person's year of birth according to the Chinese sexegenary cycle, which are used for divination. However, the natchin Santōka is unrelated to the actual year in which the poet was born. The word Santōka can be understood in at least two different ways. The literal meaning is "Mountain top Fire". However, it can also mean "Cremation ground Fire," since "mountain top" is a metaphor for cremation grounds in Japanese. It has been speculated that this choice of name could be related to the traumatic experience of the suicide of Santōka's mother. That same year, 1911, Santōka joined his area's local haiku group. At that time, his haiku mostly adhered to the traditional syllabic format, though some were hypersyllabic, for example:
In a café we debate decadence a summer butterfly flits Seisensui (1884–1976) could be regarded as the originator of the free form haiku movement, though fellow writers Masaoka Shiki and Kawahigashi Hekigoto also deserve recognition. Writers following the early twentieth century movement known as free form or free style haiku (shinkeikō 新傾向, lit. 'new trend') composed haiku lacking both the traditional 5 7 5 syllabic rule and the requisite seasonal word (kigo). Santōka began regularly contributing poetry to Seisensui's haiku magazine Sōun (層雲, Layered Clouds). By 1916 he became an editor. That same year, however, was marked by the bankruptcy of his father's sake brewery after two years of spoiled stock. The family lost all that remained of their once great fortune. His father fled into hiding and Santōka moved his family to Kumamoto City on the southern island of Kyūshū, where plans to open a second hand bookstore soon materialized into the opening of a picture frame shop. Two years later, plagued by debt, Santōka's younger brother Jirō committed suicide. Then Santōka's grandmother died. In 1919, at the age of thirty seven, Santōka left his family in order to find a job in Tokyo. In 1920, following her parents' wishes, Santōka divorced his wife. His father died soon after. As an exponent of free style haiku, Santōka is often ranked alongside Ozaki Hōsai (1885–1926), a fellow student of Seisensui. They both suffered from the ill effects of their drinking habits and were similar in their reliance on Seisensui and other patrons of the arts for aid and support. The literary tone of their poems, however, differs. Santōka proved no more reliable at working a steady job than he had at going to college, and though he did secure a permanent position as a librarian in 1920, by 1922 he was again unemployed due to another "nervous breakdown." He stayed in Tokyo long enough to experience the Great Kantō earthquake, after which he was apparently jailed as a suspect Communist. Soon after being released, he returned to Kumamoto City where he helped Sakino keep shop. In 1924, an extremely drunk Santōka jumped in front of an oncoming train in what may have been a suicide attempt. He visited the gravesite of his deceased friend Ozaki Hōsai. In 1929 he returned briefly to Kumamoto to visit Sakino and publish some more haiku in Sōun. He also began a publication of his own, Sambaku (三八九), named after his boardinghouse. Soon, however, he was back on the road. During his trips, Santōka wore his priest's robe and a large bamboo hat known as a kasa to keep off the sun. He had one bowl, which he used both for alms getting and for eating. To survive, he went from house to house to beg. Begging (takuhatsu) is an important part of practice for monks in Japan, but, considering that Santōka was not a member of a monastery while he journeyed, begging just for his own needs, he was often regarded with disdain and on a few occasions even questioned by the police. A day's earnings would go toward a room at a guesthouse, food, and sake. It is clear from his diaries that he had very mixed feelings about his lifestyle:
March 28, 1933. Even if it means nothing to eat, I don't want to do any more of that hateful begging! People who have never done any begging seem to have difficulty understanding how I feel about this. November 26, 1934. Loving sake, savoring sake, enjoying sake is not so bad. But drowning in sake, rioting in sake—that won't do! Running around drinking in this messy way—utterly stupid! November 4, 1939. The rain began coming down in earnest and the wind was blowing hard It blew my hat off, and my glasses went flying too—what a mess! But a grade school student passing by retrieved them for me—many, many thanks! Rain kept getting worse, wind blowing stronger all the time—nothing to do but stop for the night at Okutomo—but none of the inns would have me. Let it be! is all I say and, looking like a drowned rat, I walk on, Finally can't go on any longer and take shelter in the lee of a roadside warehouse. I wring out my clothes, eat lunch, stay there for two hours. Deluge!—no other word for it—violent wind lashing it around, sheets of rain streaming sideways like a loose blind. I felt as though I had been bashed flat by heaven—a rather splendid feeling in fact. With evening I was able to make it as far as Shishikui, but again nobody would take me in. Finally I got to Kannoura, where I found an inn that would give me lodging, much to my relief. In 1932, Santōka settled down for a time at a cottage in Yamaguchi prefecture. He named it "Gochūan" (其中庵) after a verse in the Lotus Sutra. While there, he published his first book of poems Hachi no ko (鉢の子,"Rice Bowl Child"). He lived on the contributions of friends and admirers, whatever he could grow in his garden, and money sent from his son Ken. In 1934 he set off again on a walking trip, but soon grew seriously ill and had to return home. He attempted suicide but lived. In 1936, he again began to walk, intent on following the trail of the famous haiku poet Bashō (1644–1694) as described in Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Interior). He returned to Gōchuan after eight months. In 1938, Gochūan became unfit for habitation, and after another walking trip, Santōka settled down at a small temple near Matsuyama City. On October 11, 1940, Santōka died in his sleep. He had published seven collections of poems and numerous editions of Sambaku. He was fifty seven.
In a café we debate decadence a summer butterfly flits Seisensui (1884–1976) could be regarded as the originator of the free form haiku movement, though fellow writers Masaoka Shiki and Kawahigashi Hekigoto also deserve recognition. Writers following the early twentieth century movement known as free form or free style haiku (shinkeikō 新傾向, lit. 'new trend') composed haiku lacking both the traditional 5 7 5 syllabic rule and the requisite seasonal word (kigo). Santōka began regularly contributing poetry to Seisensui's haiku magazine Sōun (層雲, Layered Clouds). By 1916 he became an editor. That same year, however, was marked by the bankruptcy of his father's sake brewery after two years of spoiled stock. The family lost all that remained of their once great fortune. His father fled into hiding and Santōka moved his family to Kumamoto City on the southern island of Kyūshū, where plans to open a second hand bookstore soon materialized into the opening of a picture frame shop. Two years later, plagued by debt, Santōka's younger brother Jirō committed suicide. Then Santōka's grandmother died. In 1919, at the age of thirty seven, Santōka left his family in order to find a job in Tokyo. In 1920, following her parents' wishes, Santōka divorced his wife. His father died soon after. As an exponent of free style haiku, Santōka is often ranked alongside Ozaki Hōsai (1885–1926), a fellow student of Seisensui. They both suffered from the ill effects of their drinking habits and were similar in their reliance on Seisensui and other patrons of the arts for aid and support. The literary tone of their poems, however, differs. Santōka proved no more reliable at working a steady job than he had at going to college, and though he did secure a permanent position as a librarian in 1920, by 1922 he was again unemployed due to another "nervous breakdown." He stayed in Tokyo long enough to experience the Great Kantō earthquake, after which he was apparently jailed as a suspect Communist. Soon after being released, he returned to Kumamoto City where he helped Sakino keep shop. In 1924, an extremely drunk Santōka jumped in front of an oncoming train in what may have been a suicide attempt. He visited the gravesite of his deceased friend Ozaki Hōsai. In 1929 he returned briefly to Kumamoto to visit Sakino and publish some more haiku in Sōun. He also began a publication of his own, Sambaku (三八九), named after his boardinghouse. Soon, however, he was back on the road. During his trips, Santōka wore his priest's robe and a large bamboo hat known as a kasa to keep off the sun. He had one bowl, which he used both for alms getting and for eating. To survive, he went from house to house to beg. Begging (takuhatsu) is an important part of practice for monks in Japan, but, considering that Santōka was not a member of a monastery while he journeyed, begging just for his own needs, he was often regarded with disdain and on a few occasions even questioned by the police. A day's earnings would go toward a room at a guesthouse, food, and sake. It is clear from his diaries that he had very mixed feelings about his lifestyle:
March 28, 1933. Even if it means nothing to eat, I don't want to do any more of that hateful begging! People who have never done any begging seem to have difficulty understanding how I feel about this. November 26, 1934. Loving sake, savoring sake, enjoying sake is not so bad. But drowning in sake, rioting in sake—that won't do! Running around drinking in this messy way—utterly stupid! November 4, 1939. The rain began coming down in earnest and the wind was blowing hard It blew my hat off, and my glasses went flying too—what a mess! But a grade school student passing by retrieved them for me—many, many thanks! Rain kept getting worse, wind blowing stronger all the time—nothing to do but stop for the night at Okutomo—but none of the inns would have me. Let it be! is all I say and, looking like a drowned rat, I walk on, Finally can't go on any longer and take shelter in the lee of a roadside warehouse. I wring out my clothes, eat lunch, stay there for two hours. Deluge!—no other word for it—violent wind lashing it around, sheets of rain streaming sideways like a loose blind. I felt as though I had been bashed flat by heaven—a rather splendid feeling in fact. With evening I was able to make it as far as Shishikui, but again nobody would take me in. Finally I got to Kannoura, where I found an inn that would give me lodging, much to my relief. In 1932, Santōka settled down for a time at a cottage in Yamaguchi prefecture. He named it "Gochūan" (其中庵) after a verse in the Lotus Sutra. While there, he published his first book of poems Hachi no ko (鉢の子,"Rice Bowl Child"). He lived on the contributions of friends and admirers, whatever he could grow in his garden, and money sent from his son Ken. In 1934 he set off again on a walking trip, but soon grew seriously ill and had to return home. He attempted suicide but lived. In 1936, he again began to walk, intent on following the trail of the famous haiku poet Bashō (1644–1694) as described in Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Interior). He returned to Gōchuan after eight months. In 1938, Gochūan became unfit for habitation, and after another walking trip, Santōka settled down at a small temple near Matsuyama City. On October 11, 1940, Santōka died in his sleep. He had published seven collections of poems and numerous editions of Sambaku. He was fifty seven.
В кафе мы спорим о декадансе – летняя бабочка вспорхнула.
In 1911, Santōka began publishing translations of Ivan Turgenev and Guy de Maupassant in the literary journal Seinen (青年, Youth) under the pen name Santōka (山頭火). The name is originally one of the list of natchin (納音), i. e., labels given to a person's year of birth according to the Chinese sexegenary cycle, which are used for divination. However, the natchin Santōka is unrelated to the actual year in which the poet was born. The word Santōka can be understood in at least two different ways. The literal meaning is "Mountain top Fire". However, it can also mean "Cremation ground Fire," since "mountain top" is a metaphor for cremation grounds in Japanese. It has been speculated that this choice of name could be related to the traumatic experience of the suicide of Santōka's mother. That same year, 1911, Santōka joined his area's local haiku group. At that time, his haiku mostly adhered to the traditional syllabic format, though some were hypersyllabic, for example:
In a café we debate decadence a summer butterfly flits Seisensui (1884–1976) could be regarded as the originator of the free form haiku movement, though fellow writers Masaoka Shiki and Kawahigashi Hekigoto also deserve recognition. Writers following the early twentieth century movement known as free form or free style haiku (shinkeikō 新傾向, lit. 'new trend') composed haiku lacking both the traditional 5 7 5 syllabic rule and the requisite seasonal word (kigo). Santōka began regularly contributing poetry to Seisensui's haiku magazine Sōun (層雲, Layered Clouds). By 1916 he became an editor. That same year, however, was marked by the bankruptcy of his father's sake brewery after two years of spoiled stock. The family lost all that remained of their once great fortune. His father fled into hiding and Santōka moved his family to Kumamoto City on the southern island of Kyūshū, where plans to open a second hand bookstore soon materialized into the opening of a picture frame shop. Two years later, plagued by debt, Santōka's younger brother Jirō committed suicide. Then Santōka's grandmother died. In 1919, at the age of thirty seven, Santōka left his family in order to find a job in Tokyo. In 1920, following her parents' wishes, Santōka divorced his wife. His father died soon after. As an exponent of free style haiku, Santōka is often ranked alongside Ozaki Hōsai (1885–1926), a fellow student of Seisensui. They both suffered from the ill effects of their drinking habits and were similar in their reliance on Seisensui and other patrons of the arts for aid and support. The literary tone of their poems, however, differs. Santōka proved no more reliable at working a steady job than he had at going to college, and though he did secure a permanent position as a librarian in 1920, by 1922 he was again unemployed due to another "nervous breakdown." He stayed in Tokyo long enough to experience the Great Kantō earthquake, after which he was apparently jailed as a suspect Communist. Soon after being released, he returned to Kumamoto City where he helped Sakino keep shop. In 1924, an extremely drunk Santōka jumped in front of an oncoming train in what may have been a suicide attempt. He visited the gravesite of his deceased friend Ozaki Hōsai. In 1929 he returned briefly to Kumamoto to visit Sakino and publish some more haiku in Sōun. He also began a publication of his own, Sambaku (三八九), named after his boardinghouse. Soon, however, he was back on the road. During his trips, Santōka wore his priest's robe and a large bamboo hat known as a kasa to keep off the sun. He had one bowl, which he used both for alms getting and for eating. To survive, he went from house to house to beg. Begging (takuhatsu) is an important part of practice for monks in Japan, but, considering that Santōka was not a member of a monastery while he journeyed, begging just for his own needs, he was often regarded with disdain and on a few occasions even questioned by the police. A day's earnings would go toward a room at a guesthouse, food, and sake. It is clear from his diaries that he had very mixed feelings about his lifestyle:
March 28, 1933. Even if it means nothing to eat, I don't want to do any more of that hateful begging! People who have never done any begging seem to have difficulty understanding how I feel about this. November 26, 1934. Loving sake, savoring sake, enjoying sake is not so bad. But drowning in sake, rioting in sake—that won't do! Running around drinking in this messy way—utterly stupid! November 4, 1939. The rain began coming down in earnest and the wind was blowing hard It blew my hat off, and my glasses went flying too—what a mess! But a grade school student passing by retrieved them for me—many, many thanks! Rain kept getting worse, wind blowing stronger all the time—nothing to do but stop for the night at Okutomo—but none of the inns would have me. Let it be! is all I say and, looking like a drowned rat, I walk on, Finally can't go on any longer and take shelter in the lee of a roadside warehouse. I wring out my clothes, eat lunch, stay there for two hours. Deluge!—no other word for it—violent wind lashing it around, sheets of rain streaming sideways like a loose blind. I felt as though I had been bashed flat by heaven—a rather splendid feeling in fact. With evening I was able to make it as far as Shishikui, but again nobody would take me in. Finally I got to Kannoura, where I found an inn that would give me lodging, much to my relief. In 1932, Santōka settled down for a time at a cottage in Yamaguchi prefecture. He named it "Gochūan" (其中庵) after a verse in the Lotus Sutra. While there, he published his first book of poems Hachi no ko (鉢の子,"Rice Bowl Child"). He lived on the contributions of friends and admirers, whatever he could grow in his garden, and money sent from his son Ken. In 1934 he set off again on a walking trip, but soon grew seriously ill and had to return home. He attempted suicide but lived. In 1936, he again began to walk, intent on following the trail of the famous haiku poet Bashō (1644–1694) as described in Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Interior). He returned to Gōchuan after eight months. In 1938, Gochūan became unfit for habitation, and after another walking trip, Santōka settled down at a small temple near Matsuyama City. On October 11, 1940, Santōka died in his sleep. He had published seven collections of poems and numerous editions of Sambaku. He was fifty seven.
In a café we debate decadence a summer butterfly flits Seisensui (1884–1976) could be regarded as the originator of the free form haiku movement, though fellow writers Masaoka Shiki and Kawahigashi Hekigoto also deserve recognition. Writers following the early twentieth century movement known as free form or free style haiku (shinkeikō 新傾向, lit. 'new trend') composed haiku lacking both the traditional 5 7 5 syllabic rule and the requisite seasonal word (kigo). Santōka began regularly contributing poetry to Seisensui's haiku magazine Sōun (層雲, Layered Clouds). By 1916 he became an editor. That same year, however, was marked by the bankruptcy of his father's sake brewery after two years of spoiled stock. The family lost all that remained of their once great fortune. His father fled into hiding and Santōka moved his family to Kumamoto City on the southern island of Kyūshū, where plans to open a second hand bookstore soon materialized into the opening of a picture frame shop. Two years later, plagued by debt, Santōka's younger brother Jirō committed suicide. Then Santōka's grandmother died. In 1919, at the age of thirty seven, Santōka left his family in order to find a job in Tokyo. In 1920, following her parents' wishes, Santōka divorced his wife. His father died soon after. As an exponent of free style haiku, Santōka is often ranked alongside Ozaki Hōsai (1885–1926), a fellow student of Seisensui. They both suffered from the ill effects of their drinking habits and were similar in their reliance on Seisensui and other patrons of the arts for aid and support. The literary tone of their poems, however, differs. Santōka proved no more reliable at working a steady job than he had at going to college, and though he did secure a permanent position as a librarian in 1920, by 1922 he was again unemployed due to another "nervous breakdown." He stayed in Tokyo long enough to experience the Great Kantō earthquake, after which he was apparently jailed as a suspect Communist. Soon after being released, he returned to Kumamoto City where he helped Sakino keep shop. In 1924, an extremely drunk Santōka jumped in front of an oncoming train in what may have been a suicide attempt. He visited the gravesite of his deceased friend Ozaki Hōsai. In 1929 he returned briefly to Kumamoto to visit Sakino and publish some more haiku in Sōun. He also began a publication of his own, Sambaku (三八九), named after his boardinghouse. Soon, however, he was back on the road. During his trips, Santōka wore his priest's robe and a large bamboo hat known as a kasa to keep off the sun. He had one bowl, which he used both for alms getting and for eating. To survive, he went from house to house to beg. Begging (takuhatsu) is an important part of practice for monks in Japan, but, considering that Santōka was not a member of a monastery while he journeyed, begging just for his own needs, he was often regarded with disdain and on a few occasions even questioned by the police. A day's earnings would go toward a room at a guesthouse, food, and sake. It is clear from his diaries that he had very mixed feelings about his lifestyle:
March 28, 1933. Even if it means nothing to eat, I don't want to do any more of that hateful begging! People who have never done any begging seem to have difficulty understanding how I feel about this. November 26, 1934. Loving sake, savoring sake, enjoying sake is not so bad. But drowning in sake, rioting in sake—that won't do! Running around drinking in this messy way—utterly stupid! November 4, 1939. The rain began coming down in earnest and the wind was blowing hard It blew my hat off, and my glasses went flying too—what a mess! But a grade school student passing by retrieved them for me—many, many thanks! Rain kept getting worse, wind blowing stronger all the time—nothing to do but stop for the night at Okutomo—but none of the inns would have me. Let it be! is all I say and, looking like a drowned rat, I walk on, Finally can't go on any longer and take shelter in the lee of a roadside warehouse. I wring out my clothes, eat lunch, stay there for two hours. Deluge!—no other word for it—violent wind lashing it around, sheets of rain streaming sideways like a loose blind. I felt as though I had been bashed flat by heaven—a rather splendid feeling in fact. With evening I was able to make it as far as Shishikui, but again nobody would take me in. Finally I got to Kannoura, where I found an inn that would give me lodging, much to my relief. In 1932, Santōka settled down for a time at a cottage in Yamaguchi prefecture. He named it "Gochūan" (其中庵) after a verse in the Lotus Sutra. While there, he published his first book of poems Hachi no ko (鉢の子,"Rice Bowl Child"). He lived on the contributions of friends and admirers, whatever he could grow in his garden, and money sent from his son Ken. In 1934 he set off again on a walking trip, but soon grew seriously ill and had to return home. He attempted suicide but lived. In 1936, he again began to walk, intent on following the trail of the famous haiku poet Bashō (1644–1694) as described in Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Interior). He returned to Gōchuan after eight months. In 1938, Gochūan became unfit for habitation, and after another walking trip, Santōka settled down at a small temple near Matsuyama City. On October 11, 1940, Santōka died in his sleep. He had published seven collections of poems and numerous editions of Sambaku. He was fifty seven.
Сейсенсуи (1884–1976) можно считать основоположником движения хайку свободной формы, хотя его соратники Масаока Сики и Кавахигаси Хекигото также заслуживают признания. Писатели, последовавшие за движением начала XX века, известным как хайку свободной формы или свободного стиля (*синкэйко:* 新傾向, буквально "новый тренд"), создавали хайку, лишенные традиционного слогового правила 5-7-5 и обязательного сезонного слова (*киго*). Сантока начал регулярно публиковать стихи в хайку-журнале Сейсенсуи "Со:ун" (層雲, Слоистые облака). К 1916 году он стал редактором. Однако в том же году банкротство пивоварни сакэ его отца стало очевидным следствием двухлетнего падения качества продукции. Семья потеряла все, что осталось от их былого богатства. Отец скрылся, и Сантока переехал с семьей в город Кумамото на южном острове Кюсю, где планы по открытию книжного магазина вскоре воплотились в открытие мастерской по изготовлению рам для картин. Два года спустя, из-за долгов, младший брат Сантоки, Дзиро, покончил с собой. Затем умерла бабушка Сантоки. В 1919 году, в возрасте тридцати семи лет, Сантока покинул семью в поисках работы в Токио. В 1920 году, по желанию родителей, Сантока развелся с женой. Отец умер вскоре после этого. Как представитель хайку свободного стиля, Сантока часто ставится в один ряд с Озаки Хосай (1885–1926), сокурсником Сейсенсуи. Они оба страдали от пагубного влияния своих пристрастий к алкоголю и были схожи в своей зависимости от Сейсенсуи и других меценатов искусства в плане помощи и поддержки. Однако литературный тон их стихов различается. Сантока оказался не более надежным в поиске постоянной работы, чем в учебе в колледже, и хотя в 1920 году он получил должность библиотекаря, к 1922 году снова остался без работы из-за очередного "нервного срыва". Он оставался в Токио достаточно долго, чтобы пережить Великое Кантоское землетрясение, после которого, по-видимому, был заключен в тюрьму по подозрению в коммунистической деятельности. Вскоре после освобождения он вернулся в Кумамото, где помогал Сакино вести магазин. В 1924 году, будучи в состоянии сильного алкогольного опьянения, Сантока бросился под поезд, возможно, предприняв попытку самоубийства. Он посетил могилу своего покойного друга Озаки Хосай. В 1929 году он ненадолго вернулся в Кумамото, чтобы навестить Сакино и опубликовать несколько хайку в "Со:уне". Он также начал издавать собственный журнал "Самбаку" (三八九), названный в честь своего пансиона. Однако вскоре он снова отправился в путь. Во время своих путешествий Сантока носил одежду священника и большую бамбуковую шляпу *каса*, чтобы защититься от солнца. У него была одна чаша, которую он использовал как для сбора подаяний, так и для еды. Чтобы выжить, он ходил по домам и просил милостыню. Подаяние (*такухатсу*) является важной частью практики монахов в Японии, но, учитывая, что Сантока не был членом монастыря во время своих путешествий, а просил только для своих собственных нужд, к нему часто относились с презрением и в некоторых случаях даже допрашивала полиция. Деньги, которые он зарабатывал, шли на оплату комнаты в гостевом доме, еду и сакэ. Из его дневников ясно, что у него были очень противоречивые чувства по поводу своего образа жизни:
In 1911, Santōka began publishing translations of Ivan Turgenev and Guy de Maupassant in the literary journal Seinen (青年, Youth) under the pen name Santōka (山頭火). The name is originally one of the list of natchin (納音), i. e., labels given to a person's year of birth according to the Chinese sexegenary cycle, which are used for divination. However, the natchin Santōka is unrelated to the actual year in which the poet was born. The word Santōka can be understood in at least two different ways. The literal meaning is "Mountain top Fire". However, it can also mean "Cremation ground Fire," since "mountain top" is a metaphor for cremation grounds in Japanese. It has been speculated that this choice of name could be related to the traumatic experience of the suicide of Santōka's mother. That same year, 1911, Santōka joined his area's local haiku group. At that time, his haiku mostly adhered to the traditional syllabic format, though some were hypersyllabic, for example:
In a café we debate decadence a summer butterfly flits Seisensui (1884–1976) could be regarded as the originator of the free form haiku movement, though fellow writers Masaoka Shiki and Kawahigashi Hekigoto also deserve recognition. Writers following the early twentieth century movement known as free form or free style haiku (shinkeikō 新傾向, lit. 'new trend') composed haiku lacking both the traditional 5 7 5 syllabic rule and the requisite seasonal word (kigo). Santōka began regularly contributing poetry to Seisensui's haiku magazine Sōun (層雲, Layered Clouds). By 1916 he became an editor. That same year, however, was marked by the bankruptcy of his father's sake brewery after two years of spoiled stock. The family lost all that remained of their once great fortune. His father fled into hiding and Santōka moved his family to Kumamoto City on the southern island of Kyūshū, where plans to open a second hand bookstore soon materialized into the opening of a picture frame shop. Two years later, plagued by debt, Santōka's younger brother Jirō committed suicide. Then Santōka's grandmother died. In 1919, at the age of thirty seven, Santōka left his family in order to find a job in Tokyo. In 1920, following her parents' wishes, Santōka divorced his wife. His father died soon after. As an exponent of free style haiku, Santōka is often ranked alongside Ozaki Hōsai (1885–1926), a fellow student of Seisensui. They both suffered from the ill effects of their drinking habits and were similar in their reliance on Seisensui and other patrons of the arts for aid and support. The literary tone of their poems, however, differs. Santōka proved no more reliable at working a steady job than he had at going to college, and though he did secure a permanent position as a librarian in 1920, by 1922 he was again unemployed due to another "nervous breakdown." He stayed in Tokyo long enough to experience the Great Kantō earthquake, after which he was apparently jailed as a suspect Communist. Soon after being released, he returned to Kumamoto City where he helped Sakino keep shop. In 1924, an extremely drunk Santōka jumped in front of an oncoming train in what may have been a suicide attempt. He visited the gravesite of his deceased friend Ozaki Hōsai. In 1929 he returned briefly to Kumamoto to visit Sakino and publish some more haiku in Sōun. He also began a publication of his own, Sambaku (三八九), named after his boardinghouse. Soon, however, he was back on the road. During his trips, Santōka wore his priest's robe and a large bamboo hat known as a kasa to keep off the sun. He had one bowl, which he used both for alms getting and for eating. To survive, he went from house to house to beg. Begging (takuhatsu) is an important part of practice for monks in Japan, but, considering that Santōka was not a member of a monastery while he journeyed, begging just for his own needs, he was often regarded with disdain and on a few occasions even questioned by the police. A day's earnings would go toward a room at a guesthouse, food, and sake. It is clear from his diaries that he had very mixed feelings about his lifestyle:
March 28, 1933. Even if it means nothing to eat, I don't want to do any more of that hateful begging! People who have never done any begging seem to have difficulty understanding how I feel about this. November 26, 1934. Loving sake, savoring sake, enjoying sake is not so bad. But drowning in sake, rioting in sake—that won't do! Running around drinking in this messy way—utterly stupid! November 4, 1939. The rain began coming down in earnest and the wind was blowing hard It blew my hat off, and my glasses went flying too—what a mess! But a grade school student passing by retrieved them for me—many, many thanks! Rain kept getting worse, wind blowing stronger all the time—nothing to do but stop for the night at Okutomo—but none of the inns would have me. Let it be! is all I say and, looking like a drowned rat, I walk on, Finally can't go on any longer and take shelter in the lee of a roadside warehouse. I wring out my clothes, eat lunch, stay there for two hours. Deluge!—no other word for it—violent wind lashing it around, sheets of rain streaming sideways like a loose blind. I felt as though I had been bashed flat by heaven—a rather splendid feeling in fact. With evening I was able to make it as far as Shishikui, but again nobody would take me in. Finally I got to Kannoura, where I found an inn that would give me lodging, much to my relief. In 1932, Santōka settled down for a time at a cottage in Yamaguchi prefecture. He named it "Gochūan" (其中庵) after a verse in the Lotus Sutra. While there, he published his first book of poems Hachi no ko (鉢の子,"Rice Bowl Child"). He lived on the contributions of friends and admirers, whatever he could grow in his garden, and money sent from his son Ken. In 1934 he set off again on a walking trip, but soon grew seriously ill and had to return home. He attempted suicide but lived. In 1936, he again began to walk, intent on following the trail of the famous haiku poet Bashō (1644–1694) as described in Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Interior). He returned to Gōchuan after eight months. In 1938, Gochūan became unfit for habitation, and after another walking trip, Santōka settled down at a small temple near Matsuyama City. On October 11, 1940, Santōka died in his sleep. He had published seven collections of poems and numerous editions of Sambaku. He was fifty seven.
In a café we debate decadence a summer butterfly flits Seisensui (1884–1976) could be regarded as the originator of the free form haiku movement, though fellow writers Masaoka Shiki and Kawahigashi Hekigoto also deserve recognition. Writers following the early twentieth century movement known as free form or free style haiku (shinkeikō 新傾向, lit. 'new trend') composed haiku lacking both the traditional 5 7 5 syllabic rule and the requisite seasonal word (kigo). Santōka began regularly contributing poetry to Seisensui's haiku magazine Sōun (層雲, Layered Clouds). By 1916 he became an editor. That same year, however, was marked by the bankruptcy of his father's sake brewery after two years of spoiled stock. The family lost all that remained of their once great fortune. His father fled into hiding and Santōka moved his family to Kumamoto City on the southern island of Kyūshū, where plans to open a second hand bookstore soon materialized into the opening of a picture frame shop. Two years later, plagued by debt, Santōka's younger brother Jirō committed suicide. Then Santōka's grandmother died. In 1919, at the age of thirty seven, Santōka left his family in order to find a job in Tokyo. In 1920, following her parents' wishes, Santōka divorced his wife. His father died soon after. As an exponent of free style haiku, Santōka is often ranked alongside Ozaki Hōsai (1885–1926), a fellow student of Seisensui. They both suffered from the ill effects of their drinking habits and were similar in their reliance on Seisensui and other patrons of the arts for aid and support. The literary tone of their poems, however, differs. Santōka proved no more reliable at working a steady job than he had at going to college, and though he did secure a permanent position as a librarian in 1920, by 1922 he was again unemployed due to another "nervous breakdown." He stayed in Tokyo long enough to experience the Great Kantō earthquake, after which he was apparently jailed as a suspect Communist. Soon after being released, he returned to Kumamoto City where he helped Sakino keep shop. In 1924, an extremely drunk Santōka jumped in front of an oncoming train in what may have been a suicide attempt. He visited the gravesite of his deceased friend Ozaki Hōsai. In 1929 he returned briefly to Kumamoto to visit Sakino and publish some more haiku in Sōun. He also began a publication of his own, Sambaku (三八九), named after his boardinghouse. Soon, however, he was back on the road. During his trips, Santōka wore his priest's robe and a large bamboo hat known as a kasa to keep off the sun. He had one bowl, which he used both for alms getting and for eating. To survive, he went from house to house to beg. Begging (takuhatsu) is an important part of practice for monks in Japan, but, considering that Santōka was not a member of a monastery while he journeyed, begging just for his own needs, he was often regarded with disdain and on a few occasions even questioned by the police. A day's earnings would go toward a room at a guesthouse, food, and sake. It is clear from his diaries that he had very mixed feelings about his lifestyle:
March 28, 1933. Even if it means nothing to eat, I don't want to do any more of that hateful begging! People who have never done any begging seem to have difficulty understanding how I feel about this. November 26, 1934. Loving sake, savoring sake, enjoying sake is not so bad. But drowning in sake, rioting in sake—that won't do! Running around drinking in this messy way—utterly stupid! November 4, 1939. The rain began coming down in earnest and the wind was blowing hard It blew my hat off, and my glasses went flying too—what a mess! But a grade school student passing by retrieved them for me—many, many thanks! Rain kept getting worse, wind blowing stronger all the time—nothing to do but stop for the night at Okutomo—but none of the inns would have me. Let it be! is all I say and, looking like a drowned rat, I walk on, Finally can't go on any longer and take shelter in the lee of a roadside warehouse. I wring out my clothes, eat lunch, stay there for two hours. Deluge!—no other word for it—violent wind lashing it around, sheets of rain streaming sideways like a loose blind. I felt as though I had been bashed flat by heaven—a rather splendid feeling in fact. With evening I was able to make it as far as Shishikui, but again nobody would take me in. Finally I got to Kannoura, where I found an inn that would give me lodging, much to my relief. In 1932, Santōka settled down for a time at a cottage in Yamaguchi prefecture. He named it "Gochūan" (其中庵) after a verse in the Lotus Sutra. While there, he published his first book of poems Hachi no ko (鉢の子,"Rice Bowl Child"). He lived on the contributions of friends and admirers, whatever he could grow in his garden, and money sent from his son Ken. In 1934 he set off again on a walking trip, but soon grew seriously ill and had to return home. He attempted suicide but lived. In 1936, he again began to walk, intent on following the trail of the famous haiku poet Bashō (1644–1694) as described in Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Interior). He returned to Gōchuan after eight months. In 1938, Gochūan became unfit for habitation, and after another walking trip, Santōka settled down at a small temple near Matsuyama City. On October 11, 1940, Santōka died in his sleep. He had published seven collections of poems and numerous editions of Sambaku. He was fifty seven.
28 марта 1933 года. Даже если это означает ничего не есть, я больше не хочу заниматься этим ненавистным попрошайничеством! Людям, которые никогда не просили, трудно понять мои чувства по этому поводу.
In 1911, Santōka began publishing translations of Ivan Turgenev and Guy de Maupassant in the literary journal Seinen (青年, Youth) under the pen name Santōka (山頭火). The name is originally one of the list of natchin (納音), i. e., labels given to a person's year of birth according to the Chinese sexegenary cycle, which are used for divination. However, the natchin Santōka is unrelated to the actual year in which the poet was born. The word Santōka can be understood in at least two different ways. The literal meaning is "Mountain top Fire". However, it can also mean "Cremation ground Fire," since "mountain top" is a metaphor for cremation grounds in Japanese. It has been speculated that this choice of name could be related to the traumatic experience of the suicide of Santōka's mother. That same year, 1911, Santōka joined his area's local haiku group. At that time, his haiku mostly adhered to the traditional syllabic format, though some were hypersyllabic, for example:
In a café we debate decadence a summer butterfly flits Seisensui (1884–1976) could be regarded as the originator of the free form haiku movement, though fellow writers Masaoka Shiki and Kawahigashi Hekigoto also deserve recognition. Writers following the early twentieth century movement known as free form or free style haiku (shinkeikō 新傾向, lit. 'new trend') composed haiku lacking both the traditional 5 7 5 syllabic rule and the requisite seasonal word (kigo). Santōka began regularly contributing poetry to Seisensui's haiku magazine Sōun (層雲, Layered Clouds). By 1916 he became an editor. That same year, however, was marked by the bankruptcy of his father's sake brewery after two years of spoiled stock. The family lost all that remained of their once great fortune. His father fled into hiding and Santōka moved his family to Kumamoto City on the southern island of Kyūshū, where plans to open a second hand bookstore soon materialized into the opening of a picture frame shop. Two years later, plagued by debt, Santōka's younger brother Jirō committed suicide. Then Santōka's grandmother died. In 1919, at the age of thirty seven, Santōka left his family in order to find a job in Tokyo. In 1920, following her parents' wishes, Santōka divorced his wife. His father died soon after. As an exponent of free style haiku, Santōka is often ranked alongside Ozaki Hōsai (1885–1926), a fellow student of Seisensui. They both suffered from the ill effects of their drinking habits and were similar in their reliance on Seisensui and other patrons of the arts for aid and support. The literary tone of their poems, however, differs. Santōka proved no more reliable at working a steady job than he had at going to college, and though he did secure a permanent position as a librarian in 1920, by 1922 he was again unemployed due to another "nervous breakdown." He stayed in Tokyo long enough to experience the Great Kantō earthquake, after which he was apparently jailed as a suspect Communist. Soon after being released, he returned to Kumamoto City where he helped Sakino keep shop. In 1924, an extremely drunk Santōka jumped in front of an oncoming train in what may have been a suicide attempt. He visited the gravesite of his deceased friend Ozaki Hōsai. In 1929 he returned briefly to Kumamoto to visit Sakino and publish some more haiku in Sōun. He also began a publication of his own, Sambaku (三八九), named after his boardinghouse. Soon, however, he was back on the road. During his trips, Santōka wore his priest's robe and a large bamboo hat known as a kasa to keep off the sun. He had one bowl, which he used both for alms getting and for eating. To survive, he went from house to house to beg. Begging (takuhatsu) is an important part of practice for monks in Japan, but, considering that Santōka was not a member of a monastery while he journeyed, begging just for his own needs, he was often regarded with disdain and on a few occasions even questioned by the police. A day's earnings would go toward a room at a guesthouse, food, and sake. It is clear from his diaries that he had very mixed feelings about his lifestyle:
March 28, 1933. Even if it means nothing to eat, I don't want to do any more of that hateful begging! People who have never done any begging seem to have difficulty understanding how I feel about this. November 26, 1934. Loving sake, savoring sake, enjoying sake is not so bad. But drowning in sake, rioting in sake—that won't do! Running around drinking in this messy way—utterly stupid! November 4, 1939. The rain began coming down in earnest and the wind was blowing hard It blew my hat off, and my glasses went flying too—what a mess! But a grade school student passing by retrieved them for me—many, many thanks! Rain kept getting worse, wind blowing stronger all the time—nothing to do but stop for the night at Okutomo—but none of the inns would have me. Let it be! is all I say and, looking like a drowned rat, I walk on, Finally can't go on any longer and take shelter in the lee of a roadside warehouse. I wring out my clothes, eat lunch, stay there for two hours. Deluge!—no other word for it—violent wind lashing it around, sheets of rain streaming sideways like a loose blind. I felt as though I had been bashed flat by heaven—a rather splendid feeling in fact. With evening I was able to make it as far as Shishikui, but again nobody would take me in. Finally I got to Kannoura, where I found an inn that would give me lodging, much to my relief. In 1932, Santōka settled down for a time at a cottage in Yamaguchi prefecture. He named it "Gochūan" (其中庵) after a verse in the Lotus Sutra. While there, he published his first book of poems Hachi no ko (鉢の子,"Rice Bowl Child"). He lived on the contributions of friends and admirers, whatever he could grow in his garden, and money sent from his son Ken. In 1934 he set off again on a walking trip, but soon grew seriously ill and had to return home. He attempted suicide but lived. In 1936, he again began to walk, intent on following the trail of the famous haiku poet Bashō (1644–1694) as described in Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Interior). He returned to Gōchuan after eight months. In 1938, Gochūan became unfit for habitation, and after another walking trip, Santōka settled down at a small temple near Matsuyama City. On October 11, 1940, Santōka died in his sleep. He had published seven collections of poems and numerous editions of Sambaku. He was fifty seven.
In a café we debate decadence a summer butterfly flits Seisensui (1884–1976) could be regarded as the originator of the free form haiku movement, though fellow writers Masaoka Shiki and Kawahigashi Hekigoto also deserve recognition. Writers following the early twentieth century movement known as free form or free style haiku (shinkeikō 新傾向, lit. 'new trend') composed haiku lacking both the traditional 5 7 5 syllabic rule and the requisite seasonal word (kigo). Santōka began regularly contributing poetry to Seisensui's haiku magazine Sōun (層雲, Layered Clouds). By 1916 he became an editor. That same year, however, was marked by the bankruptcy of his father's sake brewery after two years of spoiled stock. The family lost all that remained of their once great fortune. His father fled into hiding and Santōka moved his family to Kumamoto City on the southern island of Kyūshū, where plans to open a second hand bookstore soon materialized into the opening of a picture frame shop. Two years later, plagued by debt, Santōka's younger brother Jirō committed suicide. Then Santōka's grandmother died. In 1919, at the age of thirty seven, Santōka left his family in order to find a job in Tokyo. In 1920, following her parents' wishes, Santōka divorced his wife. His father died soon after. As an exponent of free style haiku, Santōka is often ranked alongside Ozaki Hōsai (1885–1926), a fellow student of Seisensui. They both suffered from the ill effects of their drinking habits and were similar in their reliance on Seisensui and other patrons of the arts for aid and support. The literary tone of their poems, however, differs. Santōka proved no more reliable at working a steady job than he had at going to college, and though he did secure a permanent position as a librarian in 1920, by 1922 he was again unemployed due to another "nervous breakdown." He stayed in Tokyo long enough to experience the Great Kantō earthquake, after which he was apparently jailed as a suspect Communist. Soon after being released, he returned to Kumamoto City where he helped Sakino keep shop. In 1924, an extremely drunk Santōka jumped in front of an oncoming train in what may have been a suicide attempt. He visited the gravesite of his deceased friend Ozaki Hōsai. In 1929 he returned briefly to Kumamoto to visit Sakino and publish some more haiku in Sōun. He also began a publication of his own, Sambaku (三八九), named after his boardinghouse. Soon, however, he was back on the road. During his trips, Santōka wore his priest's robe and a large bamboo hat known as a kasa to keep off the sun. He had one bowl, which he used both for alms getting and for eating. To survive, he went from house to house to beg. Begging (takuhatsu) is an important part of practice for monks in Japan, but, considering that Santōka was not a member of a monastery while he journeyed, begging just for his own needs, he was often regarded with disdain and on a few occasions even questioned by the police. A day's earnings would go toward a room at a guesthouse, food, and sake. It is clear from his diaries that he had very mixed feelings about his lifestyle:
March 28, 1933. Even if it means nothing to eat, I don't want to do any more of that hateful begging! People who have never done any begging seem to have difficulty understanding how I feel about this. November 26, 1934. Loving sake, savoring sake, enjoying sake is not so bad. But drowning in sake, rioting in sake—that won't do! Running around drinking in this messy way—utterly stupid! November 4, 1939. The rain began coming down in earnest and the wind was blowing hard It blew my hat off, and my glasses went flying too—what a mess! But a grade school student passing by retrieved them for me—many, many thanks! Rain kept getting worse, wind blowing stronger all the time—nothing to do but stop for the night at Okutomo—but none of the inns would have me. Let it be! is all I say and, looking like a drowned rat, I walk on, Finally can't go on any longer and take shelter in the lee of a roadside warehouse. I wring out my clothes, eat lunch, stay there for two hours. Deluge!—no other word for it—violent wind lashing it around, sheets of rain streaming sideways like a loose blind. I felt as though I had been bashed flat by heaven—a rather splendid feeling in fact. With evening I was able to make it as far as Shishikui, but again nobody would take me in. Finally I got to Kannoura, where I found an inn that would give me lodging, much to my relief. In 1932, Santōka settled down for a time at a cottage in Yamaguchi prefecture. He named it "Gochūan" (其中庵) after a verse in the Lotus Sutra. While there, he published his first book of poems Hachi no ko (鉢の子,"Rice Bowl Child"). He lived on the contributions of friends and admirers, whatever he could grow in his garden, and money sent from his son Ken. In 1934 he set off again on a walking trip, but soon grew seriously ill and had to return home. He attempted suicide but lived. In 1936, he again began to walk, intent on following the trail of the famous haiku poet Bashō (1644–1694) as described in Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Interior). He returned to Gōchuan after eight months. In 1938, Gochūan became unfit for habitation, and after another walking trip, Santōka settled down at a small temple near Matsuyama City. On October 11, 1940, Santōka died in his sleep. He had published seven collections of poems and numerous editions of Sambaku. He was fifty seven.
26 ноября 1934 года. Любить сакэ, наслаждаться сакэ, радоваться сакэ – это не так уж плохо. Но тонуть в сакэ, буянить в сакэ – это ни к чему! Бегать, пьяный, в таком беспорядке – совершенно глупо!
In 1911, Santōka began publishing translations of Ivan Turgenev and Guy de Maupassant in the literary journal Seinen (青年, Youth) under the pen name Santōka (山頭火). The name is originally one of the list of natchin (納音), i. e., labels given to a person's year of birth according to the Chinese sexegenary cycle, which are used for divination. However, the natchin Santōka is unrelated to the actual year in which the poet was born. The word Santōka can be understood in at least two different ways. The literal meaning is "Mountain top Fire". However, it can also mean "Cremation ground Fire," since "mountain top" is a metaphor for cremation grounds in Japanese. It has been speculated that this choice of name could be related to the traumatic experience of the suicide of Santōka's mother. That same year, 1911, Santōka joined his area's local haiku group. At that time, his haiku mostly adhered to the traditional syllabic format, though some were hypersyllabic, for example:
In a café we debate decadence a summer butterfly flits Seisensui (1884–1976) could be regarded as the originator of the free form haiku movement, though fellow writers Masaoka Shiki and Kawahigashi Hekigoto also deserve recognition. Writers following the early twentieth century movement known as free form or free style haiku (shinkeikō 新傾向, lit. 'new trend') composed haiku lacking both the traditional 5 7 5 syllabic rule and the requisite seasonal word (kigo). Santōka began regularly contributing poetry to Seisensui's haiku magazine Sōun (層雲, Layered Clouds). By 1916 he became an editor. That same year, however, was marked by the bankruptcy of his father's sake brewery after two years of spoiled stock. The family lost all that remained of their once great fortune. His father fled into hiding and Santōka moved his family to Kumamoto City on the southern island of Kyūshū, where plans to open a second hand bookstore soon materialized into the opening of a picture frame shop. Two years later, plagued by debt, Santōka's younger brother Jirō committed suicide. Then Santōka's grandmother died. In 1919, at the age of thirty seven, Santōka left his family in order to find a job in Tokyo. In 1920, following her parents' wishes, Santōka divorced his wife. His father died soon after. As an exponent of free style haiku, Santōka is often ranked alongside Ozaki Hōsai (1885–1926), a fellow student of Seisensui. They both suffered from the ill effects of their drinking habits and were similar in their reliance on Seisensui and other patrons of the arts for aid and support. The literary tone of their poems, however, differs. Santōka proved no more reliable at working a steady job than he had at going to college, and though he did secure a permanent position as a librarian in 1920, by 1922 he was again unemployed due to another "nervous breakdown." He stayed in Tokyo long enough to experience the Great Kantō earthquake, after which he was apparently jailed as a suspect Communist. Soon after being released, he returned to Kumamoto City where he helped Sakino keep shop. In 1924, an extremely drunk Santōka jumped in front of an oncoming train in what may have been a suicide attempt. He visited the gravesite of his deceased friend Ozaki Hōsai. In 1929 he returned briefly to Kumamoto to visit Sakino and publish some more haiku in Sōun. He also began a publication of his own, Sambaku (三八九), named after his boardinghouse. Soon, however, he was back on the road. During his trips, Santōka wore his priest's robe and a large bamboo hat known as a kasa to keep off the sun. He had one bowl, which he used both for alms getting and for eating. To survive, he went from house to house to beg. Begging (takuhatsu) is an important part of practice for monks in Japan, but, considering that Santōka was not a member of a monastery while he journeyed, begging just for his own needs, he was often regarded with disdain and on a few occasions even questioned by the police. A day's earnings would go toward a room at a guesthouse, food, and sake. It is clear from his diaries that he had very mixed feelings about his lifestyle:
March 28, 1933. Even if it means nothing to eat, I don't want to do any more of that hateful begging! People who have never done any begging seem to have difficulty understanding how I feel about this. November 26, 1934. Loving sake, savoring sake, enjoying sake is not so bad. But drowning in sake, rioting in sake—that won't do! Running around drinking in this messy way—utterly stupid! November 4, 1939. The rain began coming down in earnest and the wind was blowing hard It blew my hat off, and my glasses went flying too—what a mess! But a grade school student passing by retrieved them for me—many, many thanks! Rain kept getting worse, wind blowing stronger all the time—nothing to do but stop for the night at Okutomo—but none of the inns would have me. Let it be! is all I say and, looking like a drowned rat, I walk on, Finally can't go on any longer and take shelter in the lee of a roadside warehouse. I wring out my clothes, eat lunch, stay there for two hours. Deluge!—no other word for it—violent wind lashing it around, sheets of rain streaming sideways like a loose blind. I felt as though I had been bashed flat by heaven—a rather splendid feeling in fact. With evening I was able to make it as far as Shishikui, but again nobody would take me in. Finally I got to Kannoura, where I found an inn that would give me lodging, much to my relief. In 1932, Santōka settled down for a time at a cottage in Yamaguchi prefecture. He named it "Gochūan" (其中庵) after a verse in the Lotus Sutra. While there, he published his first book of poems Hachi no ko (鉢の子,"Rice Bowl Child"). He lived on the contributions of friends and admirers, whatever he could grow in his garden, and money sent from his son Ken. In 1934 he set off again on a walking trip, but soon grew seriously ill and had to return home. He attempted suicide but lived. In 1936, he again began to walk, intent on following the trail of the famous haiku poet Bashō (1644–1694) as described in Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Interior). He returned to Gōchuan after eight months. In 1938, Gochūan became unfit for habitation, and after another walking trip, Santōka settled down at a small temple near Matsuyama City. On October 11, 1940, Santōka died in his sleep. He had published seven collections of poems and numerous editions of Sambaku. He was fifty seven.
In a café we debate decadence a summer butterfly flits Seisensui (1884–1976) could be regarded as the originator of the free form haiku movement, though fellow writers Masaoka Shiki and Kawahigashi Hekigoto also deserve recognition. Writers following the early twentieth century movement known as free form or free style haiku (shinkeikō 新傾向, lit. 'new trend') composed haiku lacking both the traditional 5 7 5 syllabic rule and the requisite seasonal word (kigo). Santōka began regularly contributing poetry to Seisensui's haiku magazine Sōun (層雲, Layered Clouds). By 1916 he became an editor. That same year, however, was marked by the bankruptcy of his father's sake brewery after two years of spoiled stock. The family lost all that remained of their once great fortune. His father fled into hiding and Santōka moved his family to Kumamoto City on the southern island of Kyūshū, where plans to open a second hand bookstore soon materialized into the opening of a picture frame shop. Two years later, plagued by debt, Santōka's younger brother Jirō committed suicide. Then Santōka's grandmother died. In 1919, at the age of thirty seven, Santōka left his family in order to find a job in Tokyo. In 1920, following her parents' wishes, Santōka divorced his wife. His father died soon after. As an exponent of free style haiku, Santōka is often ranked alongside Ozaki Hōsai (1885–1926), a fellow student of Seisensui. They both suffered from the ill effects of their drinking habits and were similar in their reliance on Seisensui and other patrons of the arts for aid and support. The literary tone of their poems, however, differs. Santōka proved no more reliable at working a steady job than he had at going to college, and though he did secure a permanent position as a librarian in 1920, by 1922 he was again unemployed due to another "nervous breakdown." He stayed in Tokyo long enough to experience the Great Kantō earthquake, after which he was apparently jailed as a suspect Communist. Soon after being released, he returned to Kumamoto City where he helped Sakino keep shop. In 1924, an extremely drunk Santōka jumped in front of an oncoming train in what may have been a suicide attempt. He visited the gravesite of his deceased friend Ozaki Hōsai. In 1929 he returned briefly to Kumamoto to visit Sakino and publish some more haiku in Sōun. He also began a publication of his own, Sambaku (三八九), named after his boardinghouse. Soon, however, he was back on the road. During his trips, Santōka wore his priest's robe and a large bamboo hat known as a kasa to keep off the sun. He had one bowl, which he used both for alms getting and for eating. To survive, he went from house to house to beg. Begging (takuhatsu) is an important part of practice for monks in Japan, but, considering that Santōka was not a member of a monastery while he journeyed, begging just for his own needs, he was often regarded with disdain and on a few occasions even questioned by the police. A day's earnings would go toward a room at a guesthouse, food, and sake. It is clear from his diaries that he had very mixed feelings about his lifestyle:
March 28, 1933. Even if it means nothing to eat, I don't want to do any more of that hateful begging! People who have never done any begging seem to have difficulty understanding how I feel about this. November 26, 1934. Loving sake, savoring sake, enjoying sake is not so bad. But drowning in sake, rioting in sake—that won't do! Running around drinking in this messy way—utterly stupid! November 4, 1939. The rain began coming down in earnest and the wind was blowing hard It blew my hat off, and my glasses went flying too—what a mess! But a grade school student passing by retrieved them for me—many, many thanks! Rain kept getting worse, wind blowing stronger all the time—nothing to do but stop for the night at Okutomo—but none of the inns would have me. Let it be! is all I say and, looking like a drowned rat, I walk on, Finally can't go on any longer and take shelter in the lee of a roadside warehouse. I wring out my clothes, eat lunch, stay there for two hours. Deluge!—no other word for it—violent wind lashing it around, sheets of rain streaming sideways like a loose blind. I felt as though I had been bashed flat by heaven—a rather splendid feeling in fact. With evening I was able to make it as far as Shishikui, but again nobody would take me in. Finally I got to Kannoura, where I found an inn that would give me lodging, much to my relief. In 1932, Santōka settled down for a time at a cottage in Yamaguchi prefecture. He named it "Gochūan" (其中庵) after a verse in the Lotus Sutra. While there, he published his first book of poems Hachi no ko (鉢の子,"Rice Bowl Child"). He lived on the contributions of friends and admirers, whatever he could grow in his garden, and money sent from his son Ken. In 1934 he set off again on a walking trip, but soon grew seriously ill and had to return home. He attempted suicide but lived. In 1936, he again began to walk, intent on following the trail of the famous haiku poet Bashō (1644–1694) as described in Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Interior). He returned to Gōchuan after eight months. In 1938, Gochūan became unfit for habitation, and after another walking trip, Santōka settled down at a small temple near Matsuyama City. On October 11, 1940, Santōka died in his sleep. He had published seven collections of poems and numerous editions of Sambaku. He was fifty seven.
4 ноября 1939 года. Дождь начал лить как из ведра, и ветер дул сильно. Он сорвал с меня шляпу, и очки тоже улетели – какой беспорядок! Но ученик начальной школы, проходивший мимо, подобрал их для меня – огромное, огромное спасибо! Дождь становился все сильнее, ветер дул все сильнее – ничего не оставалось, как остановиться на ночь в Окутомо, но ни одна гостиница не хотела меня принять. Что ж, такова судьба! – говорю я и, мокрый как крыса, иду дальше. Наконец, больше не могу идти и укрываюсь под навесом дорожного склада. Выжимаю одежду, обедаю, провожу там два часа. Ливень! – другого слова и не подобрать – сильный ветер хлещет им, струи дождя летят вбок, как распущенные жалюзи. Я чувствовал, будто меня раздавили небеса – на самом деле, довольно приятное ощущение. К вечеру я смог добраться до Шишикуи, но и там меня никто не принял. Наконец, я добрался до Канноура, где нашел гостиницу, которая согласилась меня приютить, к моему великому облегчению.
In 1911, Santōka began publishing translations of Ivan Turgenev and Guy de Maupassant in the literary journal Seinen (青年, Youth) under the pen name Santōka (山頭火). The name is originally one of the list of natchin (納音), i. e., labels given to a person's year of birth according to the Chinese sexegenary cycle, which are used for divination. However, the natchin Santōka is unrelated to the actual year in which the poet was born. The word Santōka can be understood in at least two different ways. The literal meaning is "Mountain top Fire". However, it can also mean "Cremation ground Fire," since "mountain top" is a metaphor for cremation grounds in Japanese. It has been speculated that this choice of name could be related to the traumatic experience of the suicide of Santōka's mother. That same year, 1911, Santōka joined his area's local haiku group. At that time, his haiku mostly adhered to the traditional syllabic format, though some were hypersyllabic, for example:
In a café we debate decadence a summer butterfly flits Seisensui (1884–1976) could be regarded as the originator of the free form haiku movement, though fellow writers Masaoka Shiki and Kawahigashi Hekigoto also deserve recognition. Writers following the early twentieth century movement known as free form or free style haiku (shinkeikō 新傾向, lit. 'new trend') composed haiku lacking both the traditional 5 7 5 syllabic rule and the requisite seasonal word (kigo). Santōka began regularly contributing poetry to Seisensui's haiku magazine Sōun (層雲, Layered Clouds). By 1916 he became an editor. That same year, however, was marked by the bankruptcy of his father's sake brewery after two years of spoiled stock. The family lost all that remained of their once great fortune. His father fled into hiding and Santōka moved his family to Kumamoto City on the southern island of Kyūshū, where plans to open a second hand bookstore soon materialized into the opening of a picture frame shop. Two years later, plagued by debt, Santōka's younger brother Jirō committed suicide. Then Santōka's grandmother died. In 1919, at the age of thirty seven, Santōka left his family in order to find a job in Tokyo. In 1920, following her parents' wishes, Santōka divorced his wife. His father died soon after. As an exponent of free style haiku, Santōka is often ranked alongside Ozaki Hōsai (1885–1926), a fellow student of Seisensui. They both suffered from the ill effects of their drinking habits and were similar in their reliance on Seisensui and other patrons of the arts for aid and support. The literary tone of their poems, however, differs. Santōka proved no more reliable at working a steady job than he had at going to college, and though he did secure a permanent position as a librarian in 1920, by 1922 he was again unemployed due to another "nervous breakdown." He stayed in Tokyo long enough to experience the Great Kantō earthquake, after which he was apparently jailed as a suspect Communist. Soon after being released, he returned to Kumamoto City where he helped Sakino keep shop. In 1924, an extremely drunk Santōka jumped in front of an oncoming train in what may have been a suicide attempt. He visited the gravesite of his deceased friend Ozaki Hōsai. In 1929 he returned briefly to Kumamoto to visit Sakino and publish some more haiku in Sōun. He also began a publication of his own, Sambaku (三八九), named after his boardinghouse. Soon, however, he was back on the road. During his trips, Santōka wore his priest's robe and a large bamboo hat known as a kasa to keep off the sun. He had one bowl, which he used both for alms getting and for eating. To survive, he went from house to house to beg. Begging (takuhatsu) is an important part of practice for monks in Japan, but, considering that Santōka was not a member of a monastery while he journeyed, begging just for his own needs, he was often regarded with disdain and on a few occasions even questioned by the police. A day's earnings would go toward a room at a guesthouse, food, and sake. It is clear from his diaries that he had very mixed feelings about his lifestyle:
March 28, 1933. Even if it means nothing to eat, I don't want to do any more of that hateful begging! People who have never done any begging seem to have difficulty understanding how I feel about this. November 26, 1934. Loving sake, savoring sake, enjoying sake is not so bad. But drowning in sake, rioting in sake—that won't do! Running around drinking in this messy way—utterly stupid! November 4, 1939. The rain began coming down in earnest and the wind was blowing hard It blew my hat off, and my glasses went flying too—what a mess! But a grade school student passing by retrieved them for me—many, many thanks! Rain kept getting worse, wind blowing stronger all the time—nothing to do but stop for the night at Okutomo—but none of the inns would have me. Let it be! is all I say and, looking like a drowned rat, I walk on, Finally can't go on any longer and take shelter in the lee of a roadside warehouse. I wring out my clothes, eat lunch, stay there for two hours. Deluge!—no other word for it—violent wind lashing it around, sheets of rain streaming sideways like a loose blind. I felt as though I had been bashed flat by heaven—a rather splendid feeling in fact. With evening I was able to make it as far as Shishikui, but again nobody would take me in. Finally I got to Kannoura, where I found an inn that would give me lodging, much to my relief. In 1932, Santōka settled down for a time at a cottage in Yamaguchi prefecture. He named it "Gochūan" (其中庵) after a verse in the Lotus Sutra. While there, he published his first book of poems Hachi no ko (鉢の子,"Rice Bowl Child"). He lived on the contributions of friends and admirers, whatever he could grow in his garden, and money sent from his son Ken. In 1934 he set off again on a walking trip, but soon grew seriously ill and had to return home. He attempted suicide but lived. In 1936, he again began to walk, intent on following the trail of the famous haiku poet Bashō (1644–1694) as described in Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Interior). He returned to Gōchuan after eight months. In 1938, Gochūan became unfit for habitation, and after another walking trip, Santōka settled down at a small temple near Matsuyama City. On October 11, 1940, Santōka died in his sleep. He had published seven collections of poems and numerous editions of Sambaku. He was fifty seven.
In a café we debate decadence a summer butterfly flits Seisensui (1884–1976) could be regarded as the originator of the free form haiku movement, though fellow writers Masaoka Shiki and Kawahigashi Hekigoto also deserve recognition. Writers following the early twentieth century movement known as free form or free style haiku (shinkeikō 新傾向, lit. 'new trend') composed haiku lacking both the traditional 5 7 5 syllabic rule and the requisite seasonal word (kigo). Santōka began regularly contributing poetry to Seisensui's haiku magazine Sōun (層雲, Layered Clouds). By 1916 he became an editor. That same year, however, was marked by the bankruptcy of his father's sake brewery after two years of spoiled stock. The family lost all that remained of their once great fortune. His father fled into hiding and Santōka moved his family to Kumamoto City on the southern island of Kyūshū, where plans to open a second hand bookstore soon materialized into the opening of a picture frame shop. Two years later, plagued by debt, Santōka's younger brother Jirō committed suicide. Then Santōka's grandmother died. In 1919, at the age of thirty seven, Santōka left his family in order to find a job in Tokyo. In 1920, following her parents' wishes, Santōka divorced his wife. His father died soon after. As an exponent of free style haiku, Santōka is often ranked alongside Ozaki Hōsai (1885–1926), a fellow student of Seisensui. They both suffered from the ill effects of their drinking habits and were similar in their reliance on Seisensui and other patrons of the arts for aid and support. The literary tone of their poems, however, differs. Santōka proved no more reliable at working a steady job than he had at going to college, and though he did secure a permanent position as a librarian in 1920, by 1922 he was again unemployed due to another "nervous breakdown." He stayed in Tokyo long enough to experience the Great Kantō earthquake, after which he was apparently jailed as a suspect Communist. Soon after being released, he returned to Kumamoto City where he helped Sakino keep shop. In 1924, an extremely drunk Santōka jumped in front of an oncoming train in what may have been a suicide attempt. He visited the gravesite of his deceased friend Ozaki Hōsai. In 1929 he returned briefly to Kumamoto to visit Sakino and publish some more haiku in Sōun. He also began a publication of his own, Sambaku (三八九), named after his boardinghouse. Soon, however, he was back on the road. During his trips, Santōka wore his priest's robe and a large bamboo hat known as a kasa to keep off the sun. He had one bowl, which he used both for alms getting and for eating. To survive, he went from house to house to beg. Begging (takuhatsu) is an important part of practice for monks in Japan, but, considering that Santōka was not a member of a monastery while he journeyed, begging just for his own needs, he was often regarded with disdain and on a few occasions even questioned by the police. A day's earnings would go toward a room at a guesthouse, food, and sake. It is clear from his diaries that he had very mixed feelings about his lifestyle:
March 28, 1933. Even if it means nothing to eat, I don't want to do any more of that hateful begging! People who have never done any begging seem to have difficulty understanding how I feel about this. November 26, 1934. Loving sake, savoring sake, enjoying sake is not so bad. But drowning in sake, rioting in sake—that won't do! Running around drinking in this messy way—utterly stupid! November 4, 1939. The rain began coming down in earnest and the wind was blowing hard It blew my hat off, and my glasses went flying too—what a mess! But a grade school student passing by retrieved them for me—many, many thanks! Rain kept getting worse, wind blowing stronger all the time—nothing to do but stop for the night at Okutomo—but none of the inns would have me. Let it be! is all I say and, looking like a drowned rat, I walk on, Finally can't go on any longer and take shelter in the lee of a roadside warehouse. I wring out my clothes, eat lunch, stay there for two hours. Deluge!—no other word for it—violent wind lashing it around, sheets of rain streaming sideways like a loose blind. I felt as though I had been bashed flat by heaven—a rather splendid feeling in fact. With evening I was able to make it as far as Shishikui, but again nobody would take me in. Finally I got to Kannoura, where I found an inn that would give me lodging, much to my relief. In 1932, Santōka settled down for a time at a cottage in Yamaguchi prefecture. He named it "Gochūan" (其中庵) after a verse in the Lotus Sutra. While there, he published his first book of poems Hachi no ko (鉢の子,"Rice Bowl Child"). He lived on the contributions of friends and admirers, whatever he could grow in his garden, and money sent from his son Ken. In 1934 he set off again on a walking trip, but soon grew seriously ill and had to return home. He attempted suicide but lived. In 1936, he again began to walk, intent on following the trail of the famous haiku poet Bashō (1644–1694) as described in Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Interior). He returned to Gōchuan after eight months. In 1938, Gochūan became unfit for habitation, and after another walking trip, Santōka settled down at a small temple near Matsuyama City. On October 11, 1940, Santōka died in his sleep. He had published seven collections of poems and numerous editions of Sambaku. He was fifty seven.
В 1932 году Сантока поселился на время в коттедже в префектуре Ямагути. Он назвал его "Гочу:ан" (其中庵) по строке из Лотосовой сутры. Там он опубликовал свою первую книгу стихов "Хати но ко" (鉢の子, "Ребенок в чаше"). Он жил на пожертвования друзей и поклонников, на то, что мог вырастить в своем саду, и на деньги, присланные его сыном Кэном. В 1934 году он снова отправился в пешее путешествие, но вскоре серьезно заболел и был вынужден вернуться домой. Он предпринял попытку самоубийства, но выжил. В 1936 году он снова отправился в путь, намереваясь следовать по пути знаменитого поэта хайку Басё (1644–1694), описанному в "Оку но Хосомити" ("Узкая дорога в глубь"). Он вернулся в Гочу:ан через восемь месяцев. В 1938 году Гочу:ан стал непригодным для жилья, и после очередного пешего путешествия Сантока поселился в небольшом храме недалеко от города Мацуяма. 11 октября 1940 года Сантока умер во сне. Он опубликовал семь сборников стихов и многочисленные издания "Самбаку". Ему было пятьдесят семь лет.
In 1911, Santōka began publishing translations of Ivan Turgenev and Guy de Maupassant in the literary journal Seinen (青年, Youth) under the pen name Santōka (山頭火). The name is originally one of the list of natchin (納音), i. e., labels given to a person's year of birth according to the Chinese sexegenary cycle, which are used for divination. However, the natchin Santōka is unrelated to the actual year in which the poet was born. The word Santōka can be understood in at least two different ways. The literal meaning is "Mountain top Fire". However, it can also mean "Cremation ground Fire," since "mountain top" is a metaphor for cremation grounds in Japanese. It has been speculated that this choice of name could be related to the traumatic experience of the suicide of Santōka's mother. That same year, 1911, Santōka joined his area's local haiku group. At that time, his haiku mostly adhered to the traditional syllabic format, though some were hypersyllabic, for example:
In a café we debate decadence a summer butterfly flits Seisensui (1884–1976) could be regarded as the originator of the free form haiku movement, though fellow writers Masaoka Shiki and Kawahigashi Hekigoto also deserve recognition. Writers following the early twentieth century movement known as free form or free style haiku (shinkeikō 新傾向, lit. 'new trend') composed haiku lacking both the traditional 5 7 5 syllabic rule and the requisite seasonal word (kigo). Santōka began regularly contributing poetry to Seisensui's haiku magazine Sōun (層雲, Layered Clouds). By 1916 he became an editor. That same year, however, was marked by the bankruptcy of his father's sake brewery after two years of spoiled stock. The family lost all that remained of their once great fortune. His father fled into hiding and Santōka moved his family to Kumamoto City on the southern island of Kyūshū, where plans to open a second hand bookstore soon materialized into the opening of a picture frame shop. Two years later, plagued by debt, Santōka's younger brother Jirō committed suicide. Then Santōka's grandmother died. In 1919, at the age of thirty seven, Santōka left his family in order to find a job in Tokyo. In 1920, following her parents' wishes, Santōka divorced his wife. His father died soon after. As an exponent of free style haiku, Santōka is often ranked alongside Ozaki Hōsai (1885–1926), a fellow student of Seisensui. They both suffered from the ill effects of their drinking habits and were similar in their reliance on Seisensui and other patrons of the arts for aid and support. The literary tone of their poems, however, differs. Santōka proved no more reliable at working a steady job than he had at going to college, and though he did secure a permanent position as a librarian in 1920, by 1922 he was again unemployed due to another "nervous breakdown." He stayed in Tokyo long enough to experience the Great Kantō earthquake, after which he was apparently jailed as a suspect Communist. Soon after being released, he returned to Kumamoto City where he helped Sakino keep shop. In 1924, an extremely drunk Santōka jumped in front of an oncoming train in what may have been a suicide attempt. He visited the gravesite of his deceased friend Ozaki Hōsai. In 1929 he returned briefly to Kumamoto to visit Sakino and publish some more haiku in Sōun. He also began a publication of his own, Sambaku (三八九), named after his boardinghouse. Soon, however, he was back on the road. During his trips, Santōka wore his priest's robe and a large bamboo hat known as a kasa to keep off the sun. He had one bowl, which he used both for alms getting and for eating. To survive, he went from house to house to beg. Begging (takuhatsu) is an important part of practice for monks in Japan, but, considering that Santōka was not a member of a monastery while he journeyed, begging just for his own needs, he was often regarded with disdain and on a few occasions even questioned by the police. A day's earnings would go toward a room at a guesthouse, food, and sake. It is clear from his diaries that he had very mixed feelings about his lifestyle:
March 28, 1933. Even if it means nothing to eat, I don't want to do any more of that hateful begging! People who have never done any begging seem to have difficulty understanding how I feel about this. November 26, 1934. Loving sake, savoring sake, enjoying sake is not so bad. But drowning in sake, rioting in sake—that won't do! Running around drinking in this messy way—utterly stupid! November 4, 1939. The rain began coming down in earnest and the wind was blowing hard It blew my hat off, and my glasses went flying too—what a mess! But a grade school student passing by retrieved them for me—many, many thanks! Rain kept getting worse, wind blowing stronger all the time—nothing to do but stop for the night at Okutomo—but none of the inns would have me. Let it be! is all I say and, looking like a drowned rat, I walk on, Finally can't go on any longer and take shelter in the lee of a roadside warehouse. I wring out my clothes, eat lunch, stay there for two hours. Deluge!—no other word for it—violent wind lashing it around, sheets of rain streaming sideways like a loose blind. I felt as though I had been bashed flat by heaven—a rather splendid feeling in fact. With evening I was able to make it as far as Shishikui, but again nobody would take me in. Finally I got to Kannoura, where I found an inn that would give me lodging, much to my relief. In 1932, Santōka settled down for a time at a cottage in Yamaguchi prefecture. He named it "Gochūan" (其中庵) after a verse in the Lotus Sutra. While there, he published his first book of poems Hachi no ko (鉢の子,"Rice Bowl Child"). He lived on the contributions of friends and admirers, whatever he could grow in his garden, and money sent from his son Ken. In 1934 he set off again on a walking trip, but soon grew seriously ill and had to return home. He attempted suicide but lived. In 1936, he again began to walk, intent on following the trail of the famous haiku poet Bashō (1644–1694) as described in Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Interior). He returned to Gōchuan after eight months. In 1938, Gochūan became unfit for habitation, and after another walking trip, Santōka settled down at a small temple near Matsuyama City. On October 11, 1940, Santōka died in his sleep. He had published seven collections of poems and numerous editions of Sambaku. He was fifty seven.
In a café we debate decadence a summer butterfly flits Seisensui (1884–1976) could be regarded as the originator of the free form haiku movement, though fellow writers Masaoka Shiki and Kawahigashi Hekigoto also deserve recognition. Writers following the early twentieth century movement known as free form or free style haiku (shinkeikō 新傾向, lit. 'new trend') composed haiku lacking both the traditional 5 7 5 syllabic rule and the requisite seasonal word (kigo). Santōka began regularly contributing poetry to Seisensui's haiku magazine Sōun (層雲, Layered Clouds). By 1916 he became an editor. That same year, however, was marked by the bankruptcy of his father's sake brewery after two years of spoiled stock. The family lost all that remained of their once great fortune. His father fled into hiding and Santōka moved his family to Kumamoto City on the southern island of Kyūshū, where plans to open a second hand bookstore soon materialized into the opening of a picture frame shop. Two years later, plagued by debt, Santōka's younger brother Jirō committed suicide. Then Santōka's grandmother died. In 1919, at the age of thirty seven, Santōka left his family in order to find a job in Tokyo. In 1920, following her parents' wishes, Santōka divorced his wife. His father died soon after. As an exponent of free style haiku, Santōka is often ranked alongside Ozaki Hōsai (1885–1926), a fellow student of Seisensui. They both suffered from the ill effects of their drinking habits and were similar in their reliance on Seisensui and other patrons of the arts for aid and support. The literary tone of their poems, however, differs. Santōka proved no more reliable at working a steady job than he had at going to college, and though he did secure a permanent position as a librarian in 1920, by 1922 he was again unemployed due to another "nervous breakdown." He stayed in Tokyo long enough to experience the Great Kantō earthquake, after which he was apparently jailed as a suspect Communist. Soon after being released, he returned to Kumamoto City where he helped Sakino keep shop. In 1924, an extremely drunk Santōka jumped in front of an oncoming train in what may have been a suicide attempt. He visited the gravesite of his deceased friend Ozaki Hōsai. In 1929 he returned briefly to Kumamoto to visit Sakino and publish some more haiku in Sōun. He also began a publication of his own, Sambaku (三八九), named after his boardinghouse. Soon, however, he was back on the road. During his trips, Santōka wore his priest's robe and a large bamboo hat known as a kasa to keep off the sun. He had one bowl, which he used both for alms getting and for eating. To survive, he went from house to house to beg. Begging (takuhatsu) is an important part of practice for monks in Japan, but, considering that Santōka was not a member of a monastery while he journeyed, begging just for his own needs, he was often regarded with disdain and on a few occasions even questioned by the police. A day's earnings would go toward a room at a guesthouse, food, and sake. It is clear from his diaries that he had very mixed feelings about his lifestyle:
March 28, 1933. Even if it means nothing to eat, I don't want to do any more of that hateful begging! People who have never done any begging seem to have difficulty understanding how I feel about this. November 26, 1934. Loving sake, savoring sake, enjoying sake is not so bad. But drowning in sake, rioting in sake—that won't do! Running around drinking in this messy way—utterly stupid! November 4, 1939. The rain began coming down in earnest and the wind was blowing hard It blew my hat off, and my glasses went flying too—what a mess! But a grade school student passing by retrieved them for me—many, many thanks! Rain kept getting worse, wind blowing stronger all the time—nothing to do but stop for the night at Okutomo—but none of the inns would have me. Let it be! is all I say and, looking like a drowned rat, I walk on, Finally can't go on any longer and take shelter in the lee of a roadside warehouse. I wring out my clothes, eat lunch, stay there for two hours. Deluge!—no other word for it—violent wind lashing it around, sheets of rain streaming sideways like a loose blind. I felt as though I had been bashed flat by heaven—a rather splendid feeling in fact. With evening I was able to make it as far as Shishikui, but again nobody would take me in. Finally I got to Kannoura, where I found an inn that would give me lodging, much to my relief. In 1932, Santōka settled down for a time at a cottage in Yamaguchi prefecture. He named it "Gochūan" (其中庵) after a verse in the Lotus Sutra. While there, he published his first book of poems Hachi no ko (鉢の子,"Rice Bowl Child"). He lived on the contributions of friends and admirers, whatever he could grow in his garden, and money sent from his son Ken. In 1934 he set off again on a walking trip, but soon grew seriously ill and had to return home. He attempted suicide but lived. In 1936, he again began to walk, intent on following the trail of the famous haiku poet Bashō (1644–1694) as described in Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Interior). He returned to Gōchuan after eight months. In 1938, Gochūan became unfit for habitation, and after another walking trip, Santōka settled down at a small temple near Matsuyama City. On October 11, 1940, Santōka died in his sleep. He had published seven collections of poems and numerous editions of Sambaku. He was fifty seven.