Yosa Buson

Yosa Buson is born in 1716 at Kema in Settsu, now Osaka, and dies in Kyoto in January 1784, the twelfth month of 1783. His family name is Taniguchi; he learns haikai in Edo from Hayano Hajin, then wanders ten years in the eastern provinces and Ōu. He signs himself Buson first at Utsunomiya in 1744, and takes Yosa on his return from painting in Tango. He settles in Kyoto in 1751 and follows Hajin as the second Yahantei in 1770. He is called, with Ike no Taiga, the completer of bunjinga 文人画, and of haiga 俳画 alone, as in his Oku no hosomichi scrolls of 1778. He rebuilds Bashō’s hut at Konpuku-ji in 1776 and is buried there; his pupil Kitō’s Akegarasu, 1773, declares the revival of Bashō’s style, and Buson kushū, 1784, gathers his poems.

Spring

• Perched upon
• Oh! distant past
• The kite flies
• A show’r in spring
• Done is the long spring day
• Coming to see the flow’rs
• The night of the Spring,—
• The nightingale

Summer

• Oh, how cool—

Winter

• How distant on the fallen leaves
• Some water-fowl
• Poison-fish soup last night
• Ash-smothered coals

Sources

1. 日本大百科全書 and 改訂新版 世界大百科事典, 蕪村, on Kotobank
2. デジタル大辞泉 and 精選版 日本国語大辞典, 与謝蕪村, on Kotobank
3. 精選版 日本国語大辞典, 夜半亭 (Yahantei), on Kotobank
4. デジタル大辞泉, 高井几董 (Takai Kitō), on Kotobank
5. 精選版 日本国語大辞典 and 世界大百科事典, 俳画 (haiga), on Kotobank
6. 世界大百科事典, 文人画 (bunjinga), 日本の文人画, on Kotobank
7. 日本歴史地名大系, 金福寺 (Konpuku-ji), on Kotobank
8. 精選版 日本国語大辞典, 蕪村句集 (Buson kushū), on Kotobank
9. 文化遺産データベース (Agency for Cultural Affairs), 紙本墨画淡彩夜色楼台図 与謝蕪村筆
10. 文化遺産オンライン, 紙本淡彩奥の細道図 与謝蕪村筆
11. e国宝 (National Institutes for Cultural Heritage), 奥の細道図, A甲534