Yetgeul › Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Deep North) › Complete in one volume
Sora曾良
Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Deep North) Complete in one volume "The months and days are the travelers of a hundred generations, and the years that come and go are travelers too" — the travel record of Bashō, who left Edo at forty-six and walked Ōshū and Hokuriku for five months. In the summer grass he sees the dreams of warriors, in the rock he hears the voice of the cicadas soaking in, and under one roof he likens the sleeping women of pleasure to bush clover and the moon. Wherever the prose comes to rest, a haiku is set down. Beside the pilgrim records of Faxian, Xuanzang, and Hyecho, this is one more road in this library.
1Sora, the Friend Who Goes With Me
曾良は河合氏にして惣五郞と云り芭蕉の下葉に軒をならべて予か薪水の勞をたすくこのたび松島象潟の眺めともにせん事を悅びかつは羈旅の難をいたはらんとたびだつ曉髮を剃て墨染にさまをかへ改て惣五を宗悟とすよりて黑髮山の句有り衣かへの二字力ありて聞ゆ
Sora is of the Kawai family, and his name is Sōgorō. He lived below the Bashō Hut with his eaves beside mine, and he helped me with the labor of firewood and water. This time he was glad that we would see the views of Matsushima and Kisakata together, and, wishing also to ease the hardships of the road, on the dawn of our departure he shaved his head, changed his form for ink-dyed robes, and made Sōgo (惣五) into Sōgo (宗悟). That is why there is the verse about Mount Kurokami. In the two words "change my robes" one hears a strength.
Interlinear notes 2
一本良トアリ
Another text has 「良」.
一本なかめをトアリ
Another text has 「なかめを」.