Ambitious Snail :: Haiku of Japan #50

蝸牛そろそろ登れ富士の山
Katatsumuri sorosoro nobore Fuji no yama


O snail
little by little climb
Mount Fuji


(Tr. David LaSpina)

(Print by Toshi Yoshida)

This is one of Issa's most famous haiku. As such, you may have seen it before, or some variation of it. As often with haiku translations floating around, they are more the product of the mind of the translator than the original poet (cough Robert Hass) but if you ever see one with a snail and Mt Fuji, it's probably this one.

There are various interpretations of it. Many people take it to mean persevere and you can accomplish anything, and indeed that is the meaning I'm suggesting with the title. Blyth had a different interpretation, however. He wrote:

If you are a snail, be a snail. And if as a snail you climb, follow your snail nature, your Buddha nature, and climb slowly, slowly!

I think that's more on the mark. Trying to stuff a motivational message in a poem doesn't really fit with any of the ideals of early hokku poets, nor does it fit with any of Issa's other poems. Issa was kind to all creatures and talked to them as if they were his friends. Here he is talking to his friend, telling it to be itself and climb the mountain slowly as is its nature.

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Don't miss other great haiku in the Haiku of Japan series!

#1–10 — Haiku of Japan :: Collection #1
#11–20 — Haiku of Japan :: Collection #2
#21–30 — Haiku of Japan :: Collection #3
#31—40 — Haiku of Japan :: Collection #4
#41 — Falling Camellia
#42 — Snow Falling
#43 — Morning Glory Shack
#44 — My Father's Face
#45 — Dragonfly Hunter
#46 — Fallen Butterfly
#47 — Fading Dreams of Ancient Warriors
#48 — Battleground Pear Tree

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I post one photo everyday, as well as a haiku and as time allows, videos, more Japanese history, and so on. Let me know if there is anything about Japan you would like to know more about or would like to see.

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	David LaSpina is an American photographer lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time.