鬼もいや菩薩もいやとなまこ哉
oni mo iya bosatsu mo iya to namako kana


demons are no good
buddhas too
says a sea slug


—Issa
(Tr. David LaSpina)

_{(Sea Cucumber by Ed Bierman, creative commons licensed)}

Sea cucumbers (namako) are often given as sea slugs in haiku translations, a tradition I'm following. I've always thought they look more like slugs anyway, so the name fits their appearance better from my perspective.

This is one of Issa's tougher haiku to pin down. Just what is he getting at. There are almost as many interpretations as their are scholars who have studied the haiku.

The interpretation I agree with most is that this is Issa at his most critical, poking at people who have no strong belief in gods or devils. You who can't have faith in something are no more than sea slugs, he is saying. Issa was a Buddhist monk and quite serious about it.

The sea slug is traditionally known as a wishy-washy creature. In Japanese mythology it is said that when the gods were asking all the sea creatures how they would serve mankind, only the sea slug remained silent. So angry was one of the goddesses (amanozume-no-mikoto) that she cursed the sea slug to always remain as indecisive and wishy-washy forever more. Some versions of the tale say that she also took a dagger and cut the creature's mouth into the strange orifice that it now has.

Knowing that, perhaps you can see my interpretation of Issa's haiku. But that doesn't mean it's correct. What do you think he meant?

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

Recent Haiku

• 81 — Winter Game
• 82 — Hated Crow
• 83 — Passing Through
• 84 — Dried Salmon
• 85 — Little Demon Hunters
• 86 — Still Alive
• 87 — After Demon Purification
• 88 — Burning House
• 89 — Cold Night
• 90 — Midnight Noises
• 91 — Still Laughing
• 92 — Paper, Rock, Scissors
• 93 — Straight Hole
• 94 — Dreams of Cherry Blossoms
• 95 — Doll Faces

Collections

• Collection 1 :: Haiku 1–10
• Collection 2 :: Haiku 11–20
• Collection 3 :: Haiku 21-30
• Collection 4 :: Haiku 31-40
• Collection 5 :: Haiku 41-50
• Collection 6 :: Haiku 51-60
• Collection 7 :: Haiku 61–70
• Collection 8 :: Haiku 71–80

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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.

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