Introductory paragraph

The Records of a Travel-Worn Satchel
by
Basho
from a translation by Nobuyuki Yuasa



I am including this paragraph from this particular 
journal because I believe it provides real insights in to Basho's motives and 
motivations, and allows us to see him as a man and a poet.


In this mortal frame of mine which is made of a hundred
bones and nine orfices there is something, and this
something is called a wind-swept spirit for lack of a 
better name, for it is much like a thin drapery that is 
torn and swept away at the slightest stir of the wind.
This something in me took to writing poetry years ago,
merely to amuse itself at first, but finally making it 
its lifelong business. It must be admitted, however, 
that there were times when it sank into such dejection
that it was almost ready to drop its pursuit, or again
times when it was so puffed up with pride that it exulted
in vain victories over the others. Indeed, ever since it
began towrite poetry, it has never found peace with itself,
always wavering between doubts of one kind and another. At
one time it wanted to gain security by entering the service
of a court, and at another it wished to measure the depth
of its ignorance by trying to be a scholar, but it was 
prevented from either because of its unquenchable love of
poetry. The fact is, it knows no other art than the art of
writing poetry, and therefore, it hangs on to it more or
less blindly.






Basho:Gentlest Friend of Moon & Winds
A childrens story for all ages


Interpretations of Basho' work.


Commentaries on
Basho's "lonely road".


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