The End of Basho's Life

Japanese: 芭蕉翁終焉記 - ばしょうおうしゅうえんき

This is a memorial essay for Basho written by Kikaku and included in the Basho Memorial Collection "Kareobihana" (Dry Owl), published in 1694 (7th year of Genroku). The essay focuses on Basho's life as one of solitude, poverty and virtue, and describes his actions throughout his life, whether he was traveling or at his hut, or in his relationships with ancient people and disciples, quoting haiku from each occasion. It describes Basho as someone who "made the scenery wherever he went his heart and played with it," who had a "habit of loving scenery," who was invited by ancient people and inspired by the guardian deities of the road to travel, who was revered as "the teacher of righteousness," who had a "free and wild body, and the whole world copied his words," and who was loved as the Saigyo of his time and the Doso-bi of haiku.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

1694年(元禄7)に出た其角編の芭蕉追善集《枯尾花》に収める，其角作の芭蕉追悼文。内容は，孤独貧窮と徳業に富むという点を芭蕉の生涯の基本とし，その生涯にわたって，旅や草庵における，あるいは古人や門人とのかかわりの中での芭蕉の行動を，その折々の句文を引用しながら述べる。〈ゆく所至る処の風景を心の物にして遊〉び，〈風景を好める癖〉を持つ芭蕉，古人に誘われ，道祖神に旅への思いを誘われる芭蕉，〈正風の師〉と仰がれ，〈自由躰放狂躰，世こぞって口うつし〉し，当代の西行，俳諧の杜子美と慕われた芭蕉を描いている。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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