Basho's "Lumpy snowflakes ~ twist into mochi threads"
by Frank Watson
My Translation

Lumpy snowflakes

Twist into mochi threads—

The weeping willow


Original Japanese


餅雪を白糸となす柳哉


Pronunciation


Mochi-yuki wo

Shira-ito to nasu

Yanagi kana


Literal


Large snowflakes

White thread into make/form/do/change into

Weeping willow how!


“Mochi-yuki” is large snowflakes that remind people of mochi, or rice cakes. “Shiro-ito-mochi” is a special mochi twisted into the shape of thread. A weeping willow’s leaves are like threads. So the haiku is saying something like “the large, clumpy snowflakes on the weeping willow look like rice cakes twisted into threads.”

All writings and translations are Copyright © by Frank Watson, also writing as "Blue Flute" (2011-2014).
Year: 
2011