KANAE
221Haiku 俳句

めでたさも中位なりおらが春

Medetasa mo chū kurai nari ora ga haru

“A happiness about medium, I'd say — my own New Year.”

Attributed to Kobayashi Issa · Edo

The meaning

Neither triumph nor distress: a new year welcomed with modest, lucid contentment. Issa signs here an art of living — accepting that "medium" is already much.

At the origin

The opening of the poetic journal "Ora ga haru" (My Spring, 1819).

The characters

  1. めでたさ medetasahappiness
  2. motoo, also
  3. 中位 chū kuraimiddling
  4. なり
  5. おら

The complete word-by-word reading, in KANAE.

Particle“Also, even”: adds or strengthens.

In practice

Welcome today's average day as a real good.

Themes

Similar proverbs

Related expressions

See also