In his letter, Basho reproaches Shado for his course of action. This letter, which contains phrases such as “You think too much of yourself,” and “If you will not do as I say, I will break off our relationship,” is notable for the harshness of Basho’s tone, something seldom seen in his other letters.
Basho-o ekotoba den (The Life of the Venerable Basho in Pictures and Words), 1 volume Chomu, author
In this work, the mid-Edo-period haiku poet Chomu, a priest of the Jodo-shu Buddhist sect who hailed from Kyoto, depicts Basho’s life story to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his death. Born nearly 40 years after Basho’s death, Chomu never met the haiku master in person, but he conducted yearly memorial rites for Basho at Gichuji Temple, where Basho’s grave is located, and he traveled throughout the provinces to publicly honor Basho and promote recognition of his achievements.
The published work shown here was based upon an emakimono (picture scroll) which can be found at Gichuji Temple.
洒堂宛芭蕉書簡 松尾芭蕉 筆
芭蕉が門人の洒堂に宛てた手紙です。洒堂への忠告などが書かれています。
洒堂は近江国の膳所（現在の滋賀県大津市）の医者でした。洒堂は大坂（現大阪市）に移り、俳諧師を名乗り弟子をとるようになりましたが、このことで大坂にいた芭蕉の門人之道と不仲になりました。
手紙の文面は、芭蕉が洒堂のそのような振る舞いをたしなめる内容です。「利口ぶる心がある」、「言うとおりにしなければ絶交する」と田野芭蕉の手紙には余り見られない厳しい表現があり、まことに興味深い内容です。
Letter from Basho to Shado
In his letter, Basho reproaches Shado for his course of action. This letter, which contains phrases such as “You think too much of yourself,” and “If you will not do as I say, I will break off our relationship,” is notable for the harshness of Basho’s tone, something seldom seen in his other letters.