A visit to a fifteen hundred year-old tree

In “The Records of a Travel-worn Satchel” (also known as “The Knapsack Notebook”) Matsuo Bashō admits,

“that my records are little more than the babble of the intoxicated and the rambling talk of the dreaming, and therefore my readers are kindly requested to take them as such.”

Makes me think of Oscar Wilde, “Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about.” Or Boris Vian, “Cette histoire est vraie puisque je l’ai inventée.” (This story is true, because I made it up).

At Mount Kazuraki:

God of this mountain,

May you be kind enough

To show your face

Among the dawning blossoms?

After visits to Mount Miwa and Mount Tafu, I climbed the steep pass of Hoso.

Higher than the lark,

I climbed into the air,

Taking a breath

At the summit of a pass.

…

Every turn of the road brought me new thoughts and every sunrise gave me fresh emotions.

Matsuo Bashō, “The Records of a Travel-worn Satchel”