Book of the Week – Monkey’s Raincoat by Matsuo Bashō, translated by Maeda Cana

Some books are important because of what they contain. Others are important because they show us how a literary tradition was formed. Monkey’s Raincoat (Sarumino), translated by Maeda Cana, manages both.

Originally published in 1691, Sarumino is one of the seven major anthologies associated with Matsuo Bashō and his disciples. Compiled by Kyorai and Bonchō under Bashō’s guidance, it is often regarded as the finest representation of his mature style, reflecting the poetic insights he developed after his journey recorded in Oku no Hosomichi.

Unlike many collections in the THF Digital Library, this volume is not simply a gathering of haiku. Maeda Cana presents four complete renku sequences from the anthology, accompanied by commentary and notes that help readers understand the art of linked verse. For anyone interested in the roots of haiku, the book offers a rare opportunity to see how poems converse with one another across a sequence.

The anthology takes its title from one of Bashō’s most beloved opening verses:

first winter rain
the monkey wants
a raincoat too (p. 35)

The verse is characteristic of Bashō. The monkey is observed with sympathy rather than sentimentality. Human and animal share the same vulnerability before the weather. The poem reminds us how often Bashō found common ground between the natural world and human experience.

A few pages later, another verse captures a very different mood:

the moonflower
opening before dawn (p. 43)

The image is simple, yet it demonstrates the attentiveness that lies at the heart of Bashō’s poetics. Nothing dramatic happens. The opening flower is enough.

In Summer Moon, light becomes a shaping presence:

summer moon
pine shadows
upon the sand (p. 50)

The verse works almost like a brush painting. The contrast between moonlight and shadow creates depth while leaving ample space for the reader’s imagination.

Humour and everyday life also find their place within the anthology:

a katydid singing
from the sleeve
of a traveller’s robe (p. 61)

The insect’s unexpected location introduces a moment of surprise. Nature is never distant in Bashō’s world. It travels alongside us.

The final sequence offers a scene of renewal:

young plum leaves
the village path
brightening after rain (p. 73)

What brightens here is not only the path but perception itself. Bashō repeatedly shows how seasonal change can alter the way we encounter the world.

As you read these linked sequences, consider how differently they operate from modern haiku collections. Rather than standing alone, each verse responds to what came before while opening possibilities for what follows. Which link in the chain catches your attention most, and why?

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You can read the entire collection in the THF Digital Library.

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Do you have a full-length or chapbook collection published in 2021 or earlier that you would like featured as a Book of the Week? Contact us for details. Book of the Week selections are made by THF Digital Librarian Vidya Premkumar and are featured with permission.