BASHÕ III Poem by Cees Nooteboom

On his hat of cypress he wrote: Nowhere in this universe
have I found a settled home. Death took his hat off.
As he should. But the line stayed with us.
Only in his poems could he live.
A little time and you will see the cherry blossoms of Yoshino.
Set your sandals under the tree, lay your brushes to rest.
Tuck your staff in your hat, fashion the water in lines,
The light is yours, so too is the night.
A little while, cypress hat, and you too will see them,
The snow of Yoshino, the ice cap of Sado,
The island that embarks for Sorën over gravestone waves.