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- Twenty-seventh, last seventh,
- According to Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei, this date corresponds to May 16 in the western calendar.
- Away, wan moon, waning moon, brilliance, the sky
- This is a quotation from the "Broom Tree" chapter of the Tale of Genji.
- Cherry blossoms, Yanaka, flowering branches,
- The cherry blossoms of Ueno Yanaka were one of the famous sights of Edo. Here Basho wonders when, if ever, he will see them again. This may be an allusion to a poem written by Saigyo when he was in Shikoku and visited the Kamo Jinja. The poem he wrote on that occasion goes: "kashikomaru/ shide ni namida no/ kakaru ka na/ mata itsu ka wa to/ omou kokoro ni." (Sankashu)
- Senju
- Senju with its famous fish market was the first overnight stop on
- Miles, 3000 li, ahead
- The term "sanzenri" is often found in The Tale of Genji and other works of classical literature with which Basho was familiar. It means simply "a long distance," not specifically three thousand miles.
- Tearful eyes, wept, departure, shed tears, world
- Basho's grief here is a sadness for the passing of spring and a sadness at leaving behind his firends. His poem here may be an allusion to a poem by T'ao Yuan Ming who says that "birds seek their familiar forests and the fish year for their old pools."
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