Haiku 21: Uncut gem

Here is today's haiku:

あら玉のとし立かへる虱哉

And in romaji:

ara tama no toshi tachikaeru shirami kana

And English: "Rough gem of the New Year has come again... for my lice; kana."

This is a haiku by Issa, with his characteristic humility: the New Year is a gem, rough, a yet-to-be-polished gem... and that New Year gem comes equally to us, and to the lice. Who do share the world with us, and perhaps even share our body, as in Issa's case. Kana indeed.

Beggar Monk by Kazan Shimomura

My vocabulary for today:

玉
たま
"gem"