Mono ieba
Kuchibiru samushi
Aki no kaze.
—Basho
When a thing is said,
The lips become very cold
Like the autumn wind.
The philosopher-poet makes the observation that after a thing is
said, the lips become quite cold; that is, for the one who made the
remark, the situation is as dreary and bleak as the cold autumn
wind. The obvious moral—think carefully before you speak.