I tried freestyling this katana for fun/exercise...it was made in the same period I used to think about this haiku so it ended up inscribed.
> 極楽の近道いくつ寒念仏
> *gokuraku no chikamichi ikutsu kan nenbutsu*
There is so much more to it than can be translated, but some versions of translation would be:
> *taking a shortcut to paradise*
> *a midwinter prayer*
or
> *how many shortcuts*
> *to paradise?*