On the impermanence of things.
きのふみし人はいかにとおどろけどなを長よの夢にぞ有ける
kinô mishi
hito wa ika ni to
odorokedo
nao naga yo no
yume ni zo arikeru |
‘I met him but yesterday, so
How…?’
They say in surprise, yet
Still, in unending night,
Do they dream… |
Former Archbishop Jien
慈円
On the impermanence of things.
みな人のしりがほにしてしらぬかなかならずしぬるならひありとは
mina hito no
shirigao ni shite
shiranu kana
kanarazu shinuru
narai ari to wa |
Everyone
Says that they know, yet
They do not, I feel:
That, without fail, to die
Is our fate… |
Former Archbishop Jien
慈円
In reply.
おもひいづるおりたくしばときくからにたぐひしられぬゆふけぶりかな
omoiizuru
ori taku shiba to
kiku kara ni
tagui shirarenu
yû keburi kana |
Remembering her
With crackling kindling;
Hearing that,
Incomparable
Smoke in the evening must it be! |
Former Archbishop Jien
慈円
When a fellow monk had passed away, he composed this in remembrance of him.
ふるさとをこふる涙やひとりゆくともなき山のみちしばのつゆ
furusato o
kôru namida ya
hitori yuku
tomo naki yama no
michishiba no tsuyu |
For his home,
Much loved, tears fell:
He goes alone
Friendless among the mountain
Grasses’ dewdrops. |
Former Archbishop Jien
慈円
From an occasion when men were composing Chinese poems and converting them into Japanese; on ‘travelling a mountain road in autumn’:
み山ぢやいつより秋の色ならん見ざりし雲のゆふぐれのそら
miyamaji ya
itsu yori aki no
iro naran
mizarishi kumo no
yūgure no sora |
Here in the mountain’s heart
How long since autumn’s
Colours turned?
Never yet have I seen such clouds
In the twilight sky. |
Former Archbishop Jien (1155 – 1225)
慈円
Composed on changing into summer clothes.
ちりはてゝ花のかげなきこのもとにたつことやすきなつごろもかな
chirihatete
hana no kage naki
ko no moto ni
tatsu koto yasuki
natsugoromo kana |
All completely scattered-gone
Is the blossoms’ shade
From beneath the trees
How easy now to depart in, joyfully made,
Summer clothing. |
Archbishop Jien (1155-1225)
慈円
Composed as a reminiscence poem.
わが憑む日吉の影は奧山の柴の戸までもさゝざらめやは
wa ga tanomu
Fiyosi no kage Fa
woku yama no
siba no to made mo
sasazarame ya Fa |
I make my plea
To the light of Hiyoshi:
In the mountains’ heart,
To my brushwood door-
I wonder, will it shine so far? |
Abbot Jien
慈円
Composed as a travel poem.
旅の世にまた旅寐して草枕夢のなかにもゆめをみるかな
tabi no yo ni
mata tabine site
kusa makura
yume no naka ni mo
yume wo miru kana |
In this world of travels
Once again my journey break
Pillowed on the grass,
And within a dream
A dream to see, perhaps. |
Abbot Jien
慈円
'Simply moving and elegant'