ashi no o no soyogu koe shite temakura no yume mo soishiki kawazoi no yado
sleeping
with my head
on my arm, I dream
of the sound of reeds
at a riverside inn
a
thousand grasses
run rampant in autumn
but seeing a single sprout
with two leaves:
the joy of spring!
in
the sky
flocks of departing geese
in the weeds
murmurring insects—
tears like dew well up in my eyes
the blossoms have fallen
the fetters of my heart
have also loosened
and it has become summer
a rivulet murmurs cool and clear
amid the plum blossoms
I hear the first burst of song --
too young yet to give a
full-throated performance
still, what a joy!
near the eaves of my hut
swallows
coming and going
hurrying to the nest
no time to rest
to my beloved child,
my final message:
flowers blooming
with all their heart
in lovely Sakurai Village.
in the pale moonlight
near the eaves of my hut
fluttering about the
swaying willow branches
my old friends -- little bats
an early morning gust of wind
has broken the bramble flowers:
a cuckoo sings
this June
here on Mt. Shiga
from a crack in the wall
of my mountain hut
katydids announce themselves
and the moonlight too
pours in
yesterday,
I shattered the ice
to draw water --
no matter, this morning
frozen just as solid.
in the pure moonlight
a chorus of insects
chirp along the hedge:
the cold, too, deepens
as the night lengthens
living deep in the mountains
I've grown fond of the
solitary sound of the singing pines
on days the wind does not blow
how lonely it is!
the echo of the bell
at Yoshimizu --
I am here too
in a black robe
set against the white mist
a floating cloud
drifting about
playfully
here and there
not wanting to fade away
in the pale moonlight
near the eaves of my hut
fluttering about the
swaying willow branches
my friends, the little bats!
clearing the soot
from the beams
sweeping the dust
from my hearth
getting ready for the new year.
the roar of the waterfall,
the howl of a mountain storm —
will they shout out to me
till morning?
random thoughts
and loneliness trouble me
but I am soothed by the
anticipation of cherry blossoms
and spring rain falling on my hut.
dawn today --
high above the river
mountains thick-set with snow
down below
the roar of the flowing water
reside in a living landscape
and it becomes yours:
radishes dry along the fence
trees full of chestnuts
brush against the eaves
taking up the brush
just for the joy of it
writing on and on
leaving behind
long lines of dancing letters
the pile of
fallen leaves
separates my hermitage
further and further
from the world of woe
this gentleman
grows and grows
auspiciously:
learn from him
and you will ever flourish
looking out over the bay
I see clouds of cold rain
summoning winter
and hear the wind in the pines
whisper its name
now spring is complete —
a mountain breeze
catches up
the remaining blossoms
in billowing white clouds
Links:
The Story of Rengetsu-ni
pottery
by Rengetsu
Lotus Moon : The Poetry of the Buddhist Nun Rengetsu by John Stevens. Paperback -June 1994.