A poem I stumbled upon today:
| Japanese | Romanization | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 思ひわび | Omoi wabi | Miserable, |
| さても命は | Satemo inochi wa | nonetheless, somehow |
| あるものを | Aru mono wo | I cling to life, but |
| うきにたへぬは | Uki ni taenu wa | it is my tears |
| なみだなりけり | Namida nari keri | that cannot endure the pain! |
The author of the poem, Dōin Hōshi (道因法師, 1090 – 1179?), or “Dharma Master Dōin”. He lived as Fujiwara no Atsuyori, and served under Emperor Sutoku (poem 77), but wasn’t particularly successful. Later in life, he took tonsure in 1172 and became a Buddhist priest. It’s not clear if this poem was written before or after he took up the religious life.
According to Mostow, it’s not clear if the poem is a real expression of pain or part of poetry contest. Unfortunately, none of the poetry collections of Dōin survive, though he frequented poetry contests since 1160. He became a member of a famous poetry group called the Karin-en (歌林苑), though, and spent much time around other influential poets of the day.
P.S. Featured photo is Il Triste Messaggio (“The Sad Message”), by Peter Fendi, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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