86. The Priest Saigyō: Saigyō Hōshi
The archive, offline Own the Wisdom of the Ages Every text in the library on a single USB drive. Read offline, cite freely, keep forever. No subscription required.
Buy USB Drive Now $127.00
86. The Priest Saigyō: Saigyō Hōshi
86
THE PRIEST SAIGYŌ
SAIGYŌ HŌSHI
Nageke tote
Tsuki ya wa mono wo
Omowasuru
Kakochi-gao naru
Waga namida kana.
Tsuki ya wa mono wo
Omowasuru
Kakochi-gao naru
Waga namida kana.
O’ERCOME with pity for this world,
My tears obscure my sight;
I wonder, can it be the moon
Whose melancholy light
Has saddened me to-night?
Saigyō was a member of the Fujiwara family, an eccentric monk, and a famous poet, who lived A.D. 1115-1188. He was once in attendance on the Emperor, when a bird by fluttering its wings began scattering the blossoms of a plum tree. The Emperor directed him to drive off the bird, but the priest, with an excess of zeal, killed it by a stroke of his fan. On reaching home his wife told him that she had dreamt that she was changed into a bird and that he had struck her; and this incident made such an impression upon him, that he retired from Court, and spent the rest of his life in the church.
Comments and social are coming soon
Reader conversations and shared activity will appear here.
89 of 104 Chapter 0% Book 85% ~1 min left