Thursday, June 20, 2013
A Glimmer of Clarity
A poem by Ryōkan (1758-1831), tr. Kazuaki Tanahashi:
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In the mountain shade,The same, tr. Burton Watson:
water in the moss
drips between rocks.
I feel a glimmer
of clarity.
Faint trickle ofThe same, tr. John Stevens:
mossy water from
a crevice in the mountain rock:
the clear still way
I pass through the world.
Like the little streamThe same, tr. Ryūichi Abé and Peter Haskel:
Making its way
Through the mossy crevices
I, too, quietly
Turn clear and transparent.
Like the water that trickles
through the moss-covered rocks
Thus do I live
Quiet, unnoticed
But free of impurity
