はちすはのにごりにしまぬ心もて
なにかはつゆを玉とあざむく
なにかはつゆを玉とあざむく
- Roma-ji
-
Hachisuba no nigori ni shimanu kokoro mote
nani ka wa tsuyu o tama to azamuku - English Translation
-
Lotus leaves that grow
unstained within muddy waters,
keeping a pure heart—
why then do they, with the dew,
make it seem a shining gem?
- Meaning
- Though lotus leaves grow in muddy water without being stained, why do they, with such a pure heart, make the dew upon them appear like a jewel and thus deceive?
- Commentary
-
Book III, Summer Poems
Composed upon seeing dew upon lotus leaves.
Though the lotus remains unstained in muddy water, symbolizing purity, the dew upon its leaves appears like a jewel, as if deceiving the eye. The poem reflects a sensibility shaped by Buddhist thought, in which the lotus holds deep symbolic meaning.
- Author
- Sojo Henjo
- Source
- Kokin Wakashu
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