捨てやらで命を終ふる人はみな
千々の黄金を持て帰るなり
千々の黄金を持て帰るなり
- Roma-ji
-
Suteyarade inochi o ouru hito wa mina chiji no kogane o mote kaeru nari
- English Translation
-
Unable to let go,
all of those who end their lives
are just like the son
who carried home again
his thousands in yellow gold.
- Meaning
- All who end their lives unable to let go are like the eldest son of Fan Li, carrying back home his thousands in gold.
- Commentary
-
Miscellaneous Poems 769
Headnote: "On the heart of Fan Li's eldest son"
The topic comes from the story of Fan Li's eldest son in the Records of the Grand Historian. When Fan Li's second son committed a crime in the state of Chu, the eldest son was entrusted with a thousand pieces of gold and sent to save him, but begrudging the gold he brought it home, and his brother was executed. In this poem, all who end their lives unable to cast off attachment to this world are like that son carrying home his gold, losing their chance of salvation.
First line, “suteyarade”: unable to cast off, attachment to this world not cut away.
Second line, “inochi o ouru”: ending one's life.
Third line, “hito wa mina”: all such people.
Fourth line, “chiji no kogane o”: a great deal of gold, the thousand pieces entrusted to the eldest son.
Fifth line, “mote kaeru nari”: they carry it home, laying attachment over the deed of the son in the story.
- Author
- Saigyō
- Source
- Sankashu
- Prev Poem
-
Toshitsuki o ikade waga mi ni okuriken kinō no hito mo kyō wa naki yo ni
- Next Poem
-
Tsukihateshi sono iriai no hodonasa o kono akatsuki ni omoishirinuru