法知らぬ人をぞ今日はうしと見る
三つの車に心かけねば
三つの車に心かけねば
- Roma-ji
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Nori shiranu hito o zo kyō wa ushi to miru mitsu no kuruma ni kokoro kakeneba
- English Translation
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Those who know no Law,
today I see them as sad,
oxen of the cart,
for they set no heart upon
the three carts that are offered.
- Meaning
- Today I look on those who know not the Law as sorry indeed, for they set no heart upon the three carts.
- Commentary
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Miscellaneous Poems 880
Headnote: "The Parable chapter"
The topic is the Parable chapter of the Lotus Sutra, which tells of the three carts and the burning house: to rescue children absorbed in play inside a burning house, their father promised them three carts drawn by goat, deer and ox and so led them out. Today I see those who know not the Law as sorry indeed, since they set no heart on the three carts, the poet says, lamenting those who do not turn to the saving teaching.
First line, “nori shiranu”: not knowing the Law.
Second line, “hito o zo kyō wa”: zo is answered by miru in the third line.
Third line, “ushi to miru”: ushi is a pivot word joining sorry and ox, one of the three carts; the poem breaks here.
Fourth line, “mitsu no kuruma ni”: the three carts of goat, deer and ox, figures for the teaching.
Fifth line, “kokoro kakeneba”: since they set no heart on them, inverted to give the reason; kake, to hitch, is related to the cart.
- Author
- Saigyō
- Source
- Sankashu
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