有り難き人になりけるかひありて
悟り求むる心あらなん
悟り求むる心あらなん
- Roma-ji
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Arigataki hito ni narikeru kai arite satori motomuru kokoro aranan
- English Translation
-
Born to be human,
so rare a thing to become,
let it count for something:
may there be a heart in us
that seeks after awakening.
- Meaning
- Having been born human, so rare a thing, let it be worth it: may we have a heart that seeks enlightenment.
- Commentary
-
Miscellaneous Poems 901
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "When composing poems on the six realms: Humans"
This is the fifth of the six-realm poems, on the human realm. Buddhism holds that to be born human is exceedingly rare. Having been born in so rare a form, let it be worth it; may there be a heart that seeks enlightenment, the poet says, urging that human birth be taken as the chance for Buddhist practice.
First line, “arigataki”: rare, hard to come by.
Second line, “hito ni narikeru”: being born human.
Third line, “kai arite”: let it be worth it.
Fourth line, “satori motomuru”: seeking enlightenment.
Fifth line, “kokoro aranan”: nan expresses a wish; may there be such a heart.
- Author
- Saigyō
- Source
- Sankashu
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