巡り逢はんことの契りぞありがたき
厳しき山の誓ひ見るにも
厳しき山の誓ひ見るにも
- Roma-ji
-
Meguriawan koto no chigiri zo arigataki kibishiki yama no chikai miru ni mo
- English Translation
-
The bond by which I
shall one day come to meet him
is a precious thing—
so I feel as I behold
his vow upon this rugged peak.
- Meaning
- How rare and precious is the bond by which I may one day meet him—so I feel as I see the traces of his vow upon this rugged mountain.
- Commentary
-
Miscellaneous Poems 1370
Headnote: "Climbing to the walking-meditation site of Mandaraji is a great undertaking, as steep as a hand held upright. It is the mountain peak where the Great Teacher buried sutras he had copied. Outside the monks' quarters a platform about ten feet high has been built, and it is said that he climbed there every day to perform walking meditation. So that one may circle it in meditation, the platform is built around in two tiers. The danger of the climb is especially great; taking care, I crawled my way up"
Climbing to the walking-meditation site at Mandaraji was arduous, as steep as a raised hand; it was the peak where Kōbō Daishi buried sutras, with a double-tiered platform where he is said to have walked in meditation daily. Crawling up with care, Saigyō composed this: how precious is the bond by which he may one day meet the Daishi, he feels, seeing the traces of his vow on this rugged mountain.
Seeing on the steep peak the traces of the Daishi's vow to save all beings, he gives thanks for the bond that may let him meet the Daishi in a life to come. Meguri echoes circling the platform in walking meditation.
First line, “meguriawan”: that I shall meet, echoing the circling of walking meditation.
Second line, “koto no chigiri zo”: zo is emphatic, answered by the attributive arigataki.
Third line, “arigataki”: rare and precious; the poem breaks here.
Fourth line, “kibishiki yama no”: of the rugged mountain.
Fifth line, “chikai miru ni mo”: as I see the traces of his vow, the inversion giving the reason for gratitude.
- Author
- Saigyō
- Source
- Sankashu
- Prev Poem
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Aware nari onaji noyama ni tateru ki no kakaru shirushi no chigiri arikeru
- Next Poem
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Fude no yama ni kakinoborite mo mitsuru kana koke no shita naru iwa no keshiki o