classic waka stream

末の世の人の心も磨くべき
玉をも塵に混ぜてけるかな
Roma-ji

Sue no yo no hito no kokoro mo migakubeki tama o mo chiri ni mazetekeru kana

English Translation
Even the jewel
that ought to polish the hearts
of people in latter days,
they have mixed, it seems, at last
into the dust and the dirt.
Meaning
Even the jewel that should polish the hearts of people in these latter days has been mixed in with the dust.
Commentary
One Hundred Poems 1535

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Ten Buddhist Poems: Three on the Dreams of King Kṛkin"
The third of the three poems on the dreams of King Kṛkin. Even the precious jewel that should polish the hearts of people in the latter days has been mixed into the dust.
The precious jewel seems to figure the Dharma, and the poem laments that in the latter days even the noble teaching is mixed with the vulgar and its worth is lost. It seems to draw on one of King Kṛkin's dreams.

First line, “sue no yo no”: of the latter days, when the Dharma declines.
Second line, “hito no kokoro mo”: even the hearts of people.
Third line, “migakubeki”: that ought to polish.
Fourth line, “tama o mo chiri ni”: tama is a precious jewel, seen as a figure for the Dharma.
Fifth line, “mazetekeru kana”: keru kana marks exclamation, "they have mixed it in."
Author
Saigyō
Source
Sankashu
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