Tō o kumi dō o tsukuru mo hito nageki sange ni masaru kudoku ya wa aru

塔を組み堂を造るも人嘆き
懺悔にまさる功徳やはある

Roma-ji: Tō o kumi dō o tsukuru mo hito nageki sange ni masaru kudoku ya wa aru
English Translation: Raising pagodas
and building temple halls
brings people grief;
is there any merit
surpassing repentance?
Meaning: Raising pagodas and building halls only brings grief to the people; is there any merit greater than repentance?
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 648

Headnote: "A poem of repentance"
On the theme of repentance, the poet says that raising pagodas and building halls to gain merit brings grief to the people forced into labour, and that no merit surpasses repenting one's own sins. It is known as a poem showing Sanetomo's concern as a ruler for his people.
The text transmitted by Teika spells line 3 differently.

Line 1 means "assembling a pagoda."
Line 2 means "and building a hall."
Line 3 means "is people's grief," with a break after the line, referring to those suffering the labour of construction.
Line 4 means "surpassing repentance," taking up the theme of merit from the preceding poem and contrasting outward building with inner repentance.
Line 5 means "is there any merit?" ya wa rhetorical.
Author: Minamoto no Sanetomo
Source: Kinkaishu
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