The Savor of a Quiet Life閑居の氣味
1A boy of sixteen and I at sixty
また麓に、一つの柴の庵あり。すなはちこの山もりが居る所なり。かしこに小童あり、時々來りてあひとぶらふ。もしつれづれなる時は、これを友としてあそびありく。かれは十六歲、われは六十、その齡ことの外なれど、心を慰むることはこれおなじ。あるはつばなをぬき、いはなしをとる。またぬかごをもり、芹をつむ。或はすそわの田井に至りて、おちほを拾ひてほぐみをつくる。もし日うらゝかなれば、嶺によぢのぼりて、はるかにふるさとの空を望み。木幡山、伏見の里、鳥羽、羽束師を見る。勝地はぬしなければ、心を慰むるにさはりなし。
There is also, at the foot of the mountain, a hut woven of brushwood. It is the place where the keeper of this mountain lives. There is a small boy there, and he comes from time to time and we greet each other. When I have nothing to do, I take him for a companion and we walk about together.
He is sixteen and I am sixty, and our ages are far apart, but in the comforting of the heart we are the same. Sometimes we pull up shoots of cogon grass, or gather the berries of the trailing arbutus (iwanashi). Or we pick the little bulbs of the yam, or cut water dropwort. Or we go down to the paddies at the mountain's skirt, glean the fallen ears and bind them into sheaves.
When the day is bright and clear, I climb up to the peak and look far off at the sky over the old capital, and I see Mount Kohata, the village of Fushimi, Toba and Hazukashi. A fine prospect has no owner, so there is nothing to hinder me in comforting my heart.
Interlinear notes 1
りイ
In another copy "とる", to gather, reads "とり".
2Walking the mountain paths — the moon at night and the crying bird
あゆみわづらひなく、志遠くいたる時は、これより峯つゞき炭山を越え、笠取を過ぎて、岩間にまうで、或は石山ををがむ。もしは粟津の原を分けて、蟬丸翁が迹をとぶらひ、田上川をわたりて、猿丸大夫が墓をたづぬ。歸るさには、をりにつけつゝ櫻をかり、紅葉をもとめ、わらびを折り、木の實を拾ひて、かつは佛に奉りかつは家づとにす。もし夜しづかなれば、窓の月に故人を忍び、猿の聲に袖をうるほす。くさむらの螢は、遠く眞木の島の篝火にまがひ、曉の雨は、おのづから木の葉吹くあらしに似たり。山鳥のほろほろと鳴くを聞きても、父か母かとうたがひ、みねのかせきの近くなれたるにつけても、世にとほざかる程を知る。或は埋火をかきおこして、老の寐覺の友とす。おそろしき山ならねど、ふくろふの聲をあはれむにつけても、山中の景氣、折につけてつくることなし。いはむや深く思ひ、深く知れらむ人のためには、これにしもかぎるべからず。
When my steps are not weary and my will reaches far, I go on from here along the ridges, cross Sumiyama, pass Kasatori, and make my way to Iwamadera, or worship at Ishiyamadera. Or I push across the plain of Awazu and seek out the traces of the old man Semimaru, or cross the Tanakami River and look for the grave of Sarumaru Dayū. On the way back, according to the season, I break off cherry blossoms, search out crimson leaves, pick bracken and gather nuts, and some I offer to the Buddha and some I take home as a gift.
When the night is still, I think of old friends in the moonlight at my window, and wet my sleeve at the cries of the monkeys. The fireflies in the grass are mistaken from afar for the watch fires of Makinoshima, and the rain at dawn is of itself like the sound of a mountain wind shaking the leaves. Hearing the mountain bird call with a soft, broken voice, I wonder whether it is my father or my mother; and seeing the deer of the peak come near and grow tame, I know how far I am from the world. Or I rake up the buried embers and make them the friend of an old man waking in the night.
This is no fearful mountain, but even from the way I find the owl's voice dear, the scenes within the mountains are without end, each in its own season. How much more, then, for one who thinks deeply and knows deeply — for such a person it would surely not stop at this.
3The hermit crab and the osprey — a house built for myself
大かた此所に住みそめし時は、あからさまとおもひしかど、今までに五とせを經たり。假の庵もやゝふる屋となりて、軒にはくちばふかく、土居に苔むせり。おのづから事のたよりに都を聞けば、この山にこもり居て後、やごとなき人の、かくれ給へるもあまた聞ゆ。ましてその數ならぬたぐひ、つくしてこれを知るべからず。たびたびの炎上にほろびたる家、またいくそばくぞ。たゞかりの庵のみ、のどけくしておそれなし。ほどせばしといへども、夜臥す床あり、ひる居る座あり。一身をやどすに不足なし。がうなはちひさき貝をこのむ、これよく身をしるによりてなり。みさごは荒磯に居る、則ち人をおそるゝが故なり。我またかくのごとし。身を知り世を知れらば、願はずまじらはず、たゞしづかなるをのぞみとし、うれへなきをたのしみとす。すべて世の人の、すみかを作るならひ、かならずしも身のためにはせず。或は妻子眷屬のために作り、或は親昵朋友のために作る。或は主君、師匠および財寳、馬牛のためにさへこれをつくる。我今、身のためにむすべり、人のために作らず。ゆゑいかんとなれば、今の世のならひ、この身のありさま、ともなふべき人もなく、たのむべきやつこもなし。たとひ廣く作れりとも、誰をかやどし、誰をかすゑむ。
When I first began to live in this place I thought it would be for a little while, but five years have passed by now. My temporary hut has slowly become an old house; the rotted leaves lie thick on the eaves, and moss has grown on the base.
When by chance I hear news of the capital through someone passing, I hear that since I came to shut myself in this mountain many noble persons have departed the world. Still more of those who are not of that number, past all knowing. And how many houses have been lost in the fires that come again and again?
Only this temporary hut is at ease and without fear. Its breadth is narrow, they may say, but there is a bed to lie on at night and a seat to sit on by day. For lodging this one body it lacks nothing. The hermit crab likes a small shell, and this is because it knows its own body well. The osprey lives on the rough rocks of the shore, and this is because it fears people. I too am like this. Knowing my own body and knowing the world, I do not wish for things and do not mingle with others; I make stillness alone my hope, and having no cares my delight.
When the people of this world build their houses, it is not always for themselves. Some build for a wife and children and household, some build for those close to them and for friends. Some build even for a lord or a teacher, and further for treasures, for horses and oxen. I have built now for my own body, and not for others. And why? Because with the way of the world today and the state of this body of mine, there is no one to keep me company and no servant to rely on. Even if I built it wide, whom should I lodge in it, and whom should I seat there?
Interlinear notes 1
すイ
In another copy "今ま" reads "今す".
4My hands are my servants, my feet my carriage
それ人の友たるものは富めるをたふとみ、ねんごろなるを先とす。かならずしも情あると、すぐなるとをば愛せず、たゞ絲竹花月を友とせむにはしかじ。人のやつこたるものは賞罰のはなはだしきを顧み、恩の厚きを重くす。更にはごくみあはれぶといへども、やすく閑なるをばねがはず、たゞ我が身を奴婢とするにはしかず。もしなすべきことあれば、すなはちおのづから身をつかふ。たゆからずしもあらねど、人をしたがへ、人をかへりみるよりはやすし。もしありくべきことあれば、みづから步む。くるしといへども、馬鞍牛車と心をなやますにはしかず。今ひと身をわかちて。二つの用をなす。手のやつこ、足ののり物、よくわが心にかなへり。心また身のくるしみを知れゝば、くるしむ時はやすめつ、まめなる時はつかふ。つかふとてもたびたび過さず、ものうしとても心をうごかすことなし。いかにいはむや、常にありき、常に働くは、これ養生なるべし。なんぞいたづらにやすみ居らむ。人を苦しめ人を惱ますはまた罪業なり。いかゞ他の力をかるべき。
Those who become another's friend honor the rich and put first the ones who are warm to them. They do not always love the one with true feeling or the one who is upright. It is better, then, simply to take the strings and the flute, the flowers and the moon for friends. Those who become another's servant look to how severe the rewards and punishments are, and count heavily the ones whose favor is thick. However much they are cherished and pitied, they do not wish for ease and quiet. It is better, then, simply to make my own body my servant.
If there is something to be done, I use my own body for it. It is not that I do not grow tired, but it is easier than making others follow me and looking after them. If there is somewhere to go, I walk there myself. It is hard, they may say, but it is better than fretting over saddle horses and ox carts.
Now I divide this one body and make two uses of it. My hands are my servants and my feet my carriage, and they suit my heart exactly. The heart, too, knows the body's pain, so when the body suffers I let it rest, and when it is strong I put it to work. Even when I work it, I do not press it too often; and even when it is listless, my heart is not troubled by it.
How much more, then, is walking always and moving always a way of nourishing life. Why should I rest and do nothing? To trouble others and to burden others is also a sinful deed. How should I borrow the strength of another?
Interlinear notes 2
二字似イ
In another copy the two characters are written alike.
動イ
In another copy "働く", to work, reads "動く", to move.
5Clothing and food — the delight above a napping pillow
衣食のたぐひまたおなじ。藤のころも、麻のふすま、得るに隨ひてはだへをかくし。野邊のつばな、嶺の木の實、わづかに命をつぐばかりなり。人にまじらはざれば、姿を耻づる悔もなし。かてともしければおろそかなれども、なほ味をあまくす。すべてかやうのこと、樂しく富める人に對していふにはあらず、たゞわが身一つにとりて、昔と今とをたくらぶるばかりなり。大かた世をのがれ、身を捨てしより、うらみもなくおそれもなし。命は天運にまかせて、をしまずいとはず、身をば浮雲になずらへて、たのまずまだしとせず。一期のたのしみは、うたゝねの枕の上にきはまり、生涯の望は、をりをりの美景にのこれり。
Clothing and food are the same. With a robe of wisteria bark and a quilt of hemp I cover my skin with whatever comes to hand, and with the cogon shoots of the field and the nuts of the peak I barely keep my life going. Since I do not mingle with people, I have no regret at being ashamed of my figure. Since my food is scant, it is poor fare, and yet its taste is sweet to me.
All of this I do not say by way of comparing myself with people who are happy and rich. I only take my own single body and compare what was long ago with what is now.
Since I fled the world and cast off my body, I have had no resentment and no fear. I leave my life to the fortune of heaven and neither cling to it nor loathe it; I liken my body to a drifting cloud and neither lean upon it nor count it wanting. The delight of a whole lifetime comes to its fullness above the pillow of a doze, and the hope of my years remains in the beautiful scenes of each season.
6The three worlds are the heart alone
それ三界は、たゞ心一つなり。心もし安からずば、牛馬七珍もよしなく、宮殿樓閣も望なし。今さびしきすまひ、ひとまの庵、みづからこれを愛す。おのづから都に出でゝは、乞食となれることをはづといへども、かへりてこゝに居る時は、他の俗塵に着することをあはれぶ。もし人このいへることをうたがはゞ、魚と鳥との分野を見よ。魚は水に飽かず、魚にあらざればその心をいかでか知らむ。鳥は林をねがふ、鳥にあらざればその心をしらず。閑居の氣味もまたかくの如し。住まずしてたれかさとらむ。
The three worlds (三界) are the heart alone. If the heart is not at peace, then oxen and horses and the seven treasures are of no use, and palaces and high towers are nothing to wish for.
This lonely dwelling now, this one-room hut, I love of myself. When by chance I go out to the capital I am ashamed at having become a beggar, but when I come back and am here I pity others for clinging to the dust of the world.
If anyone doubts what I say, let him look at the lot of the fish and the bird. The fish never tires of the water, and unless you are a fish, how should you know its heart? The bird longs for the woods, and unless you are a bird, you do not know its heart. The savor of living quietly is like this too. Who can understand it without having lived it?