Yetgeul › Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Deep North) › Complete in one volume

Nikkō日光

Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Deep North) 奥の細道 · Matsuo Bashō · 1702 (printed, Genroku 15) · the journey of 1689 · 1 passages · 140 Chinese characters · reading time 0.3 min

Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Deep North) Complete in one volume "The months and days are the travelers of a hundred generations, and the years that come and go are travelers too" — the travel record of Bashō, who left Edo at forty-six and walked Ōshū and Hokuriku for five months. In the summer grass he sees the dreams of warriors, in the rock he hears the voice of the cicadas soaking in, and under one roof he likens the sleeping women of pleasure to bush clover and the moon. Wherever the prose comes to rest, a haiku is set down. Beside the pilgrim records of Faxian, Xuanzang, and Hyecho, this is one more road in this library.

1Nikkō — This Light Over All the Sky

卯月朔日御山に詣拜す徃昔此御山を二荒山とかきしを空海大師開基の時日光と改給ふも千歲未來をさとり給ふにや今此御光一天にかゞやきて恩澤八荒にあふれ國民安堵の栖穩かなり猶憚多くて筆をさし置ぬ あらたふと靑葉若葉の日の光 黑髮山はかすみかゝりて雪いまだ白し 剃すてゝくろかみ山に衣かへ曾良

On the first day of the fourth month I climbed the mountain and worshipped. Long ago this mountain was written Futarasan, and when the Great Teacher Kūkai founded the temple he changed it to Nikkō, the light of the sun. Did he understand a thousand years of the future? Now this light shines over all the sky, its blessing overflows to the eight directions, and the dwellings where the people live at peace are quiet. Still there is much to hold me in awe, and so I lay down my brush.

Ah, how holy / the light of the sun on green leaves and young leaves

Mount Kurokami was wrapped in mist, and the snow on it was still white.

I have shaved my head away and at Mount Kurokami I change my robes — Sora

Interlinear notes 1

一本もナシ

Another text does not have 「も」.

‹ SoraContentsBuddha Gozaemon ›Listen to this piece