Poems in Chijôtengoku, Issue 9
October 25, 1949

         
    大いなる 幸を賜はる御救いに 眼を閉つる人の哀れさ
070  

How pitiful
Are those who close
Their eyes to the
Salvation that gives
Them great happiness.

Page 1, S4-429A [SS383B]; S5-113C [SS423B] 大いなる 幸を賜はる御救いに 眼を閉づる人の哀れさ In a section titled “Good and Evil” in Collection of Akemaro’s Recent Compositions, November 30, 1949, page 86; S6-114C-e-D [SS601E] [all variants same translation] 大いなる 幸を賜はる御救ひに 眼を閉づる人の哀れさ In a set of poems titled “Blindness” in Gosanka Poems, Revised, May 28, 1951, page 80, #355.
         
         
    善きものを 善とみ悪きを悪とみる 眼は正しき眼なりけり
071   Eyes that see
Good as good
And see evil
As evil
Are authentic eyes.
Page 1, S4-429B [SS383C]; S5-113D [SS423C] 善きものを 善み悪しきをあしとみる 眼は正しき眼なりけり  [all variants same translation] In a section titled “Good and Evil” in Collection of Akemaro’s Recent Compositions, November 30, 1949, page 86; S6-114C-b-D [SS601B] 善きものを 善しとし悪しきを悪と見る 眼は正しき眼なりける  In a set of poems titled “Blindness” in Gosanka Poems, Revised, May 28, 1951, page 79, #352; previous translations Prayers and Gosanka, page 72A, Prayers and Poems, page 72A, and Book of Gosanka, page 52, #208.
         
    Prayers and Gosanka translation
Those who see clearly, / Who are able to perceive, / Identifying / Good as good and bad as bad, / Have a genuine vision.
 
Prayers and Poems translation
Those who see clearly, / Who are able to perceive, / Identifying good as good / And bad as bad, / Have a genuine vision.
 
Book of Gosanka translation
Whatever is good, / Eyes that see as truly good; / A thing of evil— / Eyes that see as an evil; / Are eyes that see Truth as ‘tis.
         
         
   

善悪の けちめも分かぬ眼もつ 盲のははる世にそありける

072   The world is full of
Blind people
Who have eyes that
Cannot distinguish
Good and evil. 
Page 1, S4-429B-C [SS383D]; S5-114-a-A [SS423D] 善悪の けぢめも分かぬ眼もつ 盲のはばる世にぞありける [all variants same translation]  In a section titled “Good and Evil” in Collection of Akemaro’s Recent Compositions, November 30, 1949, page 86; S6-114C-a-D [SS601A] 善悪の 差別も分かぬ眼もつ 盲のはばる世にぞありける  In a set of poems titled “Blindness” in Gosanka Poems, Revised, May 28, 1951, page 79, #351. 
         
         
   

人の眼は 偽り得ても神の御眼は いつはり得ぬを知る人の幸

073   Happy are the people who know
That even though a human being
May get away with a lie,
One cannot get away
With deceit in God’s eyes.
Page 1, S4-429C [SS383E]; S5-114A 人の眼は 佯り得ても神の御眼は いつはり得ぬを知る人の幸 [SS423E] [all variants same translation] In a section titled “Good and Evil” in Collection of Akemaro’s Recent Compositions, November 30, 1949, page 86; S6-114C-c-D [SS601C] 人の眼は 偽り得ても神の眼は 偽り得ぬと知る人の幸 In a set of poems titled “Blindness” in Gosanka Poems, Revised, page 79, #353; previous translations Prayers and Gosanka, page 72B and Prayers and Poems, page 72B.
  Prayers and Gosanka translation
Happy are the ones / Who now that though some succeed / In fooling others, / They can never hide one part / Of truth from the Eyes of God.
 
  Prayers and Poems translation
Happy are the ones who know / That though some succeed / In fooling others, / They can never hide the truth / From the eyes of God.
         
         
   

愚かなる 人とは悪の種を播き 刈りとるなやみしらぬ人なる

074   Foolish people are those
Who do not know that
The seeds of evil they sow
Will be reaped in a harvest
Of suffering.
Page 1, S4-429D [SS383F]; S5-114B [SS423F] 愚かなる 人とは悪の種を播き 刈りとるなやみしらぬ人なる In a section titled “Good and Evil” in Collection of Akemaro’s Recent Compositions, November 30, 1949, page 86; S6-114C-d-D [SS601D] 愚かなる 人とは悪なる種を蒔き 刈りとる悩み知らぬにぞある [all variants same translation]  In a set of poems titled “Blindness” in Gosanka Poems, Revised, May 28, 1951, page 79, #354; previous translations Prayers and Gosanka, page 72C, Prayers and Poems, page 72C, and Book of Gosanka, page 51 [non-Meishu-sama Japanese on which two translations are based] 愚かなる 人とは悪の種を蒔き 刈りとる悩み知らぬをぞ言ふ
         
   
Prayers and Gosanka translation
Foolish are the ones / Who sow the seeds of evil / And don’t realize / The suffering they will reap / In time, inevitably.
 

      Prayers and Poems translation
Foolish are the ones / Who sow the seeds of evil / And do not realize / The suffering they will reap / In time, inevitably.
 
Book of Gosanka translation
Speaking of a fool— / He’s the one without thought nor care / Scatters evil seeds, / And not know the pain they bring / When reaps he what he had sown.
         
   

醜人の 滅ぶる時とはなりにける 神の光のいよよ輝き

075   God’s light grows
Gradually and thus
The time is here
For sanctimonious
Souls to perish.
Page 1, S4-430A; S6-95A 醜人の 滅ぶる時とはなりにける 神の御光弥よ輝き In a set of poems titled “The Way of Light” in Gosanka Poems, Revised, May 28, 1951, page 59, #264 (R263); S5-114C 醜人の 滅ぶる時とはなりにける 神の光のいよよ輝き In a set of poems dated September 20, 1949 and titled “Good and Evil” in Collection of Akemaro’s Recent Compositions, November 30, 1949, page 86, #486. 
         
    Alternate translations
God’s light / Increases gradually / And thus the time  / Is here for the / Sanctimonious to perish.
 
    God’s light increases / Gradually and / Thus the time is / Here for the / Sanctimonious to perish.