Illness


95	病とは　身魂浄むるものなれば　此上なき神の恩みなりけり
	A cleansing of Body and spirit, There is no greater Blessing bestowed by God than illness.	S6-58B, #1; previous translations, Prayers and Gosanka, page 66B; Prayers and Poems, page 66B; Sounds of the Dawn, Volume II, pages 44 & 179, #96; Book of Gosanka, page 66, #261.

		Prayers and Gosanka & Sounds of the Dawn translation Illness is cleansing, / A purifying action / In man’s two bodies— / Spiritual, physical—, / One of God’s wondrous blessings.
		Prayers and Poems translation Illness is cleansing, / A purifying action / In a person’s two selves— / Spiritual, physical— / One of God’s wondrous blessings.
		Book of Gosanka translation If illness it is— / To remove clouds from the soul, / And to cleanse it pure; / Then it must be singular / Blessing that comes from Great God

96	健やかに　神が造りし人の身を　病き造る罪大いなり
	Great is the sin Of having made sick The physical body of Human beings That God made to live in health.	S6-58C, #2.


97	人の身は　神が造りしものにして　人の造りしものにはあらじ
	The human body Is fashioned by God And is not something That has been created By human beings.	S6-58D, #3; previous translations, Prayers and Gosanka, page 66C; Prayers and Poems, page 66C; Sounds of the Dawn, Volume I, pages 57 & 188, #131; Book of Gosanka, page 13, #51; all translations based on non-Meishu-sama text 人の身は　神が造りしものにして　人の造りしものにはあらざり This text has been confirmed as appearing in documents published by Atami church in 1961.

		Prayers and Gosanka translation I know it is God / Who created man’s body / And Who cures his ills, / Because man cannot create / Or cure anything alone.
		Sounds of the Dawn translation God created man, / One of His most wondrous works. / Man cannot create, / Himself or anything else. / God Alone has this Power.
		Prayers and Poems translation Life comes from / God. / It is not something / We create / Ourselves.
		Book of Gosanka translation All beings on Earth / Are the divine creation / Of the Creator; / No matter what man might think, / Man does e’er create man.

98	病きの　因は薬にあるを知らす　救ひの業の難しきかも
	How difficult is the Task of salvation, Of informing All that the cause of Sickness is medicines.	S6-59A, #4.


99	病きを　悲しむ人ぞ哀れなり　いと喜ばむ事にしありせば
	Pitiful are those Who suffer with Sickness for Disease is to be So welcomed.	S6-59B, #5.

100	高殿に　錦纏ふも病きに　悶へる人ぞいと哀れなる
	Even those Wrapped in expensive clothes Living in stately mansions Are so pitiful as they Writhe in the agony of disease.	S6-59C, #6; S4-221A 高殿に　錦纏ふも病きに　悶える人ぞ哀れなりける In a set of poems titled “Gratitude and Its Expression” in Gosanka Poems for the Kannon Society, #239, 1936, unpublished; S4-373A 高殿に　錦纏うも病きに　悶える人ぞ哀れはかなき In a set of poems titled “God’s Great Blessings” in Gosanka Poems, #188, July 1, 1948.
		S4-373A translation Even those wrapped in / Expensive clothes, living in / Stately mansions are so / Pitiful and hopeless as they / Writhe in the agony of disease.

101	病きの　癒へし喜びにいやまして　尊き御霊斎く嬉しさ
	Joy at being cured of Disease increases e’er more, Happy are we to Worship The Holy One.	S6-59D, #7; S4-90D 病きの　癒えし喜びにいや増して　御姿斎く今日の嬉しさ In a set of poems titled “Worship Service” dating from 1935, unpublished; S4-369B 病きの　癒えし喜びにいや増して　尊き御霊斎く嬉しさ In a set of poems titled “Worship Services” in Gosanka Poems, #172, July 1, 1948.

		S4-90D translation Joy at being cured of / Disease increases e’er more, / Happy are we / Today to worship / The Sacred Presence.

102	おほけなくも　神の僕に選ばれし　幸も病きが縁なりけり
	Selected as servant By Almighty God, It is my fate to Experience both Happiness and disease.	S6-59E, #8; previous translations, Prayers and Gosanka, page 67B; Prayers and Poems, page 67B; Sounds of the Dawn, Volume II, pages 52 & 196, #119; Book of Gosanka, page 25, #100.

		Prayers and Gosanka and Sounds of the Dawn translation Through my being ill, / I was led to God’s great Light / And chosen by Him / As one of His instruments. / How very grateful I am!
		Prayers and Poems translation Through my being ill, / I was led to this Divine Work / And selected to be / An instrument of God. / How very grateful I am!
		Book of Gosanka translation Although not worthy, / Great God has selected me / To be His servant; / It was fate that I be ill, / To lead me to happiness.

103	賜はりし　尊き生命今日よりは　力限りに神に仕へむ
	I vow to serve God from today with All my energy for the Precious life I have received.	S6-60A, #9; previous translations, Prayers and Gosanka, page 101C; Prayers and Poems, page 101C; Sounds of the Dawn, Volume II, pages 51 & 194, #115.

		Prayers and Gosanka translation How grateful I am / God has granted me new life! / From this moment on, / I will do my best to give / Service to God’s holy Cause.
		Prayers and Poems translation How grateful I am / That God has granted me new life, / From this day on / I will do my best / To serve God’s Cause.
		Sounds of the Dawn translation The new life I have / Was given to me by God! / From this day forward / I will use this precious life / To serve God in every way.