from Mokujiki: Thirteen Tanka:

translated by Dale Pendell and Kazuaki Tanahashi

 

 

You can grow hoarse

chanting Nembutsu:

Amitabha and Shakyamuni

just keep still—

(perhaps they are

taking naps).

 

****

 

Pretty sad!

all that fake bliss

I left home with—

which the world

never falls for.

 

****

 

Mokujiki’s mind

got left behind

in the world—

no way now

to ever get it back.