Daily Ryōkan Poem #2

It’s a pity, a gentleman in refined retirement composing poetry:

He models his work on the classic verse of China,

And his poems are elegant, full of fine phrases.

But if you don’t write of things deep inside your own heart,

What’s the use of churning out so many words?

A great reminder for us to watch our speech and conduct. Ryōkan was a gentleman even when alone. He lived as a hermit and even though he did have acquaintances, he never caused any harm or deceived himself. Truly innocent and transparent.

All these Poems are taken from Dewdrops on a Lotus Leaf translated by John Stevens.

Daily Ryōkan Poem #3