Wednesday 8 June 2022

the moss path

The Moss Path 
#RENGETSU 
Furu dera no 
Koke ji wa ato mo 
Nakari keri
Yona yona goto ni 
Tsuki wa toe domo 

Literally 
Old temple of
Moss path subject remains though 
No more / gone away
Nb 2 verbs nakari plus keri  completely 
night night every ni as time marker 
Moon toe seems to be an abbreviated form of hitoe only 
Domo possibly adverb here or idea of moon as only companion 

My translation 
At the old temple 
Only a trace left
Of the moss path
Night after night
However the Moon visits 

Some further notes
 nakaru not to be 
Keri is not a filler word to complete the syllable count here but suggests the disappearance of the path under moss is recent ? 
Moss can grow very quickly 
While there is a now famous moss temple this could have been any of dozens of smaller temples up in the hills around Kyoto 
Perhaps its the rainy season and the priest or gardener monk put off clearing the path 
It seems Rengetsu glimpsed the path by moonlight ? 
Perhaps she was hoping to moon view or perhaps that temple banned women even nuns ? 


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