Thirty casual poems at my grass hut (8):

 

May the lord from old days

Whom we’ve been relying on

Have the evening mercy of winter halters

On the morning sleeved one.

 

 

Sōan-no gū-ei sanjisshu (8):

 

Tanomi-koshi

Mukashi-no shiu-ya

Fuyu-dasuki

Aware-wo kakeyo

Asa-no sode-ni-mo

 

 

草庵之偶詠三十首 (8):

 

 

頼みこし

昔のしうや

ふゆだすき

哀れをかけよ

あさのそでにも

 

Note: One variant version of “Those from old days (mukashi-no shiyuu-ya)” reads

“The master of old days (mukashi-no arushi-ya) and another lacks “yu” in “shi-yu-

u,“ which suggests the original meaning as “lord” or “master,” thus the

Buddha (arushi: shiu:主, cf. Doei, 6), rather than buddhas (shiyuu: shū: 衆). “Kake-

yo (have, give, render, bestow)” has double meanings of “have/bestow mercy” and

“have/render sleeve-halter” (to help sleeves tucked up for work or ceremony).”

(From these reasons the original translation based on the version of Doshu Okubo is

changed as the present translation adding “winter halters” hinting the severe winter

morning and “help (tasuke, たすけ、助け)” in “halter (tasuki, たすき、襷).

From the above this poem seems to beseech the mercy of the Buddha on strivers (in

samu, labor) in the (cold, snowy) winter morning like the sleeve-halter helping the

sleeves well tucked (contained, cool and clear) in. Here is Dogen’s warm heart for

practitioners striving hard in the difficult situations. (cf. Doei, 14: poem on the

original face below):

Flowers in spring,

Cuckoo in summer,

The moon in autumn,

Snow in winter,

Cool and clear.

                        Eiheiji (Perpetual Peace Monastery),

where Dogen lived with his disciples