Today's program featured a group of children reciting a famous poem which is very popular here in Japan.
'Ame ni mo makezu' or, 'Be not Defeated by the Rain' or, 'Not losing to the Rain' is a famous poem written by Kenji Miyazawa, a poet from the northern prefecture of Iwate in Japan who lived from 1896 to 1933. The poem was found posthumously in a small black notebook in one of the poet's trunks.
Here is some of the true "Wisdom of the East" many hunger for.
It is so simple and so common that we often overlook it.
Also, when we are surrounded by avaricious greed and materialism in all our politics and big business corporations - our so-called leaders leading us in the wrong direction - where all are working for selfish ends, directed by ignorance.
I would like to share this here and hope that reading this, especially at this special holiday season, will remind us all that what is important, what is most essential, is often invisible to the eye. Contentment in the simplicity of things is traditionally a Japanese virtue. The spirit of this poem is also seen in how civilly the Japanese reacted after the disastrous earthquake and tsunami of 2011.
"Greed is the undoing and ruin of (Dharma) Truth and righteousness."
- The Mahabharata
ame ni mo makezu
｢雨ニモマケズ｣
“Not losing to the Rain”
miyazawa kenji
宮澤賢治
by Miyazawa Kenji
ame ni mo makezu
雨にも負けず
not losing to the rain
kaze ni mo makezu
風にも負けず
not losing to the wind
yuki ni mo natsu no atsusa ni mo makenu
雪にも夏の暑さにも負けぬ
not losing to the snow nor to summer's heat
joubu na karada wo mochi
丈夫なからだをもち
with a strong body
yoku wa naku
慾はなく
unfettered by desire
kesshite ikarazu
決して怒らず
never losing temper
itsu mo shizuka ni waratte iru
いつも静かに笑っている
cultivating a quiet joy
ichi nichi ni genmai yon gou to
一日に玄米四合と
every day four bowls of brown rice
miso to sukoshi no yasai wo tabe
味噌と少しの野菜を食べ
miso and some vegetables to eat
arayuru koto wo
あらゆることを
in everything
jibun wo kanjou ni irezu ni
自分を勘定に入れずに
count yourself last and put others before you
yoku mikiki shi wakari
よく見聞きし分かり
watching and listening, and understanding
soshite wasurezu
そして忘れず
and never forgetting
nohara no matsu no hayashi no kage no
野原の松の林の陰の
in the shade of the woods of the pines of the fields
chiisa na kayabuki no koya ni ite
小さな萱ぶきの小屋にいて
being in a little thatched hut
higashi ni byouki no kodomo areba
東に病気の子供あれば
if there is a sick child to the east
itte kanbyou shite yari
行って看病してやり
going and nursing over them
nishi ni tsukareta haha areba
西に疲れた母あれば
if there is a tired mother to the west
itte sono ine no taba wo oi
行ってその稲の束を負い
going and shouldering her sheaf of rice
minami ni shinisō na hito areba
南に死にそうな人あれば
if there is someone near death to the south
itte kowagaranakute mo ii to ii
行ってこわがらなくてもいいといい
going and saying there's no need to be afraid
kita ni kenka ya soshou ga areba
北に喧嘩や訴訟があれば
if there is a quarrel or a suit to the north
tsumaranai kara yamero to ii
つまらないからやめろといい
telling them to leave off with such waste
hideri no toki wa namida wo nagashi
日照りの時は涙を流し
when there's drought, shedding tears of sympathy
samusa no natsu wa oro-oro aruki
寒さの夏はおろおろ歩き
when the summer's cold, wandering upset
minna ni deku-no-bō to yobare
みんなにでくのぼーと呼ばれ
called worthless by everyone
homerare mo sezu
褒められもせず
without being praised
ku ni mo sarezu
苦にもされず
without being blamed
sou iu mono ni
そういうものに
such a person
watashi wa naritai
わたしはなりたい
I want to become
