2015-05-11

Drum

Another Ikkyū poem, this one about entitled "Konparuza-sha no uta" 金春座者歌: "Song of a man of the Konparu-za" (most likely Zenchiku).

唱得雲門王老禅
朝遊東土暮西天
震旦径山上堂後
建仁擊鼓法堂前

He sings the zen of Yunmen and Nanquan;
By morning he frolics in China, by evening in India.
After a sermon at Mount Jingshan in China,
He beats a drum before the dharma hall at Kenninji

(Kenninji is in Kyoto.)

I'm not sure why 王老 (literally "king elder") refers to Nanquan, but multiple commentaries on this poem agree, so there we are.

For real, though, the most notable thing about these lines for my money is the appearance in a Zen poem of an instrument that isn't either a flute or a bell (or both).

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Aime la vérité, mais pardonne à l'erreur

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