Make the Fire

_{by Sansei Yamao}

The dusk fell on the mountain
O children
The night is now nearly upon you
Make the fire
Go now, quit your merry play
Return to the ancient heart
Make the fire
I placed enough firewood near the bath
Some dry, some damp
Some thick, some thin
Adroitly make the fire, build it well

And should it start a little smoky
Be patient, tend to it some more
Upon turning into a good fire,
The orange flames become your present hearts
Flaming intensely
Stare into the fire then
Some more
The night has crept up to engulf you
This is the time for the night to engulf you
A fantastic world has arrived
The fire spawns an eternal story

This
Is not a story your mother read to you in bed
These are not your father's boasts
You cannot see it on television
This fantastic story is yours
You may apprehend it directly with your eyes, ears, heart
Make the fire
Adroitly, carefully
So it may burn intensely
Yet not burn out
And so calmly make your fire

We
Were, we are a living thing by making the fire
If we can make the fire we are human
Make the fire
Make that primitive fire of ours
When you grow up and venture into the false cities
Should you ever not be able to tell the important things from the trifling
Should you lose your identity
Still you will remember
The days of peering into the mysterious orange flames
At night, engulfed by the dark

The dusk fell on the mountain
My Children
The night is now nearly upon you
You have played enough for tonight
Cease your merriment, get on with the fire
I prepared enough firewood in the barn
Make the fire
Some dry, some damp
Some thick, some thin
Make it good, build it well
Make the fire
And when it is well-stoked
Listen to your fantastic story of your past,
present and future
Lodged in that golden shrine
Inside those orange flames

-------------------------------------------------
(translated on 31 March 2000)

'Biroba bosino sitade/Poetry of Sansei Yamao' 1993
Published in Yasosha
Copyright 1993 by Sansei Yamao
English translation Copyright 2000 by Marek Lugowksi and Kazue Daikoku

雨ニモマケズ

雨ニモマケズ
風ニモマケズ
雪ニモ夏ノ暑サニモマケヌ
丈夫ナカラダヲモチ
慾ハナク
決シテ瞋ラズ
イツモシヅカニワラッテヰル
一日ニ玄米四合ト
味噌ト少シノ野菜ヲタベ
アラユルコトヲ
ジブンヲカンジョウニ入レズニ
ヨクミキキシワカリ
ソシテワスレズ
野原ノ松ノ林ノ
小サナ萓ブキノ小屋ニヰテ
東ニ病気ノコドモアレバ
行ッテ看病シテヤリ
西ニツカレタ母アレバ
行ッテソノ稲ノ朿ヲ負ヒ
南ニ死ニサウナ人アレバ
行ッテコハガラナクテモイヽトイヒ
北ニケンクヮヤソショウガアレバ
ツマラナイカラヤメロトイヒ
ヒドリノトキハナミダヲナガシ
サムサノナツハオロオロアルキ
ミンナニデクノボートヨバレ
ホメラレモセズ
クニモサレズ
サウイフモノニ
ワタシハナリタイ

アメニモマケズ-ame nimo makezu

not losing to the rain
not losing to the wind
not losing to the snow nor to summer's heat
with a strong body
unfettered by desire
never losing temper
cultivating a quiet joy
every day four bowls of brown rice
miso and some vegetables to eat
in everything
count yourself last and put others before you
watching and listening, and understanding
and never forgetting
in the shade of the woods of the pines of the fields
being in a little thatched hut
if there is a sick child to the east
going and nursing over them
if there is a tired mother to the west
going and shouldering her sheaf of rice
if there is someone near death to the south
going and saying there's no need to be afraid
if there is a quarrel or a lawsuit to the north
telling them to leave off with such waste
when there's drought, shedding tears of sympathy
when the summer's cold, wandering upset
called a nobody by everyone
without being praised
without being blamed
such a person
I want to become