Autumn Moon
Fearing my past is exposed
to the moon,
I keep looking down
this evening.  

Water in an Old Temple
Leaking from the rock
in an old temple,
water barely trickles –
the voice
of the lingering dharma.

Brush Doodling
Just playing
not doing
anything special –
the drawn traces
of an ink-soaked brush.

Snow on Water
I see it dust
the river wind
then vanish –
fragile snow over water
disappears from my sight.

Firefly in the Field
Even if a thought
of the firefly grass
dwindles,
it may light up as a firefly
in a remote field.

Heart
Drifting
like white clouds
from beginning to end –
a thing of mystery
is this heart.

Longing in the Wind
I await my beloved
who is not yet here.
The moon in the pines
and voice of the wind
provoke my longing.


Evening Plum Blossoms
The perfume of plum blossoms
reaches even the sleeves
of my ink-dyed robe –
my aching heart
penetrates the evening.

My Wish Under the Moon
How I wish
to die in autumn
moonlight
not to be lost,
even in darkness.

Death Poem
My wish is to see
a cloudless moon
above the lotus flower
in my next life.

Buddhist nun Otagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875) — poet, calligrapher, potter, and painter — dedicated her life to helping others to repay her debt of gratitude to the Buddha.

Kazuaki Tanahashi is a master calligrapher, Dogen scholar, and social activist. Joan Halifax Roshi — Buddhist teacher, Zen priest, anthropologist, civil-rights activist, and author — is Founder and Abbot of Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  We are grateful to them for their kind permisison to post these translations.


Poetry