A Hundred Verses from Old Japan (The Hyakunin-isshu), tr. by William N. Porter, [1909], at sacred-texts.com
A Hundred Verses from Old Japan (The Hyakunin-isshu), tr. by William N. Porter, [1909], at sacred-texts.com
UNFIT to rule this wicked world
With all its pomp and pride,
I'd rather in my plain black robe
A humble priest abide,
Far up the mountain side.
The Archbishop was a son of the author of verse No. 76. He had just been promoted to his exalted rank, which entailed living at the Temple of Mount Hiei, near Kyōto, and this is his modest deprecatory verse on his new appointment. He is said to have put an end to his life by the method described in the note to verse No. 12.
In the picture we see the Archbishop in his robes, and the great Temple of Mount Hiei, while in the distance are: the wild hills where he longs to be.
