a butterfly fluttering has crossed the roof-tiles
chōchō hirahira iraka o koeta
1937–1938 · Late Gochū-an period
Sōmokutō · Persimmon Leaves (Kaki no ha)
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A poem at Eihei-ji. A butterfly, fluttering, has gone over the ridge-tiles of the great temple hall. The lightest of lives crosses lightly over the roof of a solemn training hall. Written all in hiragana, the line is itself the lightness of the butterfly.