70. The Priest Riyō-zen: Riyō-zen Hōshi
70
THE PRIEST RIYŌ-ZEN
RIYŌ-ZEN HOSHI
Sabishisa ni
Yado wo, tachi-idete
Nagamureba
Izuko mo onaji
Aki no yūgure.
Yado wo, tachi-idete
Nagamureba
Izuko mo onaji
Aki no yūgure.
THE prospect from my cottage shows
No other hut in sight;
The solitude depresses me,
Like deepening twilight
On a chill autumn night.
Nothing is known of this author, but he appears to have lived during the eleventh century. The Priest appears in the illustration, looking out over the bare landscape, with his tiny hut in the background.