85. The Priest Shun-ye: Shun-ye Hōshi
85
THE PRIEST SHUN-YE
SHUN-YE HŌSHI
Yomosugara
Mono omou koro wa
Ake yarade
Neya no hima sae
Tsurena kari keri.
Mono omou koro wa
Ake yarade
Neya no hima sae
Tsurena kari keri.
ALL through the never-ending night
I lie awake and think;
In vain I look to try and see
The daybreak's feeble blink
Peep through the shutter's chink.
This priest was the son of the author of verse No. 74. He describes in this poem a sleepless night, when he looks in vain to catch the first glimpse of daybreak through the joints of the sliding screens, that form the walls of a Japanese house. But in the picture, as will be noticed, one of the sliding screens is removed, in order to show the priest within.