Sunday, July 14, 2013

夜温し Deathly warm night

この澄める心ありとは知らず来て
刑死の明日に迫る夜温し
(島秋人)

A life lived without
Knowing this pure mind of void
Now forever known
So clear this deathly warm night
Eve of my execution
— Shima Akito

島 秋人(しま あきと)(1934年 - 1967年)は、新潟県で強盗殺人事件を引き起こした元死刑囚であり、1960年の一審の死刑判決後、1967年の死刑執行までの7年間、獄中で短歌を詠みつづけた歌人である。【参考文献

月影が萬水に映るように、善人も悪人も、男も女も、年寄りも子供も、この世界に存在するもの、全て仏の命を宿していないものは何一つありません。島秋人の短歌はこの真実を語っています。

Shima Akito (1934 - 1967) received the death sentence after committing a robbery-homicide in Niigata Prefecture. After being sentenced to death at his first trial in 1960, he lived as a poet on death row until his execution in 1967.

Just as moonlight illuminates all bodies of water, whether people are good or bad, men or women, elderly or young, in all that exists in this world there is nothing in which the Buddha's wisdom does not reflect. This poem speaks this truth with chilling force.

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