My hut lies in the middle of a dense forest;
Every year the green ivy grows longer.
No news of the affairs of men,
Only the occasional song of a woodcutter.
The sun shines and I mend my robe;
When the moon comes out I read Buddhist poems.
I have nothing to report, my friends.
If you want to find the meaning, stop chasing after
so many things.
- Ryōkan Taigu (1758 - 1831)
From 'One Robe, One Bowl', the Zen Poetry of Ryōkan, translated by John Stevens.
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