It is the only place I will be able to return to.
It is the beginning and the end of nature.
The mountain of my homeland.
The village where my father was born is in the mountains,
the town where my mother was born is surrounded by mountains.
Always the sun and moon rise from the peak and set in the ridge.
If I say “hello,”
the spirit replies back in a clear voice.
I wonder, is it possible to live like an ancient Asian holy man,
spending his days only in the place where echoes reach.
Occasionally, I leave my house in the early morning
to go up to the clear river
carrying my rod,
looking for fish in the deep ravine,
and I will enjoy a meditative life drawing to an end
held by the deep mountains.
That is the only place you can find
the place you will someday return to.
Ayukawa Nobuo (1920-1986) Japan
Translated by Oketani Shogo and Leza Lowitz
Source: Poetry Kanto
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