Miyazawa Kenji (1896-1933) was a Japanese novelist and poet probably most famous for his novel, 銀河鉄道の夜, Night on the Galactic Railroad. But his most famous poem is this one: 雨にもまけず which means "won't be defeated by the rain."
Miyazawa Kenji struggled with health issues for years, eventually succumbing to an acute pneumonia illness. One reason why this poem is so popular is it was discovered posthumously in a small notebook he left behind. Did he write this for himself? Or was he hoping it would be read by others? The words were so strong and resolute despite his weakened state.
He ends with these lines:
そういうものに わたしはなりたい
That's the kind of person I want to be.
Ame ni mo Makezu: Original version
(see below for a more modern version with English translation)
雨ニモマケズ
風ニモマケズ
雪ニモ夏ノ暑サニモマケヌ
丈夫ナカラダヲモチ
慾ハナク
決シテ瞋ラズ
イツモシヅカニワラッテヰル
一日ニ玄米四合ト
味噌ト少シノ野菜ヲタベ
アラユルコトヲ
ジブンヲカンジョウニ入レズニ
ヨクミキキシワカリ
ソシテワスレズ
野原ノ松ノ林ノ蔭ノ
小サナ萓ブキノ小屋ニヰテ
東ニ病氣ノコドモアレバ
行ッテ看病シテヤリ
西ニツカレタ母アレバ
行ッテソノ稻ノ朿ヲ負ヒ
南ニ死ニサウナ人アレバ
行ッテコハガラナクテモイヽトイヒ
北ニケンクヮヤソショウガアレバ
ツマラナイカラヤメロトイヒ
ヒデリノトキハナミダヲナガシ
サムサノナツハオロオロアルキ
ミンナニデクノボートヨバレ
ホメラレモセズ
クニモサレズ
サウイフモノニ
ワタシハナリタイ
Notes: ヰ ＝ イ (wi) イヒ ＝ イイ クワ = カ イフ = イウ
If you are like me and find katakana hard to read, Wikipedia kindly updated it into modern Japanese for us. I'm also including the English translation they provided.
雨にもまけず
Unbeaten by the rain
風にもまけず
Unbeaten by the wind
雪にも夏の暑さにもまけぬ
Bested by neither snow nor summer heat
丈夫なからだをもち
Strong of body
慾はなく
Free of desire
決して瞋らず
Never angry
いつもしずかにわらっている
Always smiling quietly
一日に玄米四合と
Dining daily on four cups of brown rice
味噌と少しの野菜をたべ
Some miso and a few vegetables
あらゆることをじぶんをかんじょうにいれずによくみききしわかり
Observing all things with dispassion
そしてわすれず
But remembering well
野原の松の林の蔭の小さな萱ぶきの小屋にいて
In the meadow beneath a canopy of pines, living in a small, thatched-roof house
東に病気のこどもあれば行って看病してやり
Going east to nurse the sick child
西につかれた母あれば行ってその稲の束を負い
Going west to bear sheaves of rice for the weary mother
南に死にそうな人あれば行ってこわがらなくてもいいといい
Going south to tell the dying man there is no cause for fear
北にけんかやそしょうがあればつまらないからやめろといい
Going north to tell those who fight to put aside their trifles
ひでりのときはなみだをながし
Shedding tears in time of drought
さむさのなつはおろおろあるき
Wandering at a loss during the cold summer
みんなにでくのぼうとよばれ
Called useless by all
ほめられもせず
Neither praised
くにもされず
Nor a bother
そういうものに
Such is the person
わたしはなりたい
I wish to be
I thought this was very sad. It is as if he doesn’t want to feel anything, physically or emotionally. Such existence is lonely and painful.
It definitely encapsulates the Japanese idea of 我慢 (gaman; endurance; patience; perseverance). In the extreme, that can be a little sad.
I guess I misunderstood the text then. 🙂 I thought he wanted to isolate himself like he had given up. I’m not very good interpreting poems. I also find hard to make sense of lyrics sometimes.
This was my first experience with your program and I found it to be interesting with a sense of practice with things I do now and things I don’t know and deserve know
Thank you and I’m glad you found it interesting. It’s a very famous poem. I will do more of these cultural spotlights in the near future. 🙂
Some corrections thanks I do know and things I don’t know and desire to know