Up in the Snowy Mountain peaks
dwells a legendary bird.
Its tale of woe to people speaks
in the parable I've heard.
The story goes that there were two
living in a homeless state,
female and male companions who
jointly shared a hapless fate.
So high was the elevation
that the snow throughout the year
caused a biting cold sensation,
piercing like an icy spear.
Nary a chirp nor twitter sweet
did they trill in warbled sound.
No blithe song would those aves tweet
as they shivered on the ground.
At sundown when the darkness fell
thus increased the bitter chill,
feeling just like a frozen hell.
Then the female's cries were shrill:
"Our existence is nightmarish
from the fierce freezing weather!
We are numb and both will perish
miserably together! "
And her avian spouse would say,
"Though we'll not have any rest,
after the dawning of the day,
let us build ourselves a nest.
"If we start the task tomorrow,
and work on it steadily,
we could finish with this sorrow.
I will do it readily! "
It was certainly their intent
to begin, so the birds said.
But when daytime the sunshine sent,
they dozed off to sleep instead.
In this way they continued on,
vowing once again each night;
yet with the coming of the dawn,
pledges waned in morning light.
It's claimed they never underwent
any change to ease their pain
that their whole lives the creatures spent
making promises in vain.
Still, suppose a title and theme
in a phrase they recited
woke those slumberers from the ‘dream'
and their awareness righted.
Having found true wisdom's portal,
their enlightenment possessed,
as can every common mortal,
they directly built a nest.
In our fable, that feathered friend,
cold suffering kankucho,
finds its song plus a warming end
with Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
< January 2016 >
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem