★道歌

堀らぬ井のたまらぬ水に浪たちて

影も形もなき人ぞ汲む

Horanu i no tamaranu mizu ni nami tachite,

kage mo katachi mo naki hito zo kumu

A person without form or shape draws from the waves in an undug well without water

 

一休の道歌といわれるものに、

 

闇の夜に鳴かぬ鴉の聲きけば

生まれぬ先の父ぞ恋しき

 

という道歌がある（『禅林世語集』収）が、それと同じ趣意。白隠が創作した「隻手音声」の公案の消息を示すものでもある。

This reflects the intent of Hakuin’s famous koan, “the sound of one hand.” It also brings to mind a saying in the Segoshu¨ (Collection of popular sayngs), attributed to Ikkyu Sojun (1394–1481): “Hearing the cry of a silent crow in the darkness of the night, I yearn for the father I had before I was born.”

（芳澤勝弘+Thomas Kirchner）