It rained through the night and, when the sun broke through this morning, the saturated forest was suddenly illuminated. In the west, a rainbow appeared against the dark clouds over the yellow-tinged willows along the creek. Patches of gold and reds are appearing among the aspen groves. It is Autumnal Equinox. The earth, the forest, the sky, we are all in beautiful transition.

The Autumn Moon

by Ryokan

The moon appears in every season, it is true,
But surely it’s best in fall.
In autumn, mountains loom and water runs clear.
A brilliant disk floats across the infinite sky,
And there is no sense of light and darkness,
For everything is permeated with its presence.
The boundless sky above, the autumn chill on my face.
I take my precious staff and wander about the hills.
Not a speck of the world’s dust anywhere,
Just the brilliant beams of moonlight.
I hope others, too, are gazing on this moon tonight,
And that it’s illuminating all kinds of people.
Autumn after autumn, the moonlight comes and goes;
Human beings will gaze upon it for eternity.
The sermons of Buddha, the preaching of Eno,
Surely occurred under the same kind of moon.
I contemplate the moon through the night,
As the stream settles, and white dew descends.
Which wayfarer will bask in the moonlight longest?
Whose home will drink up the most moonbeams?

English version by John Stevens
Original Language Japanese

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