Resilience - Ame ni mo makezu - Not defeated by the rain
Ame ni mo makezu roughly translated as “Be not defeated by the rain” is the most well known poem of Kenji Miyazawa , a poet and author of children’s literature of the early Showa period (1926-1989).
This poem, written almost 80 years ago by Miyazawa Kenji, has long been one of Japan’s most loved and quoted poems. This year, its sentiments have taken on even greater significance and poignancy. In the tsunami and earthquake that devastated north-eastern Japan last March, tens of thousands of people lost their lives and whole towns were obliterated. For those who survived, their old lives most often lay beneath piles of rubble, and their new, hopefully temporary, homes were crowded community shelters with inadequate heating, food and water, where they were subjected to continuing aftershocks and the threat of an impending nuclear disaster. However, in these extreme circumstances, what struck many non-Japanese observers was the ability of the Japanese people to maintain social harmony, to share resources and to support one another. In essence, they were embodying the human quality of which Miyazawa writes: the quiet awareness of an inner strength which is cultivated through unassuming service to others. Through self-awareness and service, we prevail against the isolating force of the ego, and connect with our own hearts and the hearts of others, ensuring that we and our communities are resilient in the face of suffering and sometimes devastating loss.
ame ni mo makezu
kaze ni mo makezu
yuki ni mo natsu no atsusa ni mo makenu
j?bu na karada wo mochi
yoku wa naku
kesshite ikarazu
itsu mo shizuka ni waratte iru
ichi nichi ni genmai yon g? to
miso to sukoshi no yasai wo tabe
arayuru koto wo
jibun wo kanj? ni irezu ni
yoku mikiki shi wakari
soshite wasurezu
nohara no matsu no hayashi no kage no
chiisa na kayabuki no koya ni ite
higashi ni by?ki no kodomo areba
itte kanby? shite yari
nishi ni tsukareta haha areba
itte sono ine no taba wo oi
minami ni shinis? na hito areba
itte kowagaranakute mo ii to ii
kita ni kenka ya sosh? ga areba
tsumaranai kara yamero to ii
hidori no toki wa namida wo nagashi
samusa no natsu wa oro-oro aruki
minna ni deku-no-b? to yobare
homerare mo sezu
ku ni mo sarezu
s? iu mono ni
watashi wa naritai
TRANSLATION
Be not defeated by the rain, Nor let the wind prove your better.
Succumb not to the snows of winter. Nor be bested by the heat of summer.
Be strong in body. Unfettered by desire. Not enticed to anger. Cultivate a quiet joy.
Count yourself last in everything. Put others before you.
Watch well and listen closely. Hold the learned lessons dear.
A thatch-roof house, in a meadow, nestled in a pine grove’s shade.
A handful of rice, some miso, and a few vegetables to suffice for the day.
If, to the East, a child lies sick: Go forth and nurse him to health.
If, to the West, an old lady stands exhausted: Go forth, and relieve her of burden.
If, to the South, a man lies dying: Go forth with words of courage to dispel his fear.
If, to the North, an argument or fight ensues:
Go forth and beg them stop such a waste of effort and of spirit.
In times of drought, shed tears of sympathy.
In summers cold, walk in concern and empathy.
Stand aloof of the unknowing masses:
Better dismissed as useless than flattered as a “Great Man”.
This is my goal, the person I strive to become.
Source Rosebed St Gallery Eudlo, Australia Qld
To see more about my work in this exhibition, visit the Printmaking page on this blog
Resilient to make things last in time...
