1816
.蝶とぶやそれ仏法の世の中と
chô tobu ya sore buppô no yo [no] naka to
flitting butterfly--
thus is Buddha's law
in this world
The butterfly often appears as a Buddhist ideal in Issa's poetry: attached so lightly to this world, trusting its delicate life to winds beyond its control.
All translations © 1991-2010 by David G. Lanoue, rights reserved.