Don't be afraid

Strong in the Rain
Kenji Miyazawa
translation by Roger Pulvers


Strong in the rain
Strong in the wind
Strong against the summer heat and snow

He is healthy and robust
Free from desire
He never loses his temper
Nor the quiet smile on his lips
He eats four go of unpolished rice
Miso and a few vegetables a day

He does not consider himself
In whatever occurs
His understanding
Comes from observation and experience
And he never loses sight of things

He lives in a little thatched-roof hut
In a field in the shadows of a pine tree grove

If there is a sick child in the east
He goes there to nurse the child
If there’s a tired mother in the west
He goes to her and carries her sheaves
If someone is near death in the south
He goes and says, ‘Don’t be afraid’

If there are strife and lawsuits in the north
He demands that the people put an end to their pettiness
He weeps at the time of drought
He plods about at a loss during the cold summer

Everybody calls him Blockhead
No one sings his praises
Or takes him to heart

That is the sort of person
I want to be.