Poem
Inuo Taguchi
NATURE IS GOD
1Nature is as fierce as a nail
but as delicate as a finger
Nature is as exquisite as downy hair
but as brawny as an arm
Our physical being is
a mirror reflecting Nature
If one can love oneself
one cannot possibly hate Nature
2
Nature is filled with heavenly thrones
Stars have their own heavenly thrones
Flowers have their own heavenly thrones
Trees are seated in peace
on heavenly thrones of their own
There is no room here for
revolutions
3
The landscape called Nature
has no frame
We are painted there too
so we do not see
the frame called God
4
On each and every leaf
God carved such elaborate veins
God does not mind doing work, no matter how laborious
as long as it is for those He loves
As long as the trees keep prospering
no one can erase
His perfectly carved seals of love
5
This paper was a tree once
This bookshelf too was once a tree
This piano was once a tree too
We couldn’t possibly die
in the manner they do
6
Nature is our mirror
So once in a while
it reflects our fearsome figures
Just as a mirror is neither good nor evil
Nature is neither good nor evil
A single tree
far surpasses good and evil,
leaving no room for
our morals to butt in
7
However strong the castle wall
there’s nothing it can do
when facing Time the conqueror
Its ruins will soon return to earth
Nature will silently march in triumph
yet we never hold a grudge against
Nature’s graceful conquest
8
Death always accompanies Life
as shade always accompanies its tree
However sharp the sword is
it cannot sever the shade from its tree
Death is one of the beads strung into a circle
If you follow those beads one after another
you will come back to Life again
passing through a dark corridor
we return to the shining God
9
Our life
and E. coli’s
share the same source
We are all
branches of the great river called God
Forking out does not mean
something has changed
No matter how swift or slow it flows
it is God’s water
nonetheless
10
Nature loves God
so God never ceases to love Nature
Nature is a transient manifestation of God
God is the eternal phase of Nature
The Cosmos is God’s sublime whim
All in this world is ephemeral
All in this world is glorious
© Translation: 2012, Takako Lento
natuur is god
1natuur is als nagels zo woest, maar
als vingers zo lieflijk
natuur is als donshaartjes zo delicaat, maar
als armen zo stevig
een spiegel die de natuur reflecteert
als je jezelf kunt liefhebben
dan kun je natuur niet haten
2
natuur vult de keizerstroon
sterren hebben hun sterrentroon
bloemen hebben hun bloementroon
bomen hebben hun verstilde bomentroon
waarop zij vredig zitten
revoluties zijn hier
niet te verwachten
3
natuur is een verbeeld landschap
zonder lijst
in het landschap
zijn zelfs wij ingeschilderd, dus
een god als omlijsting
is er niet te zien
4
een god die blad voor blad
zulke fijne bladnerven heeft uitgesneden
voor hen die liefhebben wil god
elke klus wel aanpakken
zolang er bomen blijven groeien
kan niemand dit perfecte liefdeszegel
uitvlakken
5
ook dit papier was ooit een boom
ook deze boekenkast was ooit een boom
ook deze piano was ooit een boom
wij zullen zeker
nooit zo kunnen sterven
6
natuur is onze spiegel
dus van tijd tot tijd
weerkaatst zij onze verschrikkelijke vormen
zoals een spiegel goed noch slecht is
zo is de natuur goed noch slecht
één boom
is zoveel meer dan goed of slecht
daar zit geen ruimte voor onze moraal
om voordeel te behalen
7
hoe sterk een fort ook is
tegen Generaal Tijd biedt het geen weerwerk
zijn ruïnes zijn al snel teruggekeerd tot stof
natuur houdt geluidloos een triomftocht
maar tegen de elegante overwinning der natuur
koesteren wij nooit haat
8
de dood gaat altijd samen met het leven
zoals de schaduw van een boom altijd samengaat met de boom
hoe scherp een zwaard ook is
het kan de schaduw niet lossnijden van de boom
de dood werkt zich van de ene parel
naar de andere parel aan een snoer
en keert weer tot leven
door een donkere gang
keren wij weer tot de schitterende god
9
van ons leven en
het leven van bacillen in een dikke darm
is de bron dezelfde
wij zijn allemaal
als zijtakken van de grote rivier van god
afgescheiden
het is niet dat er iets veranderd is
de stroom is niet ver, niet langzaam
maar als water van god
onveranderlijk
10
natuur houdt van god en daarom
houdt god van natuur en meer
natuur is de tijdelijke manifestatie van god
god is een teken van natuur haar eeuwigheid
kosmos is een sublieme grap van god
alles in deze wereld is broos
alles in deze wereld is mooi
© Vertaling: 2012, Ivo Smits
Poems
Poems of Inuo Taguchi
Close
NATURE IS GOD
1Nature is as fierce as a nail
but as delicate as a finger
Nature is as exquisite as downy hair
but as brawny as an arm
Our physical being is
a mirror reflecting Nature
If one can love oneself
one cannot possibly hate Nature
2
Nature is filled with heavenly thrones
Stars have their own heavenly thrones
Flowers have their own heavenly thrones
Trees are seated in peace
on heavenly thrones of their own
There is no room here for
revolutions
3
The landscape called Nature
has no frame
We are painted there too
so we do not see
the frame called God
4
On each and every leaf
God carved such elaborate veins
God does not mind doing work, no matter how laborious
as long as it is for those He loves
As long as the trees keep prospering
no one can erase
His perfectly carved seals of love
5
This paper was a tree once
This bookshelf too was once a tree
This piano was once a tree too
We couldn’t possibly die
in the manner they do
6
Nature is our mirror
So once in a while
it reflects our fearsome figures
Just as a mirror is neither good nor evil
Nature is neither good nor evil
A single tree
far surpasses good and evil,
leaving no room for
our morals to butt in
7
However strong the castle wall
there’s nothing it can do
when facing Time the conqueror
Its ruins will soon return to earth
Nature will silently march in triumph
yet we never hold a grudge against
Nature’s graceful conquest
8
Death always accompanies Life
as shade always accompanies its tree
However sharp the sword is
it cannot sever the shade from its tree
Death is one of the beads strung into a circle
If you follow those beads one after another
you will come back to Life again
passing through a dark corridor
we return to the shining God
9
Our life
and E. coli’s
share the same source
We are all
branches of the great river called God
Forking out does not mean
something has changed
No matter how swift or slow it flows
it is God’s water
nonetheless
10
Nature loves God
so God never ceases to love Nature
Nature is a transient manifestation of God
God is the eternal phase of Nature
The Cosmos is God’s sublime whim
All in this world is ephemeral
All in this world is glorious
© 2012, Takako Lento
NATURE IS GOD
1Nature is as fierce as a nail
but as delicate as a finger
Nature is as exquisite as downy hair
but as brawny as an arm
Our physical being is
a mirror reflecting Nature
If one can love oneself
one cannot possibly hate Nature
2
Nature is filled with heavenly thrones
Stars have their own heavenly thrones
Flowers have their own heavenly thrones
Trees are seated in peace
on heavenly thrones of their own
There is no room here for
revolutions
3
The landscape called Nature
has no frame
We are painted there too
so we do not see
the frame called God
4
On each and every leaf
God carved such elaborate veins
God does not mind doing work, no matter how laborious
as long as it is for those He loves
As long as the trees keep prospering
no one can erase
His perfectly carved seals of love
5
This paper was a tree once
This bookshelf too was once a tree
This piano was once a tree too
We couldn’t possibly die
in the manner they do
6
Nature is our mirror
So once in a while
it reflects our fearsome figures
Just as a mirror is neither good nor evil
Nature is neither good nor evil
A single tree
far surpasses good and evil,
leaving no room for
our morals to butt in
7
However strong the castle wall
there’s nothing it can do
when facing Time the conqueror
Its ruins will soon return to earth
Nature will silently march in triumph
yet we never hold a grudge against
Nature’s graceful conquest
8
Death always accompanies Life
as shade always accompanies its tree
However sharp the sword is
it cannot sever the shade from its tree
Death is one of the beads strung into a circle
If you follow those beads one after another
you will come back to Life again
passing through a dark corridor
we return to the shining God
9
Our life
and E. coli’s
share the same source
We are all
branches of the great river called God
Forking out does not mean
something has changed
No matter how swift or slow it flows
it is God’s water
nonetheless
10
Nature loves God
so God never ceases to love Nature
Nature is a transient manifestation of God
God is the eternal phase of Nature
The Cosmos is God’s sublime whim
All in this world is ephemeral
All in this world is glorious
© 2012, Takako Lento
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