Awake Me, O Matsuo Basho

I dreamt I was a journeyman
On The Narrow Road to the Deep North,
In Honshu Island, north of Shikoku.

Across the Inland Sea,
I came across a sacred place,
Lofty Mount Fuji.

In Shiga Prefecture, there by Lake Biwa,
There by the rippling water,
There on a stone, I rested.

And in my restful meditation,
You appeared to me
In dream, mysteriously dressed.

Dressed as a Shingon Buddhist monk,
A master monk you were,
In flowing black robes adorned.

Kneeling seiza-style, you sat,
On your golden padded cushion,
Reciting Haiku poetry.

And from this meditative pose,
Hands clasped in a prayer,
You paused.

And even as you paused,
Your silent saffron Buddhist monks
Expressed their Yugen joy.

They, seeking enlightenment,
Carried obediently their rice bowls
Of daily food ration.

In penitence they walked,
In penitence they bowed,
Summoned to prayer.

And as you kneeled,
Your legs were folded,
Neatly tucked underneath.

In meditation pose,
On golden padded cushion,
I saw you strike three times.

A metal gong, a Buddhist temple bell,
You began to brush —
Brushing it three times.

Three times in ritual you brushed.
And from this brush emerged
A sound.

A calming temple sound I heard,
Resounding everywhere,
Resounding in my ears.

With this resounding, calming sound,
In Takasago Shrine,
The morning prayer began.

And as I lay quite fast asleep,
In restful sleep, by Lake Biwa,
I dreamed.

Once again, after a prayer,
You began your recitation,
A simple Haiku poem.

And with this poem,
Your saffron Buddhist monks
Bowed once more their heads.

All this I dreamed,
Resting on a stone,
By Lake Biwa asleep.

There, in Honshu Island,
North of Shinkoku, it was,
Across the Inland sea.

I took that pilgrim’s journey,
The journey of my life,
Traveling the Narrow Road.

The Narrow Road,
To That Deep North,
There shall I rest.

Everyday henceforth for me,
Shall be a pilgrim’s journey —
A journey unto itself.

I’m on a journey of the road,
Of the road that is less traveled;
The road not frequently taken.

Awake me, O Matsuo Basho!
Awake me to be ever brave,
To take the Narrow Road.