KOBO Seattle | since 1995
$ 400.00
いろは I Ro Ha is a Japanese poem that is unique, in that it uses all of the phonetic Hiragana characters, and uses each one only once. For this reason, it is also used as the order for “alphabetizing” things in Japan, like train seats, etc., in the way we use A, B, C… (The poem does not include the character んwhich was added to the syllabary in the 20th century, but does includes two archaic hiragana characters ゐ and ゑ. Here’s the entire poem…
いろはにほへと
ちりぬるを
わかよたれそ
つねならむ
うゐのおくやま
けふこえて
あさきゆめみし
ゑひもせす
This translation by professor Ryūichi Abe (阿部 龍一) of Harvard University.
Although its scent still lingers on
the form of a flower has scattered away
For whom will the glory
of this world remain unchanged?
Arriving today at the yonder side
of the deep mountains of evanescent existence
We shall never allow ourselves to drift away
intoxicated, in the world of shallow dreams.