The Kan’ei-ji temple is a quiet pagoda
home to a simple engraved stone.
Here supporters of the emperor
attacked the forces of the last Tokugawa shogun.
Home to a simple engraved stone,
a memorial to the souls.
Attacked the forces of the last Tokugawa shogun
(there are still bullet holes).
A memorial to the souls:
Matsuyama was plagued by guilt
(there are still bullet holes)
crickets and grasshoppers that had been killed.
Matsuyama was plagued by guilt
guilt at having caused the deaths;
crickets and grasshoppers that had been killed,
killed in the production of a scientific text.
Guilt at having caused the deaths.
To console the spirits of the flies
killed in the production of a scientific text,
few visitors stop by.
To console the spirits of the flies.
Here supporters of the emperor…
Few visitors stop by;
the Kan’ei-ji temple is a quiet pagoda.
From the listing for Mushizuka at Kan’ei-ji Temple.
Verbatim Poetry 