盡十方界真実人體 Jinjippoukai shinjitsunintai, waka poem by Dogen Zenji, with some translations and our notes.
世の中に
yo no naka ni
真 のひとや
makoto no hito ya
なかるらん
nakaruran
限りも見えぬ
kagiri mo mienu
大空の色
oozora no iro
True person manifest throughout the ten quarters of the world
The true person is
Not anyone in particular;
But, like the deep blue color
Of the limitless sky,
It is everyone, everywhere in the world.
Translation: Steven Heine, The Zen Poetry of Dogen
everywhere in ten directions world the true person manifests expresses
in the society
the person of the teaching
isn’t there
the limits can’t be seen
of the big blue sky
Translation: Shogen Blair
The True Person is
Everyone in particular
The blue silk of the whole sky
Is pulled through each open face
Translation: John Fraser
Notes
Title: 盡十方界真実人體
jin exhaust/use up – jippou ten directions – kai boundary/ world – shinjitsu absolute truth/ reality
– nintai human body + body/ substance/reality 体
Poem:
世 – se/ yo world/ society (modern meaning) k: new leaf growing from a tree branch, new natural shoots
中 – naka/chu middle, centre, inside k: flag standing in wind, showing the middle military division
真 – まこと makoto
truth/ reality/ Buddhist school or teaching