A zen monk from a humble background, Iio Sōgi became one of the most respected poets of 15th-century Japan, lauded by major figures and followed by a crowd of students.
We may realize
that people are merely dreams:
the house abandoned,
its wild garden becomes home
to a swarm of butterflies.
—translated by David Bowles
April 20, 2014
Original Japanese
Hito wo yume to ya
omoishiruramu;
sumi suteshi,
sono wa kochou no
yadori nite.人を夢とや
思い知るらむ
住み捨て市
その輪誇張の
宿りにて