Just As You Are: A Japanese Poem

There’s a famous Japanese poem that you will often see in Jodo Shinshu Buddhist literature usually translated as “Just Right” or “Just As You Are” or “Sono-mana”. Rev. Taitetsu Unno, who passed away some years ago, translated the poem in one of his books, and it has been popular since among English-speaking Shin Buddhists (a.k.a. Jodo Shinshu followers).

Recently, I remembered this poem, and tried to find the original in Japanese, and when I did, I realized that there were some problems with the English translation. Nothing serious, but worth sharing.

The actual name of the poem in Japanese is 仏様のことば（丁度よい）or hotoke-sama no kotoba (chōdo yoi), which means “The Buddha’s Words (Just Right)”. It was composed by one Maekawa Gorōmatsu at the age of 93.

Original Japanese	Romanization	Rough Translation (bold text is my translation)
仏様のことば （丁度よい）	Hotoké-sama no kotoba (chōdo yoi)	Words of the Buddha (just right)
お前はお前で丁度よい	omae wa omae de chōdo yoi	You, as you are, are just right.
顔も体も名前も姓も	kao mo karada mo namae mo sei mo	Your face, your body, your name, your surname,
お前にそれは丁度よい	omae ni sore wa chōdo yoi	they are, for you, just right.
貧も富も親も子も	hin mo tomi mo oya mo ko mo	Whether poor or rich, your parents, your children,
息子の嫁もその孫も	musuko no yomé mo sono mago mo	your daughter-in-law, your grandchildren
それはお前に丁度よい	sore wa omae ni chōdo yoi	they are, for you, just right.
幸も不幸もよろこびも	kō mo fukō mo yorokobi mo	Happiness, unhappiness, joy and even sorrow,
悲しみさえも丁度よい	kanashimi sae mo chōdo yoi	for you, they are just right.
歩いたお前の人生は	aruita omae no jinsei wa	The life that you have walked
悪くもなければ良くもない	warukumo nakeraba yoku mo nai	is neither good nor bad.
お前にとって丁度よい	omae ni totte chōdo yoi	For you, it is just right.
地獄へ行こうと極楽へ行こうと	jigoku e ikō to gokuraku e ikō to	Whether you fall into Hell, or go to the Pure Land
行ったところが丁度よい	itta tokoro ga chōdo yoi	Where you go is just right.
うぬぼれる要もなく 卑下する要もない	unuboreru yō mo naku higé suru yō mo nai	No need to take pride in anything, no need to be humble either.
上もなければ下もない	ué mo nakereba shita mo nai	If there’s nothing above, there’s nothing below either.
死ぬ月日さえも丁度よい	shinu ashita sae mo chōdo yoi	Even the day and time of your death is just right, too.
仏様と二人連の人生	Hotoké-sama to futarizuré no jinsei	A life hand in hand with the Buddha
丁度よくないはずがない	chōdo yokunai hazu ga nai	Couldn’t possibly be wrong for you.
丁度よいのだと聞こえた時	chōdo no da to kikoeru toki	Rather, when you hear that it is just right for you,
憶念の信が生まれます	okunen no shin ga umaremasu	Enduring faith [confidence in the Buddha] is born.
南無阿弥陀仏	namu amida butsu	Praise to the Buddha of Infinite Light (a.k.a. the nembutsu)

English translations of this poem usually stop around two-thirds of the way through the poem, but I have posted the poem in full from Japanese sources, and simply translated the last part myself. Apologies for any mistakes or poor translation choices.

Enjoy!