I have been following a certain parody Twitter feed for the late Japanese warlord Ishida Mitsunari, and today marks the anniversary of his death according to the modern calendar:
On this stone tablet is the Mitsunari’s death poem, or jisei (辞世). I couldn’t find an English translation at all, so here goes (warning, this is an amateur translation):
| Japanese | Romanization | Translation |
| 筑摩江や | Chikumae ya | O Chikumae, |
| 芦間に灯す | Ashima ni tomosu | Just as your blazing |
| かがり火と | Gakaribi to | reed bonfires |
| ともに消えゆく | Tomo ni kieyuku | will fade |
| 我が身なりけり | Wa ga mi narikeri | so too shall this body. |
This poem was composed by Mitsunari shortly before his execution, and took place at a location called Chikumae on the northeast shores of Lake Biwa.
P.S. Speaking of things fading…
Gleanings in Buddha-Fields 