Read, reflect, pray
From long ago: waka
昔より
Author not named
Poem and reading aid
昔より
mukashiyori
立つとも知らぬ
tatsutomo shiranu
今熊野
imakumano
ほとけの誓い
hotokeno chikai
あらたなりけり
aratanarikeri
How to use the Roman letters
Roman letters follow the kana displayed in this site’s Japanese reader; some readings are editorial additions documented on the Japanese page. These are a reading aid, not restored Sanskrit or a recording of a temple’s chanting. Historical spellings (such as wo, wi, we and ha used as a particle) are kept. Double vowels and repeated vowels mark the written kana; rhythm and pronunciation can differ by tradition.
You can simply read the meaning or sit quietly. No recitation is required. For a temple or shrine’s own recitation, follow that tradition’s published guidance.
Meaning in English
At Imakumano, whose years stretch back beyond counting, the Buddha’s vow is still fresh and wondrous.
Background and attribution
A pilgrimage song of Imakumano Kannonji, Saikoku temple 15, whose principal image is Eleven-faced Kannon. It praises the vow within this temple’s tradition.
The English meaning and explanation are this site’s own rendering. The poem’s speaker, author and object of devotion are not necessarily the same.
Connected figures
Sources and edition (1)
English explanations on this page were prepared by Inori no Mori from the cited text and its Japanese explanations. They are not an official translation or a prescribed liturgy.