Read, reflect, pray
Deep into Kamiji: waka
ふかく入りて
Saigyō
Poem and reading aid
ふかく入りて
fukaku irite
神路のおくを
kamijinookuwo
尋ぬれば
tazunureba
又うへもなき
matauhemonaki
峰のまつかぜ
minenomatsukaze
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
Going deep into Kamiji, searching its innermost reaches, I hear pine wind on a peak beyond which there is none higher.
Background and attribution
The headnote places Saigyō at Futami in Ise after leaving Kōya. He reflects on the shrine mountains in relation to Dainichi, in a medieval context of kami–buddha syncretism.
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 (2)
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.