Inori no Mori祈りの杜working title

Read, reflect, pray

Sai no Kawara Jizō Wasan

西院河原地蔵和讃さいのかわらじぞうわさん

A Japanese devotional hymn about Jizō sheltering children at the riverbank of the dead. This reader follows the 1884 edition, including its closing invocation of Amida. Accusations voiced by the demon belong to the historical tale; they are not factual claims about bereaved families. The source was printed in katakana; this reader supplies kanji and reading aids and regularizes kana spelling.

English meaning and source text

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English meaning

About this English rendering

This site’s English rendering of the Japanese meaning guide, aligned with this edition. It is separate from the source words for recitation and is not an official liturgy. Sacred sounds are explained where possible, not given speculative literal translations. Historical beliefs, royal authority, illness and protection claims belong to the text; they are not present-day judgments, medical advice or guarantees of results.

This rendering follows the 1884 text, including its closing invocation of Amida. The demon’s accusation is speech within a historical tale, not a claim that a bereaved parent’s grief harms a dead child.

Section 1

This is not a story of events in this world.

At the foot of the mountain on the road after death,

this is a tale of Sai no Kawara, the riverbank of the dead.

It is a sorrowful tale to hear.

Children aged two, three, four or five,

little children not yet ten years old,

gather at Sai no Kawara.

Longing for their fathers and mothers,

their cries of longing

are unlike the cries heard in this world;

their sorrow pierces to the bone.

Section 2

What these little children do is

gather stones from the riverbank

and build towers, dedicating the merit to others.

They build one tier for their fathers,

a second for their mothers,

and a third for those in their hometown,

their siblings and themselves.

Though they play on their own by day,

when evening falls,

a demon from hell appears.

The demon says: ‘What are you doing?

Your fathers and mothers, left in the living world,

perform neither memorial observances nor good deeds for you.

They only lament from morning to night,

saying how cruel, how sad, how pitiful it is.

Their lamentation becomes, for you,

a cause of suffering.

Therefore do not blame me.’

Saying this, the demon extends an iron rod

and knocks down the towers they have built.

Section 3

Then Jizō, the guide of living beings,

comes gently forth

and says: ‘Your lives were short,

and you have come on this journey through the realm of the dead.

The living world and this realm lie far apart.

Think of me as your father and mother here,

and turn to me morning and evening.’

Jizō draws the little children

inside the folds of the robe,

cherishing them with compassion. How deeply to be grateful.

The children too young to walk

are allowed to hold the staff;

against a body embodying patience and compassion,

Jizō cradles and gently strokes them,

cherishing them with compassion. How deeply to be grateful.

I take refuge in Amida Buddha.

Source text and reading aid

Roman letters are provided for every line of this source text.

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.

賽の河原の子どもたち（さいのかわらのこどもたち）

これはこの世（よ）の事（こと）ならず

korehakono yono kotonarazu

死出（しで）の山路（やまじ）の裾野（すその）なる

shideno yamajino susononaru

賽（さい）の河原（かわら）の物語（ものがたり）

saino kawarano monogatari

聞（き）くにつけても哀（あわ）れなり

kikunitsuketemo awarenari

二（ふた）つや三（みっ）つや四（よっ）つ五（いつ）つ

futatsuya mittsuya yottsu itsutsu

十（とお）にも足（た）らぬみどり子（ご）が

toonimo taranumidori goga

賽（さい）の河原（かわら）に集（あつ）まりて

saino kawarani atsumarite

父（ちち）恋（こい）し母（はは）恋（こい）し

chichi koishi haha koishi

恋（こい）し恋（こい）しと泣（な）く声（こえ）は

koishi koishito naku koeha

この世（よ）の声（こえ）とは事変（ことか）わり

kono yono koetoha kotokawari

悲（かな）しさ骨身（ほねみ）を通（とお）すなり

kanashisa honemiwo toosunari

石の塔と鬼の言葉（いしのとうとおにのことば）

かのみどり子（ご）の所作（しょさ）として

kanomidori gono shosatoshite

河原（かわら）の石（いし）を取（と）り集（あつ）め

kawarano ishiwo tori atsume

これにて回向（えこう）の塔（とう）を組（く）む

korenite ekouno touwo kumu

一重（いちじゅう）組（く）んでは父（ちち）のため

ichijuu kundeha chichinotame

二重（にじゅう）組（く）んでは母（はは）のため

nijuu kundeha hahanotame

三重（さんじゅう）組（く）んではふるさとの

sanjuu kundehafurusatono

兄弟（きょうだい）我（わ）が身（み）と回向（えこう）して

kyoudai waga mito ekoushite

昼（ひる）はひとりで遊（あそ）べども

hiruhahitoride asobedomo

日（ひ）も入相（いりあい）のその頃（ころ）は

himo iriainosono koroha

地獄（じごく）の鬼（おに）が現（あらわ）れて

jigokuno oniga arawarete

やれ汝（なんじ）らは何（なに）をする

yare nanjiraha naniwosuru

娑婆（しゃば）に残（のこ）りし父母（ちちはは）は

shabani nokorishi chichihahaha

追善作善（ついぜんざぜん）の務（つと）めなく

tsuizenzazenno tsutomenaku

ただ明（あ）け暮（く）れの嘆（なげ）きには

tada ake kureno nagekiniha

むごや悲（かな）しや不憫（ふびん）やと

mugoya kanashiya fubin'yato

親（おや）の嘆（なげ）きは汝（なんじ）らが

oyano nagekiha nanjiraga

苦患（くげん）を受（う）くる種（たね）となる

kugenwo ukuru tanetonaru

我（われ）を恨（うら）むる事（こと）なかれと

warewo uramuru kotonakareto

くろがねの棒（ぼう）をのべ

kuroganeno bouwonobe

積（つ）みたる塔（とう）を押（お）しくずす

tsumitaru touwo oshikuzusu

地蔵尊の救いと結び（じぞうそんのすくいとむすび）

その時（とき）能化（のうけ）の地蔵尊（じぞうそん）

sono toki noukeno jizouson

ゆるぎ出（い）でさせ給（たま）いつつ

yurugi idesase tamaitsutsu

汝（なんじ）らいのち短（みじか）くて

nanjirainochi mijikakute

冥途（めいど）の旅（たび）に来（きた）るなり

meidono tabini kitarunari

娑婆（しゃば）と冥途（めいど）はほど遠（とお）し

shabato meidohahodo tooshi

我（われ）を冥途（めいど）の父母（ちちはは）と

warewo meidono chichihahato

思（おも）うて明（あ）け暮（く）れ頼（たの）めよと

omoute ake kure tanomeyoto

幼（おさな）き者（もの）をみころもの

osanaki monowomikoromono

もすその内（うち）にかき入（い）れて

mosusono uchinikaki irete

哀（あわ）れみ給（たま）うぞありがたき

awaremi tamauzoarigataki

いまだ歩（あゆ）まぬみどり子（ご）を

imada ayumanumidori gowo

錫杖（しゃくじょう）の柄（え）に取（と）りつかせ

shakujouno eni toritsukase

忍辱慈悲（にんにくじひ）のみはだえに

ninnikujihinomihadaeni

抱（いだ）きかかえてなでさすり

idakikakaetenadesasuri

哀（あわ）れみ給（たま）うぞありがたき

awaremi tamauzoarigataki

南無阿弥陀仏（なむあみだぶつ）

namuamidabutsu

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