1 1 2 A dialogue on poverty 3 2 4 5 3 6 On the night when the rain beats, 7 4 8 Driven by the wind, 9 5 10 On the night when the snowflakes mingle 11 6 12 With a sleety rain, 13 7 14 I feel so helplessly cold. 15 8 16 I nibble at a lump of salt, 17 9 18 Sip the hot, oft-diluted dregs of _sake_; 19 10 20 And coughing, snuffling, 21 11 22 And stroking my scanty beard, 23 12 24 I say in my pride, 25 13 26 "There's none worthy, save I!" 27 14 28 But I shiver still with cold. 29 15 30 I pull up my hempen bedclothes, 31 16 32 Wear what few sleeveless clothes I have, 33 17 34 But cold and bitter is the night! 35 18 36 As for those poorer than myself, 37 19 38 Their parents must be cold and hungry, 39 20 40 Their wives and children beg and cry. 41 21 42 Then, how do you struggle through life? 43 22 44 45 23 46 Wide as they call the heaven and earth, 47 24 48 For me they have shrunk quite small; 49 25 50 Bright though they call the sun and moon, 51 26 52 They never shine for me. 53 27 54 Is it the same with all men, 55 28 56 Or for me alone? 57 29 58 By rare chance I was born a man 59 30 60 And no meaner than my fellows, 61 31 62 But, wearing unwadded sleeveless clothes 63 32 64 In tatters, like weeds waving in the sea, 65 33 66 Hanging from my shoulders, 67 34 68 And under the sunken roof, 69 35 70 Within the leaning walls, 71 36 72 Here I lie on straw 73 37 74 Spread on bare earth, 75 38 76 With my parents at my pillow, 77 39 78 And my wife and children at my feet, 79 40 80 All huddled in grief and tears. 81 41 82 No fire sends up smoke 83 42 84 At the cooking-place, 85 43 86 And in the cauldron 87 44 88 A spider spins its web. 89 45 90 With not a grain to cook, 91 46 92 We moan like the night thrush. 93 47 94 Then, "to cut," as the saying is, 95 48 96 "The ends of what is already too short," 97 49 98 The village headman comes, 99 50 100 With rod in hand, to our sleeping place, 101 51 102 Growling for his dues. 103 52 104 Must it be so hopeless -- 105 53 106 The way of this world? 107 54 108 109 55 110 -- Yamanoue Okura 111