Taneda Santōka; translations by Burton Watson 落ちかかる月を見ているに一人 watching the moon go down me alone --- 分け入っても分け入っても青い山 deeper I go deeper I go green mountain --- 雪降る中を帰り来て妻へ手紙書く come home in falling snow write my wife a letter --- 月の水を汲み上げて飲みたった[^1] dipped up moonlit water drank my fill --- “Nevertheless, by venturing to do something so ludicrous, I, who am not very clever, justify my existence.”[^2] [^1]: _This imagery is similar to a Yorushika song titled Liar (噓月). The third line in the first verse reads: “I have been drinking a bucketful of moonlight all along. (僕はずっとバケツ一杯の月光を呑んでる).” The song’s writer, n-buna (pronounced nabuna) quoted Japanese poet, Ozaki Hōsai throughout the song._ [^2]: _Context: Santōka’s diary entry about modes of transportation. He noted that with trains and cars around, walking (his preferred method) is an inefficient way to travel. But it works just as well out of context. Who hasn’t aspired to do something preposterous to leave their mark on this earth?_