Tao Yuan-ming

The mountain air sparkles as the sun sets
Birds in flocks return together.
In these things there is a fundamental truth,
But when I start to explain it, I lose the words.

Tao Yuan-ming (365-427)

山气日夕佳
飞鸟相与还
此中有真意
欲辨已忘言

陶淵明

shan(1) qi(4) ri(4) xi(1) jia(1)
fei(1) niao(3) xiang(1) yu(3) huan(2)
ci(3) zhong(1) you(3) zhen(1) yi(4)
yu(4) bian(4) yi(3) wang(4) yan(2)

天上大風

High in the sky, a great wind. Brushed by Ryokan for a village child who asked him to christen his new kite. Planted in rice fields in Tsubame, Japan, near Ryokan's birthplace.

http://www.city.tsubame.niigata.jp/guide/industrial/tamboart/

Ryokan kanshi

Without a craving
I crave nothing.
With a craving
I crave everything.
Among the mountains
I can feed myself on herbs
And get along
Wearing only one robe.
Rambling alone
I make friends
with deer and others.
I can join the village children
Singing loudly with them.
To wash my ears clean
I go to the stream
Under the rocks
And on the peaks I make friends
With the pines standing there.

-Ryokan

Chiru sakura

散る桜, 残る桜も, 散る桜 (良寛)

chiru sakura
nokoru sakura mo
chiru sakura

falling cherry blossoms
those remaining
also will fall

-Ryokan

Zen monk Ryokan

It's not that I don't care to socialize  
It's just that amusing myself alone is the better way  

世の中に | yo no naka ni | in the world  
まじらぬとには | majiranu to ni ha | mixing-not that  
あらねども | aranedomo | not  
ひとり遊びぞ | hitori asobi zo | playing alone  
我はまされる | ware ha masareru | by myself is better

* Image: self-portrait of Ryokan with inscribed verse