Hyakunin Isshu: Meet the Poets
Priest Dōin

Meaning

I am exhausted with sorrow, yet somehow I am still alive. What cannot endure is not my life — but my tears.

Commentary

The poem turns on an unexpected distinction: not "I cannot bear the pain" but "my tears cannot bear it." Life continues despite sorrow, but tears overflow beyond the will's control. This separation of the self from its own tears suggests that grief has a life of its own — autonomous, unmanageable, and honest.

Priest Dōin was notable for composing passionate love poetry well into old age — something remarked upon with some surprise by his contemporaries. His fierce dedication to love poetry as a kind of spiritual discipline gave him a reputation for unwavering devotion to the art of waka.

Learn More