Attributed to Fujiwara no Tameie (1198-1275) and Fujiwara no Takanobu (1142-1205), Portrait of Jien, Kamakura period, late 12th-early 13th century

The present portrait is inscribed with four poems: two by Yoshimine no Munesada (816-890), better known as the Archbishop Henjo and two by Former High Prelate Jien (1155-1225). The poet monk Jien was the son of Grand Chancellor Fujiwara no Tadamichi (1097-1164) and entered religion in 1165 at the age of ten. He took the title of Superior General for the Tendai sect of Buddhism in 1192, after serving the post of Grand Almoner to Emperor Gotoba (1180-1239) for eight years. The author of the Gunkansho [A Modest Look at History, 1219], Jien was a member of the Bureau of Poetry and was later canonised as one of the Thirty-six Immortals of Poetry (Sanjurokkasen).

The first poem by Jien has been translated by Peter MacMillan in One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each: A Treasury of Classical Japanese Verse, London, 2016, p.113, no.95:

Though I am not good enough,

for the good of the people,

here in these wooded hills,

I’ll embrace them in my black robes

of the Buddha’s Way. 

Okenaku

uki yo no tami ni

ou kana

waga tatsu soma ni

sumizome no sode 

The second poem has been translated by Robert H. Brower in ''Ex-Emperor Go-Toba’s Secret Teachings': Go-Toba no in Gokuden’' in the Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, vol.32, 1972, p.58:

This is my prayer:

Let me yet linger

Upon this road of darkness,

That I may hold up for others

The Lamp of Buddha’s Law

Negawaku wa

shibashi yamiji ni

yasuraite

kakage ya semashi

nori no tomoshibi