Isami Kondo · Shinsengumi
Original
靡他今日復何言
Isami Kondo's Chinese-style poem, "靡他今日復何言取義捨生吾所尊快受電光". Read the original Japanese, translation, meaning, and historical background. Among Kondo's death poems, this one stands out for its hardness as it faces the moment of beheading.
Person
Commander of the Shinsengumi and head of the Tennen Rishin-ryu school, executed at Itabashi. Rising from farmer to shogunate retainer, he carried the pride and tragedy of the Shinsengumi into defeat.
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Translation
I will not bend elsewhere. To take righteousness and abandon life is what I honor; I gladly receive the sword and repay my lord with death.
Poetic Shape Kanshi draws on a classical Chinese poetic tradition, where restraint, allusion, and moral tension carry much of the weight. The poem sounds formal, but the pressure beneath it is personal.
Reading
Among Kondo's death poems, this one stands out for its hardness as it faces the moment of beheading. It can draw the Shinsengumi commander in a straight, severe line.
Background
Passed down as a Chinese death poem of Kondo Isami. Behind it lies the defeat of the Koyo Chinbutai, his surrender at Nagareyama, and execution at Itabashi. Commander of the Shinsengumi and head of the Tennen Rishin-ryu school, executed at Itabashi.
Source / Transmission Wording and readings may differ by transmission; this page treats the text as one circulated form.
Further Reading
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