Shoin Yoshida · Choshu
Original
狂夫未必不思家
Shoin Yoshida's Chinese-style poem, "狂夫未必不思家爲國忘家何用嗟中宵夢斷". Read the original Japanese, translation, meaning, and historical background. The poem shows not only Shoin's courage, but also the human weakness of longing for home.
Person
A thinker and teacher at Shoka Sonjuku who shaped many young patriots. He deeply influenced young men who would later move Japan, and chose to leave his ideals behind rather than cling to his own life.
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Translation
Though I set home aside for the country, I still wake at midnight wondering where home lies, sleeping in a small boat under Osaka rain.
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
The poem shows not only Shoin's courage, but also the human weakness of longing for home. Precisely because that feeling remains, the severity of his chosen path stands out.
Background
Said to have been written while his boat lay at Osaka on the journey toward Nagasaki, where he hoped to pursue overseas travel. It carries the loneliness of a young journey, different from the Shoin who would later face execution. A thinker and teacher at Shoka Sonjuku who shaped many young patriots.
Source / Transmission Wording and readings may differ by transmission; this page treats the text as one circulated form.
Further Reading
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