National Treasure Gallery: Dying Verse
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Dying Verse(detail)
By Qingzhuo Zhengcheng (1274–1339), Nanbokuchō period, 1339 (National Treasure, Lent by the Tokiwayama Bunko Foundation, Tokyo)UpcomingJapanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 12
September 29, 2026 (Tue) - October 25, 2026 (Sun)A death verse is a poem written by an eminent Buddhist monk near the end of his life, expressing his state of mind in the face of death. Displayed here is the death verse of Qingzhuo Zhengcheng (1274–1339), a revered Chinese monk who taught Zen Buddhism in Japan.
The verse reads: “A raging gale at the boundary between life and death whips the waters of the ocean into the air, while even the stars of the heavens grow dim with tears. The deity of the earth, enraged, lashes with his whip the iron ox that the legendary sage-king Yu is said to have placed in the Yellow River to prevent it from flooding. Its speed far surpasses even sparks struck from stone or a flash of lightning.”
Qingzhuo brushed this poem in ink, charging every character with the energy he summoned in his final moments. Later generations revered the poem and its calligraphy as though it embodied Qingzhuo himself, and they carefully preserved it through the centuries.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | National Treasure | Dying Verse | By Qingzhuo Zhengcheng (1274–1339) | Nanbokuchō period, 1339 | Lent by the Tokiwayama Bunko Foundation, Tokyo |