Hyakunin Isshu

8.

Poem-

わが庵は
都のたつみ
しかぞすむ
世をうぢ山と
人はいふなり

Translation-

My lowly hut is
Southeast from the capital.
Thus I choose to live.

And the world in which I live
Men have named a "Mount of Gloom."

Comments-

The poet of this poem is One of the Six Poetic Immortals. However, there are no evidences of his existence other than the poem itself. Just like his existence, even the poem is like a puzzle. The first two lines are clear, that the poet's little hut is on the southeast of the capital. 

But third line onwards, the poem gets tricky. The poet tells us in a manner as if joining puzzle pieces. That people from around the region think that he's sad and lonely. But the poet is actually living peacefully in solitude. It is one of those circumstances where one has an opinion, different from what is widely accepted. So people form their own interpretations of what could have led one to have such an unacceptable opinion on something.

In poet's life, this unacceptable opinion was him living happily in solitude. It makes me wonder what the poet had gone through that he justified himself like this. However I can also relate with the poet. Sometimes, we reach a point in life where we are no longer seeking happiness, rather just being content is enough. And this poem reflects that subtle yet widely-unacceptable viewpoint.