白隠慧鶴 Hakuin Ekaku (1686-1769)
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Monkey Reaching for the Reflection of the Moon

The Monkey

Mikô suigetsu o saguri, Shi ni itaru made kyûketsu sezu. Hôshu shinsen ni mossureba, Jippô hikari kôketsu. The monkey is reaching for the moon in the water Until death overtakes him he'll never give up. If he'd let go the branch and disappear in the deep pool, The whole world would shine with dazzling pureness.

Gibbon and the Reflection of the Moon

Monkey
19 x 101.5 cm
This is a work of his "young" age, dating from his sixties, as is clear from its lightness and charm. The monkey, reaching for the reflection of the moon in the water, represents all the illusions of life. The inscription reads "Ka no Yoshida no sa" (he is Yoshida), perhaps referring to Yoshida Kenkô (1283-2350), an early monk-poet.