Song of the crimson dawn

Ah, the crimson dawn is breaking!

Shining young heroes,

pathfinders, pioneers!

Strike the morning bell

and make it sound!

What are these raging

arrogant billows to us?

Those of wicked intent

will never know glory.

The justice and truth

of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth

is marked by the banner

of the common people.

Let those who are swayed

by censure or praise

fall away and be forgotten.

We will continue to ascend

this bright and regal path.

We disciples have gathered

around our father and mentor.

He urges us to grow

into trees that will tower

high above him.

Ah, the golden glistening

sweat of youth.

Cast a rainbow across

the indigo blue sky

of our vow.

Protect without fail

the castle of kosen-rufu

constructed by our now aged parents.

Rising into the

dazzling light of the far horizon

youthful wings

beat with fresh vigor.

Together singing

the poems and songs

of ten thousand leaves

let us advance.

With proud and dignified step

let us advance,

into the new century!

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In November 1981, two years after stepping down as president of the Soka Gakkai, the author was visiting Shikoku where young men’s division leaders were composing lyrics for a song. At their request, Ikeda revised their draft and worked together with them to polish the song to completion.

indigo blue sky: a reference to the passage “From the indigo, an even deeper blue”—a well-known phrase from a Chinese classic that refers to a student or disciple surpassing their teacher.

ten thousand leaves: a reference to the Man’yoshu (Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves), the earliest poetry anthology in Japan, compiled in the mid-eighth century when not only the nobility but ordinary people as well freely expressed their feelings in the form of poems.