どれほど栄えて(さかえて)権力(けんりょく)を持っても(もっても)、驕る(おごる)者は(ものは)春の(はるの)夜の(よるの)夢(ゆめ)のようにやがて滅び(ほろび)去るということ

Beginning with 'The sound of the Gion Shoja bells echoes the impermanence of all things...', 'The Tale of the Heike' is a military chronicle (war novel) handed down by lute priests (Biwa Hoshi) during the Kamakura period. It describes the Buddhist thought: 'Even the prosperous Heike clan with great power will eventually perish like a dream on a spring night, if they are arrogant,' in beautiful, musical prose.