身を尽くす

Japanese

Alternative spelling
身を盡くす (kyūjitai)

Literally "exhaust one's body".

身(み)を尽(つ)くす • (mi o tsukusu)

(figurative) to wear out with one's heart and soul [since Heian period]
- c. 951–953, Gosen Wakashū (book 13, poem 860; also Hyakunin Isshu, poem 20)
  わびぬれば今(いま)はたおなじ難(なに)波(は)なる身(み)をつくしても逢(あ)はむとぞ思(おも)ふ
  wabinureba ima hata onaji Naniwa naru mi o tsukushite mo awan to zo omou
  Such misery this; let my name grow again common as the channel stakes of Naniwa, I would cast this body away to gaze on you once again!^[1]

Especially in its 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) mi o tsukushi, puns against 澪標 (miotsukushi, “dolphin, channel marker”).

Classical conjugation of "身を尽くす" (サ行四段活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)
Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	身を尽くさ	みをつくさ	mi wo tukusa
Continuative (連用形)	身を尽くし	みをつくし	mi wo tukusi
Terminal (終止形)	身を尽くす	みをつくす	mi wo tukusu
Attributive (連体形)	身を尽くす	みをつくす	mi wo tukusu
Realis (已然形)	身を尽くせ	みをつくせ	mi wo tukuse
Imperative (命令形)	身を尽くせ	みをつくせ	mi wo tukuse
Key constructions
Negative	身を尽くさず	みをつくさず	mi wo tukusazu
Contrasting conjunction	身を尽くせど	みをつくせど	mi wo tukusedo
Causal conjunction	身を尽くせば	みをつくせば	mi wo tukuseba
Conditional conjunction	身を尽くさば	みをつくさば	mi wo tukusaba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	身を尽くしき	みをつくしき	mi wo tukusiki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	身を尽くしけり	みをつくしけり	mi wo tukusikeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	身を尽くしつ	みをつくしつ	mi wo tukusitu
Perfect tense (natural event)	身を尽くしぬ	みをつくしぬ	mi wo tukusinu
Perfect-continuative tense	身を尽くせり身を尽くしたり	みをつくせりみをつくしたり	mi wo tukuseri mi wo tukusitari
Volitional	身を尽くさむ	みをつくさむ	mi wo tukusamu

^ Esperanza Ramirez-Christensen (2008), Murmured Conversations: A Treatise on Poetry and Buddhism by the Poet-Monk Shinkei, annotated edition, Stanford University Press, →ISBN, page 28