Katana

I tried freestyling this katana for fun/exercise…at the time I used to think about this haiku so it ended up inscribed.

極楽の近道いくつ寒念仏
gokuraku no chikamichi ikutsu kan nenbutsu

There is so much more to it than can be translated, but some versions of translation would be:
- taking a shortcut to paradise, a midwinter prayer
or
- how many shortcuts to paradise?