Uesugi Kenshin's death poem?

[DragonOfEchigo]

I've looked around and found two different versions, one shorter than the other...

Long version:
Even a life-long prosperity is but one cup of sake;
A life of forty-nine years is passed in a dream;
I know not what life is, nor death.
Year in year out-all but a dream.
Both Heaven and Hell are left behind;
I stand in the moonlit dawn,
Free from clouds of attachment.

short version:
Forty Nine Years;
One night's dream.
A lifetime of glory; a cup of sake.

I got the first one from like 2 or 3 sites, the second from...wikipedia, i know . but still, can anyone clarify which was his death poem, or if none are what is?

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

Wow, good lord this is old. Answer it anyway: The longer one I think is the original since I find it in multiple places. It really is up to the translation from Japanese though.

Question for you guys: Is the Hideyoshi death poem better than the Kenshin poem, which is your favourite of the two?
My life
came like dew
disappears like dew.
All of Naniwa (the World or Earthly plain)
is dream after dream.

[Ajastra]

Good lord, yes i guess this is old as i am replying in 2013 so i hope u still read this-
Kenshin's poem holds far greater reflection. As per my opinion u can say. But i will tell here ,the reason too (as per me that is).
A per Indian or buddhist philosophy there is 'Karma' , this is the sow(of sort) which you supposedly reap. this becomes relevant when you consider the 'Heven and Hell'
prejudice. Nirvana is often confused with death of a person but the older word for that is 'Audvaita' (meaning literally no 2 i.e. no duality).Or as later expounded by Lord Krishna in the Gita it's the ultimate stage, As in upnishads(Vedantas particularly) person at such stage is free,of all things even karma are not of that person and do not affect him.
Thus as per my realisation Kenshin reflects attaining nirvana.He even later says hes free from attachement (nature or human nature) and observes the inherent futility of human purpose (these being sings of attainment of highest stage).
while hideyoshi's poem is severally human and reflects undesired acceptance of life's truth i.e. death.So there u have it!

[RubiconDecision]

I've looked around and found two different versions, one shorter than the other...

Long version:
Even a life-long prosperity is but one cup of sake;
A life of forty-nine years is passed in a dream;
I know not what life is, nor death.
Year in year out-all but a dream.
Both Heaven and Hell are left behind;
I stand in the moonlit dawn,
Free from clouds of attachment.

short version:
Forty Nine Years;
One night's dream.
A lifetime of glory; a cup of sake.

I got the first one from like 2 or 3 sites, the second from...wikipedia, i know . but still, can anyone clarify which was his death poem, or if none are what is?

According to Suzuki Zen and Japanese Culture pg. 82, the first one is the correct one. There's a collection of death poems that can be found here:
http://www.samurai-archives.com/cultcat.html