Hyakunin Isshu – Gleanings in Buddha-Fields

Remembering Loved Ones

Recently, my family and I observed the 100th day memorial for “baba”, my wife’s mother in Japan, and grandmother to our kids. This had me thinking about another poem by Lady Izumi1 from The Ink Dark Moon by Jane Hirshfield and Mariko Aratani: Original Japanese Romanization Translation 跡をみて Ato wo mite Even in my dreamsContinue reading “Remembering Loved Ones”

Ancient Japanese Rap Battling

With all the time I have to kill while in quarantine in the den, I have been cleaning up my old blog on the Hyakunin Isshu poetry anthology. It’s been great rediscovering things, including poem 60 of the anthology, a poem composed by Lady Izumi‘s daughter, Ko-Shikibu no Naishi (小式部内侍, d. 1025). Lady Izumi byContinue reading “Ancient Japanese Rap Battling”

Spring Fever

Warm weather has finally arrived! I wanted to post an old poem from my other blog here to celebrate: 久方の Hisakata no 光のどけき hikari no dokeki 春の日に haru no hi ni しづ心なく shizu gokoro naku 花のちるらむ hana no chiruran Porter’s translation is: THE spring has come, and once again The sun shines in the sky; So gentlyContinue reading “Spring Fever”