I have been motivated to read more poetry after being led there by… nonfiction books. Which is rather strange but given that I enjoyed The Wastelands by T.S. Elliot when I would not have looked at the book when I was younger, I have decided not to question it. As I start to read more, I decided to pick up one of the classics of Japanese poetry.

The Hyakunin Isshu is an anthology of one hundred poems by one hundred different poets. It’s the basis for a traditional card game called Karuta, which means that many of the poems are really well known. Since the library had an English translation (and because I know I cannot read old Japanese), I thought I would read this book and share three of my favourite poems from the collection!

Each segment has the poem number – author name, and then then the poem in its English translation and original Japanese version.

10 – Seimaru

This is the border for those who leave,
For those who return,
For those who separate,
For those we know and those we don’t know – 
the hill of meeting

これやこの
行くも帰るも
別れては
知るも知らぬも
逢坂の関

33 – Ki no Tomonori

A new spring day it seems
As sunlight plays upon the grass
My heart both calm and restful – 
Until I spy the cherry blossoms
Rushing to destruction

ひさかたの
光のどけき
春の日に
しづ心なく
花の散るらむ

57 – Murasaki Shikibu

Once we were so close
That friend and I – 
A glimpse I saw? A memory?
Amid the gathering darkness, 
A moon obscured by clouds. 

めぐりあひて
見しやそれとも
わかぬまに
雲隠れにし
夜はの月かな