56. Izumi Shikibu

Reading tools

Contents

Display

Soundscape

Focus mode

Listen

Offline

Save

Collection

1 min read 158 wordsCompare

Sacred Texts Japan Buy this Book on Kindle

A Hundred Verses from Old Japan (The Hyakunin-isshu), tr. by William N. Porter, [1909], at sacred-texts.com

p. 56

56 IZUMI SHIKIBU

Arazaramu
Kono yo no hoka no
Omoide ni
Ima hito tabi no
Au koto mo gana.

MY life is drawing to a close,
  I cannot longer stay,
A pleasant memory of thee
  I fain would take away;
  So visit me, I pray.

This lady was the daughter of Masamine Ōye, and the wife of Michisada Tachibana, Governor of the Province of Izumi, hence her name; and also was the mother of the author of verse No. 60. She lived about the latter end of the tenth century, and was one of the lady poets who gave distinction to that period. The verse was addressed to her husband or lover just before her death, and in the illustration we see her on her deathbed, with two servants in the foreground.

Ask PRATIBHA about this text

Answers quote this scripture directly and show their sources.

Reflect on this passage

Only you can see these notes. They stay on this device.