Short Poems

They who sincerely attain the true heart of faith
while constantly uttering Amida's holy name,
will always keep in their hearts thoughts of his vow,
and wish to repay his great benevolence.

I met you but once
yet still long for you,
my spouse
the sacred comb:
how I would like to set you right!

How regrettable!
Even a dragon that lives
in the shade of the clouds
can be seen by

When winter comes
the oak leaves
in the garden scattered
echo the autumn showers
in a village by the foothills.

From autumn showers
I seek the shelter
of my uncolored sleeves
now soaked through —
how radiantly they glow!

I had heard
there is a path
that all must follow
but didn't think yesterday
that I'd be going today ...

If the white dew must vanish,
let it vanish:
even if it stayed
no one would care
to make it a string of gems. The man thought her reply was callous, but his feelings for her only increased.

In the past, there was a commander of the left guards called Ariwara no Yukihira. Hearing that there was a batch of good wine at his house, some people who were at court visited, among them the middle controller of the left, Fujiwara no Masachika, who served as guest of honor for the day.
Since Yukihira was a man of sensibility, he had placed flowers in a vase. Among the flowers was a striking and unusual bough of wisteria extending more than three feet in length. Those present composed poems with that as their topic.

I long to find a path
to the depths of Mount Shinobu
that I might fathom
the secrets
of another's heart.
The woman thought it a very fine poem but was ashamed to imagine what might be revealed if he could indeed see into the heart of a rustic like herself.

Do not burn, today,
this field of Musashi!
Fresh as young grass
my spouse is hidden here
as I am hiding, too. When they heard this, they took the woman and led the pair off together.