Japan: the blast of the wintry wind

The last time I posted a song from one of the soundtracks of Kill Bill (see my post- Why are the Japanese so poetic?) and appreciated the poetic language of the Japanese, an earthquake struck Japan. It was so hard my heart cracks along with the earth.

Now here I am again. I can't help but copy these poems posted at Paulo Coelho's blog. They are so beautiful that despite the sad tone, I think they should be shared. Noteworthy to read are the comments shared by Coelho's readers. Click on the link above if you want the original posting. Meanwhile, read on-

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As banked clouds

are swept apart by the wind,

at dawn the sudden cry

of the first wild geese

Winging across the mountains.

In a mountain village

at autumn’s end—

that’s where you learn

what sadness means

in the blast of the wintry wind.

Saigyo (XIIth Century)

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Each of the rain drops has a tale to tell

about the sorrows of people

about the hardships living things go through

about the arrival of sparrows.

Yamamura Bocho (XXth Century)

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Out in the marsh reeds

A bird cries out in sorrow,

As though it had recalled

Something better forgotten.

Ki No Tsurayuri (Xth century)

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The evening sky itself

becomes something to cherish

seeing in one of the clouds

the smoke from her funeral pyre

Murasaki Shikibu (XI century)

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Oh you yellow leaves

that whirl upon the autumn slopes

if only for a moment

do not whirl down in such confusion,

that i may see where my beloved dwells.

Kakinomoto no Hitomaro (8th century)

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