Today’s poem comes from the book The Ink Dark Moon which contains poems by Ono no Komachi and Izumi Shikbu, and translated by Jane Hirshfield and Mariko Aratani.
No way to see him
on this moonless night‑
I lie awake longing, burning,
breasts racing fire,
heart in flames.
Ono no Komachi (834-?)
The poems in this book are short but incredibly powerful. Although they were written 1000 years ago, they capture love and loss in a way that is timeless.
When I read these poems I am standing in the moment with the women who wrote them. The imagery is so specific that the emotions they express become universal – something that each of us has experienced even for a fleeting moment.
Lying alone,
my black hair tangled,
uncombed,
I long for the one
who touched it first.
Izumi Shikibu (974?-1034?)
If you enjoy poetry, and not just love poetry, I can’t not recommend The Ink Dark Moon published by Vintage Classics more highly.
No way to see him
on this moonless night‑
I lie awake longing, burning,
breasts racing fire,
heart in flames.
Ono no Komachi (834-?)
The poems in this book are short but incredibly powerful. Although they were written 1000 years ago, they capture love and loss in a way that is timeless.
When I read these poems I am standing in the moment with the women who wrote them. The imagery is so specific that the emotions they express become universal – something that each of us has experienced even for a fleeting moment.
Lying alone,
my black hair tangled,
uncombed,
I long for the one
who touched it first.
Izumi Shikibu (974?-1034?)
If you enjoy poetry, and not just love poetry, I can’t not recommend The Ink Dark Moon published by Vintage Classics more highly.