Word and image

[wongkk.livejournal.com]

Here is another poem from the classic Japanese verse anthology hyaku nin isshiu, collected in 1235.  This time, the poem is written by one of the four court poets charged by Emperor Daigo to compile the kokinshu, the first of the imperial poetry collections.   

The Japanese text of the poem was very kindly provided by excused_early  to whom this piece is dedicated:  I hope that I have not spoiled your favourite poem for you!

The image of Gackt is courtesy of and presumed copyright to Cool up magazine Vol 29, July 2010.  The photograph of the cherry blossom is my own, taken in Japan last year.

The poet who wrote the words was tomonori ki (c.850 – c. 904);  here is an imagined picture of him, drawn by kikuchi yosai.

Comments

[karadin.livejournal.com]

Thanks very much!

You can find the entire kokinshu online, (as well as The Tale of Genji, classics of haiku poetry, Kabuki plays) with japanese and translated texts side by side at the University of Virgina Japanese Text Initiative.

[sarahlgollum.livejournal.com]

*stares in awe* So pretty, both the words and image! Thank you!

[eclatc4t.livejournal.com]

thank you -- it's very beautiful.
really like the smoky lavender/indigo palette, so well chosen to illustrate the sentiment

thanks also for the interesting historical information

[excused-early.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh..., thank you so much, wongkk, for this splendid job!! @_____@
It's....... BEAUTIFUL....... Y____Y

And the lavender color you picked for the poem, that's EXACTLY the color I've always envisioned when I hear this poem!!! @__@;;;
And that, coupled with the blue sky and the faint pink of cherry blossoms, makes it so perfect...
And of course, G, looking like he's in deep thoughts while feeling the petals fall in the sunlight is pure magic...

I just love it so much. I'm going to definitely keep this one (but don't worry, I never repost works of other people! ^_~). Thank you, you did an amazing job!
(And, no, you split the original Japanese at the PERFECT spot. Actually the only spot that would've worked! WOOOOT!!)