[The flowers and my love,]
translated from the Japanese by Yone Noguchi
The flowers and my love,
Passed away under the rain,
While I idly looked upon them:
Where is my yester-love?
Credit
This poem is in the public domain. Published in Poem-a-Day on May 15, 2022, by the Academy of American Poets.
About this Poem
“[The flowers and my love,]” appeared in the Hyaku Nin Isshu as translated into English by Yone Noguchi, originally published in a 1907 issue of Waseda Bungaku.
Author
Ono no Komachi
Ono no Komachi was a Japanese poet from the Heian period. Counted among the Rokkasen, a group of six Japanese poets deemed the most notable from the Heian period, as well as the Sanjūrokkasen, a similar group of thirty-six poets from the Asuka, Nara, and Heian periods, she primarily composed in the waka form. Her name remains synonymous with feminine beauty in Japan.
Date Published
01/01/1907