Classic Poem

On the road to Karu, that soars in heaven,
was the village where my girl lived,
and I wanted to visit her with all my heart,
but if I went too often, too many would see,
and if I went many times, too many would know,
so we parted like vines that meet again
or so I hoped, as if for a great ship,
and to a pool surrounded by gem-gleaming rocks
I retreated, but as I longed for her,
like the sky-crossing sun sets in the evening,
like the light of the moon is obscured by the clouds,
my girl, who like the deep seaweed had slept beside me,
had passed away like the autumn leaves,
so said the messenger of the catalpa gem,
and as I heard his voice like a catalpa bow,
I knew not what to say or what to do,
but since I could not bear to hear the words,
and thinking there must be a way to find solace
for just a single part of my thousandfold longing,
I went where my girl always used to go,
to Karu Market, and stood there and listened,
but on Mount Unebi of the cords of gems
I could not hear the voices of the birds,
and of the people walking on the road
not a single one resembled my girl,
and all I could do was call out her name
as I waved my sleeves.

Two Short Poems

I search for my girl who has lost her way
in the thick yellow leaves of the autumn hill
but do not know the mountain path.

As the yellow leaves scatter and fall,
when I see a messenger of the catalpa gem
I think of the days when we met.