I lifted her black hair
strand by strand–
the way she lay face down
rises in my mind
Fujiwara No Teika
a tanka by Fujiwara No Teika
Because limits are set,
today I have taken off
my mourning robe,
but there’s no end
to my tears
a tanka by Fujiwara No Teika
Thinking of the past I wake, mind empty–
the moonlight gone, I do not know where