Lady Murasaki Shikibu lived in Japan from about 973 to 1014, and is lauded by many for writing the first ever novel. Her famous The Tale of Genji features many poems in it as a normal part of Japanese court life. In chapter 2, this is part of a tale that Genji sends to a woman he is fond of.
I had a dream, a dream so sweet,
Ah! would that I could dream again;
Alas, no sleep these eyes will greet,
And so I strive to dream in vain!
I imagine most of us can relate to this kind of emotion, of being lost in dreams, in having sleepless nights.
This translation was done by Suematsu Kencho in 1900.
July - A Poem A Day
A Poem A Day - main page
