Of Old Japan
saw the white petals of the Tachibana tree [a kind of orange] near the house covering the ground.
Scarce had my mind received with wonder
The thought of newly fallen snow—
Seeing the ground lie white—
When the scent of Tachibana flowers
Arose from fallen blossoms.
In our garden trees grew as thick as in the dark forest of Ashigara, and in the Gods-absent month[1] its red leaves were more beautiful than those of the surrounding mountains. A visitor said, "On my way thither I passed a place where red leaves were beautiful"; and I improvised:
No sight can be more autumnal than that of my garden
Tenanted by an autumnal person weary of the world!
I still dwelt in the romances from morning to night, and as long as I was awake.
I had another dream: a man said that he was to make a brook in the garden of the Hexagon Tower to entertain the Empress of the First Rank of Honour. I asked the reason, and the man said, "Pray to the Heaven-illuminating honoured Goddess." I did not tell any one about this dream or even think of it again. How shallow I was!
In the Spring I enjoyed the Princess's garden. Cherry-blossoms waited for!—cherry-blossoms la-
- ↑ In October it was the custom for all local gods to go for a conference to the residence of the oldest native god, in the Province of Idzumo; hence, Gods-absent month. This Province of Idzumo, full of the folklore of old Japan, has become well known to the world through the writings of [[Author:Lafcadio Hearn|]].
