Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Otagaki Rengetsu : Lotus Moon

Photobucket

Otagaki Rengetsu, best known as a famous Japanese poet, was also a calligrapher, potter, and painter.Born into a samurai family with the surname Todo in 1791 , she was soon adopted by the Otagaki family and given the name Nobu. Having lost her mother and brother at a young age, she served as lady-in-waiting at Kameoka Castle (in present-day Kyoto Prefecture) from the age of 7 until returning home at the age 9 years later to marry. In 1823, after the death of her husband and three young children, she became a Buddhist nun, adopting the name Rengetsu, which means "Lotus Moon".

Life in the Mountains

Living deep in the mountains
I've grown fond of the
Solitary sound of the singing pines;
On days the wind does not blow
How lonely it is!


Longing in the Wind

I await my beloved
who is not yet here.
The moon in the pines
and voice of the wind
provoke my longing



2 comments:

Jane said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jane said...

What lovely poems, very moving. I've just discovered your blog through flickr and have become an avid reader in a very few days.

jane