Page:Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan.djvu/226

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Diaries of Court Ladies

His Highness had never thought of going so far [to seek her], but he thought he must go to her as he had received such a letter. He came and they went back together.

His poem:

Infelicitous love! Although entered into the Way of Eternal Law.[1]
Who was it came
And tempted back to the Royal City?

The answer:

Out of the mountain to the darker path I wander,
Because I met you once more.

Towards the moon-hidden day a devastating wind blew hard. It rained and she was even sadder than usual, when a letter was brought. She thought the Prince had not lost a fit occasion to inquire for her, and she could harbour no hard thoughts of him.

His poem:

In sorrow I gaze upon the sky of Autumn
The clouds are in turmoil
And the wind is high.

Her answer:

A gentle wind of Autumn makes me sad
O day of storm—
No way to speak of it!

The Prince thought in this he could read her true feeling, but days passed before his visit.

It was after the tenth day of the Ninth month. He waked and saw the morning moon.[2] It seemed a long time since he had seen her. He felt that she was gazing at this moon, so followed by his page, he knocked at

  1. Law of Buddha.
  2. The waning moon is called the morning moon because it can be seen after dawn.
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