Carpe Diem’s Distillation #2

Carpe Diem’s Distillation #2, A poem by Genji, from the wellknown Japanese novel “The Tale of Genji”

 

The poem is from Chapter 4, “Yuugao”. Prince Genji has a brief love affair with a young girl, called Yuugao. But there is another lady, deeply in love with Genji, who hates Yuugao so much that she dies. Yes, at that time people believed that hatred can kill people!

After the funeral of Yuugao, Genji is looking at the smoke from the pyre, and recites this poem:

mishi hito no
keburi o kumo to
nagamureba
yuube no sora mo
mutsumashiki ka na

 

The evening sky itself
becomes something to cherish
when I gaze at it,
seeing in one of the clouds
the smoke from her funeral pyre

 

Here is my attempt at “distilling” it 🙂

 

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

 

Hate unfurled her death
spirit departs,burning pyre
pain darkened evening

 

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