firda
When morning comes
I’ll leave ajar my door
And await
One who in dreams
Said she would come to me.
In 8th century Japan people were held responsible for appearing in the dreams of another. ÅŒtomo no Yakamochi, the poet who wrote this on waking one morning, must have felt betrayed when ‘the one who in dreams said she would come’ did not appear at his open door. Perhaps doubly so, since the poem was written for his wife. Still, it’s difficult to find fault with her; Yakamochi—perhaps the most prolific and renowned Japanese poets of his era—is best known for his many love poems, only fifteen of which he wrote for his wife, who was known as the Elder Maiden of Sakanoue.
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