Cheery Blossoms as a Japanese Image of Beauty
A tanka is a classic form of Japanese poetry with a specific structure – like a Haiku but with two added lines. Such poems often explore themes of nature, love, longing, sadness, or spiritual reflection. The first three lines often describe something concrete, like a scene or image. The last two lines expand on the idea, adding a deeper meaning or reflection.
Here are three examples:
Classical Beauty (by Lady Murasaki Shikibu, 11th century)
In the spring’s faint light
Cherry blossoms fall softly
Like a lingering snow
Whispering of fleeting time
And the beauty of this world
Longing and Love (anonymous, from the Man’yöshü)
On the mountain path
Where the red leaves fall around me
I long for you still
Though we parted long ago
My heart remembers your touch
Spiritual Reflection (by Ryökan Taigu, 18th century)
The falling snow
Hides the path I used to walk
Yet I am not lost
For in this silent whiteness
I find the way to my heart