Kaifūsō
The “Kaifūsō,” or “Fond Recollections of Poetry,” was the first anthology of poetry in Chinese written by Japanese. It was compiled in 751, and includes material written over a period of seventy-five years. The verses in the “Kaifūsō” sometimes give the effect rather of copy-book exercises than of true poetry—which is only natural considering that they were among the earliest attempts by Japanese writers, including emperors, to compose in Chinese. Even when the subject of a poem is Japanese—such as a visit to the Yoshino River—the main effort of the writer appears to be directed toward including as many allusions to Chinese literature and history as possible. Nevertheless, some of the poems reach a high level of competence, as is indicated in the following selection.
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Approaching death
[Written when the Prince faced execution for attempted rebellion]
The golden crow[1] lights on the western huts;
Evening drums beat out the shortness of life.
There are no inns on the road to the grave—
Whose is the house I go to tonight?
The border official
Last year service in the eastern hills,
This, the marches of the western sea.
- ↑ Conventional term for the sun.
