Diaries of Court Ladies
But her old friends also sent letters and visited her, too, so she wanted to go to the Prince's palace at once, lest some unlucky thing should occur; yet her heart was anxious and hesitating.
One day he sent word: "Maple trees of the mountain are very beautiful. Come! let us go together to see them." She answered, "I shall be glad to do it." But the appointed day came and his Highness wrote: "To-day I must confine myself for a religious service." But that night it stormed, and the leaves were all gone from the trees. She waked and wrote to the Prince how sorry she was that they could not have gone the previous day.
His answer:
In the Godless month[1] it stormed—
To-day I dream and dream
And wonder if the storm was within my heart.
She returned:
Was it a rainstorm? How my sleeves are wet!
I cannot tell—but muse profoundly.
After the night storm there are no more maple leaves. O that we could have gone to the mountain yesterday!
His Highness returned:
O that we might have gone to see the maple leaves, for this morning it is useless to think of it.
And on the margin there was a poem:
Though I believe
No maple leaves are hanging on the boughs,
Yet we may go to see
If scattering ones remain.
- ↑ The Godless month—the Tenth month; so called because in that month all the gods left their abodes and went to the High Plain of Heaven to hold counsel together.
