The most passionate love poem in Hyakunin Isshu
Ancient Japanese poets weren’t shy and quite good at expressing their passionate love in varieties of ways. Out of 100 poems in Hyakunin Isshu 百人一首, as many as 43 sing about love.
And out of those 43 love poems, which one is the most passionate? I would pick the one below. What does an ancient love poem have to do with the river’s flow, you may wonder…
77/10 崇徳院- Sutokuin
瀬を早み岩にせかるる滝川の われても末に逢はむとぞ思ふ
THE rock divides the stream in two,
And both with might and main
Go tumbling down the waterfall;
But well I know the twain
Will soon unite again.
Quite an appropriate poem of the river’s flow on this Valentine’s Day, isn’t it?