Episode 16 

A long time ago, there was a man named Ki no Ari-tsune.  
He worked for three emperors: Ninmyō, Montoku, and Seiwa.  
He was rich and respected.  

But times changed.  
He became poor and was forgotten by many people.

He had a kind and noble heart.  
He was not like other people.  

Even though he was poor, he still lived like he did in the old days.  
He didn’t know much about normal daily life.

His wife had been with him for many years.  
But their relationship slowly ended.  

One day, she became a nun.  
She left to live with her sister, who was also a nun.

They were never very close, but he still felt sad.  
She said, “This is goodbye,” and left.  
He wanted to give her a gift, but he had no money.

So he wrote to his close friend.  
He explained everything in a letter.  
He said he had nothing to give her.  
At the end of the letter, he wrote a poem:

---

手を折りてあひ見しことを数ふれば
　　　十といひつゝ四つはへにけり　　
 I count the years on my fingers.  
 Ten, ten, ten, and ten again.  
 We have been together for forty years.

---

His friend felt sorry for him.  
The friend sent him a blanket as a gift.  
He also sent back a poem:

---

**Friend’s Poem:**  

年だにも十とて四つは経にけるを
　　いくたび君を頼み来ぬらむ　
 Forty years have passed.  
 She must have needed you many times.

---

The man read the poem and was touched.  
He replied with another poem:

---

**Man’s Poem:**  

これやこの天の羽衣むべしこそ
　　　君が御衣と奉りけれ　
 Is this the magic robe from heaven?  
 It must be the one you wore. Thank you.

---

He was very happy.  
He could not hold back his tears.  
He wrote one more poem:

---

**Last Poem:**  

秋や来る露やまがふと思ふまで
　　　あるは涙の降るにぞありける　
 I thought it was autumn dew on my sleeves.  
 But it was not dew.  
 These are my tears of joy.

Episode 17 

A person had not visited for many years.  
One spring, he came to see the cherry blossoms.  
The owner of the house made a poem for him:

---

**Host's Poem:**  

あだなりと名にこそたてれ桜花
　　年にまれなる人も待けり　
 People say cherry blossoms do not stay long.  
 But even for someone who comes only once a year,  
 the flowers still wait for you.

---

The guest wrote back a poem:

---

**Guest's Poem:** 

今日来ずは明日は雪とぞ降りなまし
　　消えずはありとも花と見ましや　 
 If I didn’t come today, it might snow tomorrow.  
 Even if the blossoms stayed,  
 would they still feel like real flowers?

Episode 18 

A long time ago, there was a woman who liked poems.
She wasn’t very serious, but liked to act artistic.
She lived near a man.

She wanted to test him with a poem.
So she picked a chrysanthemum flower.

Its color had started to change.
She sent it to the man with a poem:

----

Woman’s Poem:

紅ににほふはいづら白雪の　　
　　　枝もとをゝに降るかとも見ゆ
Where is the red color I wanted to see?
The flower looks white,
like snow falling and covering the branches.

-----

The man pretended not to notice her teasing.
He replied with his own poem:

------

Man’s Poem:

紅ににほふがうへの白菊は　
　　　折りける人の袖かとも見ゆ
This white flower, with a touch of red,
looks like the sleeve
of the lovely person who picked it.

-----

【Explanation of Section 18】

Chrysanthemum flowers change color when they get old.
They start white, then turn red or purple.
People in the past liked to enjoy these soft color changes.

The woman liked poems, but only a little.
She wanted to look cool and artistic.
She teased the man by sending him a flower.
Her poem meant:
“You don’t seem romantic at all.”

But the man didn’t get upset.
He stayed calm.
He wrote a nice poem back.
He said the flower reminded him of her pretty sleeve.

Next episode:

The Tales of Ise: Episode 19-21

----

All the illustrations are from illustAC. I have a paid membership and follow their rules, so there are no copyright problems.
The writing is my own English translation of a Japanese story from the 10th century.
Please do not copy or use it.