Poem 57 by Murasaki Shikibu, translated by Porter

What it is

This is a 1909 English translation by William Ninnis Porter of a poem by Murasaki Shikibu, published in his anthology A Hundred Verses from Old Japan. The translation is accompanied by a short biographical note about Murasaki.

Why it matters

The poem describes a fleeting moonlit encounter and was later explained, according to the source text, as a reflection on her reputation. The note that accompanies it also outlines details of her life, including her family and her authorship of the Genji Monogatari, showing how English readers in the early 20th century were introduced to her work.

• How might a translation change the feeling of the original Japanese poem?
• What does the biographical note add that the poem itself does not say?
• Why might translators in 1909 feel they needed to explain the poem's meaning to readers?