Frank Alanson Lombard Imperial Japanese Poems of the Meiji Era

Annotation

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. A loyal nation is a ruler's praise; and no more exalted praise can be given the memory of Emperor Meiji than the loyalty of the Japanese people. The following humble attempt at translation has been prompted by no thought that it could either add to or detract from his honor, but by a sincere desire that his personality might find wider utter ance for those who are touched by that simplicity which is greatness and who may thereby be led the more to appreciate the ideals and aspirations of Japan. In the translation of these tanka, selected from among many by the sovereigns of the Meiji Era, the original syllabic structure of thirty-one syllables, in lines of five, seven, five, seven, seven, though strange to the English ear, has been preserved and rhyme, entirely lacking in the Japanese, has been for the most part disregarded as tending to detract from the essential simplicity of the verse.