Izumi Shikibu; Japanese (10th-11th century) "I left my hills,/ struggled along a dark/ worldly way,/ for I still hunger/ to be with you again." ~ "Here in this world/ I won't live/ one minute more,/ where pain is rank/ like black bamboo." ~ "If you have no time/ to come, I'll go./ I want to learn the way/ of writing poems/ as a way to you."
