Ōtagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875)
Tanzaku with Poem "Little Cuckoo in Front of the Moon"
Ōtagaki Rengetsu is the most famous Japanese poet of the 19th century, also known for her excellent skills in calligraphy and pottery. Rengetsu wrote many tanzaku poems, which were later mounted as hanging scrolls by admirers and collectors. Here we have such a poem in Rengetsu's distinctive handwriting:
月前時鳥
ほととぎす
今一聲と
まちしまに
しらみはてたる
有明の月
"Little Cuckoo in Front of the Moon"
A little cuckoo
While awaiting
One more chirp
It has faded out completely—
The morning moon.