110. Things That Lose By Being Painted

Pinks, cherry blossoms, yellow roses. Men or women
who are praised in romances as being beautiful.

111. Things That Gain By Being Painted

Pines. Autumn fields. Mountain villages and
paths. Cranes and deer. A very cold winter scene;
an unspeakably hot summer scene.

167. Things That Are Near Though Distant

Paradise.
The course of a boat.
Relations between a man and a woman.

Elegant Things

A white coat worn over a violet waistcoat.
Duck eggs.
Shaved ice mixed with liana syrup and put in a new silver bowl.
A rosary of rock crystal.
Wisteria blossoms. Plum blossoms covered with snow.
A pretty child eating strawberries.

30. Things That Arouse a Fond Memory of the Past

Dried hollyhock.
The objects used during the Display of Dolls.
To find a piece of deep violet or grape-colored
material that has been pressed between the pages of
a notebook.
It is a rainy day and one is feeling bored. To
pass the time, one starts looking through some old
papers. And then one comes across the letters of a
man one used to love.
Last year's paper fan.
A night with a clear moon.

151. Things That Look Commonplace but That Become
Impressive When Written in Chinese Characters

Strawberries.
A dew-plant.
A prickly water-lily.
A walnut.
A Doctor of Literature.
A Provisional Senior Steward in the Office of the
Empress's Household.
Red myrtle.
Knotweed is a particularly striking example, since
it is written with the characters for 'tiger's
stick'. From the look of a tiger's face one would
imagine that he could do without a stick.

To Meet One's Lover

To meet one's lover summer is indee the right season. True, the nights are very short, and dawn creeps up before one has had a wink of sleep. Since all the lattices have been left open, one can lie and look out at the garden in the cool morning air. There are still a few endearments to exchange before the man takes his leave, and the lovers are murmuring to each other when suddenly there is a loud noise. For a moment they are certain that they have been discovered; but it is only the caw of a crow flying past in the garden. In the winter, when it is very cold and one lies buried under the bedclothes listening to one's lover's endearments, it is delightful to hear the booming of a temple gong, which seems to come from the bottom of a deep well. The first cry of the birds, whose beaks are still tucked under their wings, is also strange and muffled. Then one bird after another takes up the call. How pleasant it is to lie there listening as the sounds become clearer and clearer!

26.
неща, от които сърцето силно се разтуптява

да храниш врабче.
да минеш покрай лудуващо малко дете.
да запалиш в стаята уханни благовония и да полегнеш сама край огнището.
да се огледаш в леко потъмняло езеро и изящно огледало.
да спре пред дома ти колесницата на изтънчен благородник, който да изпрати слугите да попитат нещо.
да си измиеш косите, да се гримираш и да облечеш дрехи, напоени с прекрасни благоуханния. на сърцето ти става хубаво дори да не очакваш среща с възлюбения.
сърцето трепва от потропването на дъжда, бленува при полъха на вятъра нощем, когато чакаш да дойде любимият.

242.
успокояващи неща

свещеници и заклинатели които се молят дружно за твоето оздравяване, когато се чувстваш много зле.
ласкавите слова, с които те утешава истински близък човек в печален час.

In Spring It Is The Dawn

In spring it is the dawn that is most beautiful.
As the light creeps over the hills, their outlines
are dyed a faint red and wisps of purplish cloud
trail over them.

In summer the nights. Not only when the moon
shines, but on dark nights too, as the fireflies
flit to and fro, and even when it rains, how
beautiful it is!

In autumn the evenings, when the glittering sun
sinks close to the edge of the hills and the crows
fly back to their nests in threes and fours and
twos; more charming still is a file of wild geese,
like specks in the distant sky. When the sun has
set, one's heart is moved by the sound of the wind
and the hum of the insects.

In winter the early mornings. It is beautiful
indeed when snow has fallen during the night, but
splendid too when the ground is white with frost;
or even when there is no snow or frost, but it is
simply very cold and the attendants hurry from room
to room stirring up the fires and bringing
charcoal, how well this fits the season's mood!
But as noon approaches and the cold wears off, no
one bothers to keep the braziers alight, and soon
nothing remains but piles of white ashes.

109. Things That Especially Attract One's Attention
on Some Occasions

The sound of carriages on the first day of the
first month of the year.
The song of birds on that day.
The sound of a cough--and also, I need hardly say,
of a musical instrument -- at dawn