I value the information you gave on Narihira – his romantic life appears to be as dramatic as his poetry! The fact that he is still a cultural icon today, despite dying centuries ago, says much about his influence. Especially touching, his posthumous poetry emphasizes the universality of mortality and the unpredictability of death.

Your translations of the haiku are also excellent. Clearly, this is a labor of love, and the outcome is a lovely and approachable work of art. Learning David LaSpina translating Japanese poems was quite fascinating also. Thanks for passing along this brilliant and well written article.