The poems of Ono no Komachi and Izumi Shikibu, women of the Heian court of ancient Japan, represent the pinnacle of the golden age of classical Japanese poetry. Though separated by a century, the two were renowned for their breathtaking beauty, passionate affairs, and the painful solitude that found its expression in poetry of searing intensity. Komachi's poems are suffused with a sense of loss and longing, her lover's absence often more palpable than his presence. Shikibu's work is marked by a fearless and unflinching sensuality, her erotic adventures well documented in her verse and in the literary masterpiece she left behind, "The Tale of Genji." Translated by Jane Hirshfield and Mariko Aratani, "The Ink Dark Moon" captures the subtle and sophisticated poetry of these two women in a beautiful and timeless English rendering. This collection is not only a significant work of literature but also a powerful testament to the experiences of women in a society where their primary freedom was the expression of their inner lives through art.
