[!] Several copies of a leatherbound book have appeared in Sakuragakure, bearing fine calligraphy and artistic depictions of the characters within.
四歌仙
GRAND RECORD OF THE FOUR POETRY IMMORTALS
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Foreword
I, Kakinomoto no Akahito, in possession of ancient poetic scrolls passed down for countless generations within my bloodline, have sought to transcribe and compile an anthology of the Four Immortals of Classical Oyashiman poetry, who were foundational in the standardization of the classical waka, choka, haiku, and haikai styles now enjoyed in tavern and court alike.
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I. 遍照 Konjō
An ancient monk from Bachi-shoto, his early life was faced with the wanton destruction of the Third Pirate Hyperwar which decimated the port cities of the Western archipelago. He was the first poet to practice the choka style, which typically but not always features alternating lines of five and seven syllables. His imagery revolved around the pursuit of internal harmony and political unity.
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“Heart of Oyashi
scattered across the turtles
and shattered by stormy seas
brought together again
under the blossom of sakura trees”
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“A stack of old books
fingers stained by ink and quill
to be wise is tiring”
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“Sharp like the horn of oni
but tender like the summer sun
Are words from the lips
of a lover.”
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II. 祐子内親王家紀伊 Izumi Taishinnō-ke no Kii
The first daughter of the mythical Daimyo Asatada of the famed Fujiwara clan, her mother was of common origins. Married to the second son of the Shogun, Izumi was renowned in her time for her beauty and sensibility. Primarily practicing the court-standard waka style, she exuded the traditional Oyashiman melancholy. She nobly committed seppuku during the 2nd Heavenly Disruption of Commerce to avoid being taken hostage by the infamous Li-ren invader Chao Ling, the bastard Marquis of Bongleng.
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“Meaningless, meaningless
to watch the flowers wither
but while their beauty fades
My heart opens again.”
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“Winter nights are long
seeming endless as the sea
from Yamatai to Gushiken
The kami warm our tea”
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“No, I do not want
My wants are ever-shifting
Like a sand-snake in the desert“
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III. 天命開柿本別天皇 Kakinomoto no Taifu, posthumous name Amenokotohirakasuwake
Perhaps the most famous of the ancient classical waka-poets in the old country, Taifu was the progenitor of the Kakinomoto line, a long-standing family of yōsei poets, calligraphers, and philosophers from Dodaitase. He was the court poet for three Shoguns across seven decades, and for this was granted the posthumous name Amenokotohirakasuwake. ___________
“Dull moon in the sky,
The misty autumn night
Concealed in a blanket
The stag and wolf alike”
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“Footsteps of shinobi
like raindrops upon the roof
A humble pitter-patter
Signaling the season new”
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“Crashing thunder
and roaring waves
Triumphant are the winds of Dodaitose.”
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“Diamonds and gold,
Kimonos of silk
Even the blossoming sakura
Has not the splendor of parenthood.”
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IV. 素性法師 Akabeko Jinsai
The first and most esteemed of the oni poets, he lived in the early days when humans and oni-kind first began to intermix. Initially fearing him to be a raider, the villagers of Chomokyo soon learned his loud grunting had a soulful rhythm. He is the founder of the haikai-style, a baser genre popular in taverns and under the influence of sake. His imagery focused on the mundane and vulgar pleasures of daily life, and it is said that he sired as many children as he wrote verses. Today some refer to him as Akabeko-kami and offer him candles believing his spirit to be incarnated as a minor kami of fertility.
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“Konnichi’ug
Your mother’s bosom
I rest there
Yare yare.”
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“Butahito, katsuhito
Small small man
Majo majo, majomomo
Oni lady big.”
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“Smoke of cactus green
High on mountain top,
Ahshu dubai gasu fushi
Down goes the large rock”
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Transcribed with reference to ancient familial scrolls, this anthology of poetry was compiled in Year 177 SA (1154 Kamijikan)
[!] A signature stamp was boldly imprinted at the bottom
柿本赤人
Kakinomoto no Akahito