Page:Tales from old Japanese dramas (1915).djvu/80

34 Her other passionate adorer was Ōtomo-no-Kuronushi, who was also a nobleman, and well skilled as a poet. He was a haughty, overbearing, and unsympathetic man; and was so enamoured of the young lady that he was determined to attain his purpose, even if he had to resort to violence.

One beautiful spring day, Komachi, accompanied by two or three of her maids, went to Mt. Ōhara to view the cherry-blossoms. When Arihira heard of this, he made up his mind to also visit the mountain incognito with a man-servant. By so doing he hoped to find a chance of pleading his cause in person.

Komachi was so charmed with the beautiful blossoms, and the sweet songs of the birds, that her muse became inspired, and she burst forth into verse. She resolved to write her poem on a piece of paper, and tie it to a branch of the cherry-tree, as is often the custom with Japanese poets. She ordered one of her maids to give her a pen and paper, but there was no ink. The young poetess was filled with sorrow, and she quietly complained about this omission. Arihira, who had been an unseen observer of the scene, at this moment walked up to her.