Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) | Poem by Kakinomoto no Hitomaro | Edo period, 19th century

Fisherman at night struggle as they haul a large dragnet upstream. A plume of flame and smoke echoes their leftwards motion, blowing right to left as it steadily arches over a thatched mountain dwelling in the distance and draws the eye to a small figure reclining on the windowsill. A visual interpretation of a poem on longing attributed to Kakimoto no Hitomaro's (flourished late seventh century), the figure gazing outwards appears to be either a lonely scholar or nobleman, perhaps looking out for his lover. In the poem, Kakimoto no Hitomaro compares the drudging sentiment of passing a night without one's lover to the length of a pheasants tail, perhaps evoked here by the writhing line of fishermen and the long, meandering cloud of smoke.

The poem by Kakimoto no Hitomaro has been translated by Peter MacMillan in One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each: A Treasury of Classical Japanese Verse, (London, 2016), p. 5-6:

The

long

tail

of

the

copper

pheasant

trails,

drags

on

and

on

like

this

long

night

alone

in

the

lonely

mountains,

longing

for

my

love.

Ashibiki no

yamadori no o no

shidario no

naganagashi yo o

hitori kamo nen