Poem by Emperor Tenchi, from the series One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets Explained by the Nurse
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
This autumn landscape with rice farmers and travelers is from Katsushika Hokusai’s series of prints inspired by the anthology One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets ( Hyakunin isshu uba ga etoki ). While traveling through the countryside, like the two figures in the center, a sudden storm forced the Emperor Tenchi (reigned 661–72) to take shelter in a rice farmer’s hut. The experience produced tears of sympathy for the common people toiling under heavy burdens and living in rough, flimsy homes. The poem at the upper right next to the cartouche reads: Lying on the rough Mats of rice-harvest guards In the autumn fields, I find the sleeves of my robe wet. Is the dew so heavy?
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionSimilar works
Poem by Tenchi Tennō, from the series One Hundred Poems Explained by the Nurse (Hyakunin isshu uba ga etoki)
Tenji Tenno (The Emperor Tenji), first poet in the series One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets Explained by the Nurse
One Hundred Poems: Uba-gaekitoki, Emperor Tenji
Numazu: Twilight (Numazu, tasogare zu), from the series "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido Road (Tokaido gojusan tsugi no uchi)," also known as the Hoeido Tokaido
The Village of Yase (Yase no sato), from the series "Famous Places in Kyoto (Kyoto meisho no uchi)"
Ejiri in Suruga Province (Sunshu Ejiri), from the series "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjurokkei)"