Theme for the New Year's Poetry Reading (1994) : WAVES
- His Majesty the Emperor
- Fervently wishing
For a calm untroubled world
Where no rough waves rise,
I welcome with hope and joy
The start of a new year.
- Her Majesty the Empress
- Early summer,
(The Okinawas call it "Urizun"),
The surrounding seas are
calm,the waves quiet.
AH! You at eternal sleep here,
Who gave your lives for this peace.
- His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince
- Gazing at the view
From the inn at journey's end
Together with my wife
The gentle wavelets ripple
On the waters of Omi.(see note 1)
- Her Imperial Highness the Crown Princess
- I see with you,(see note 2)
The calm Lake Biwa
Where waves are quiet and tranquil
And the glistening moon brightens
The surface of the waters.
In August of 1993, Their Imperial Highnesses the Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako visited Shiga Prefecture in order to attend the National Agricultural Youth Conference. While there, they lodged on the shore of Lake Biwa. These poems recall their sentiments at that time.
- note1:the waters of Omi is another name of Lake Biwa
- note2:in this line, "you"refers to His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Naruhito
Traditional Culture
