First Love 

you had swept back your bangs for the first time
when I saw you under the apple tree
the flower-comb in your hair
I thought you yourself were a flower too.

you stretched out your pale white hand gently
giving me an apple:
like the ripening red of the autumn fruit
my first feeling of love

my sigh, without any awareness
touched your hair
the joys of love's offerings
drinking your love...

under a tree in the apple orchard
nature's narrow road
who left this token here?
your question gave me a piercing pleasure.




Shimazaki Toson



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Shimazaki, Toson
(1872-1943)  




                   

Poet and novelist. Born in Nagano, the son of a village headman who was running a Honjin (official inn) at Kiso Magomejuku. A graduate of Meiji Gakuin. While studying there, Shimazaki was baptized and his interest in literature increased. He launched the magazine "Bungakkai" (the Literary World) with Tokoku Kitamura and other staff in 1893. He published "Wakanashu" (Collection of Young Herbs) (1897), "Hitohabune" (1898), "Natsukusa" (1898), and "Rakubaishu" (1901), winning a reputation as new-style poet (Shintaishijin). Later, he became known as a representative naturalistic novelist for writing "Hakai" (the broken commandment) (1906), and publishing "Shinsei" (New Life) (1918-19), "Yoake Mae" (Before The Dawn) (1929-35).









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