every vowel in poetry must be sounded, there are no diphthongs, a long vowel is lengthened out, as if it were two syllables, a final n, which was originally mu, must be sounded as a full syllable, and a final vowel is generally elided, if the following word begins with a vowel. The continental sound is to be given to a, e, and i, and the aspirate is sounded.
The illustrations have been reproduced from a native edition of the Hyaku-nin-isshiu, which probably dates from the end of the eighteenth century, and which has been kindly lent to me by Mr. F. V. Dickins, C.B., to whom I am much indebted; as will be seen, they generally illustrate the subject of the verse, but occasionally they appear to represent the conditions under which the verse was written.
For most of the information contained in the notes the present Translator is indebted to the researches of Professor B. H. Chamberlain, F.R.G.S., Professor Clay MacCauley, and Mr. F. V. Dickins, C.B.; his thanks are also due to Mr. S. Uchigasaki, for his kind assistance towards the meaning of some of the more obscure passages. He makes no claim that his verses have any merit as English poetry; nor, where there is so much uncertainty among the Japanese themselves as to the real meaning of some of these old verses, does he claim
