172
OLD JAPANESE DRAMAS
reluctantly struck off his head. He then proceeded to carefully examine the hero's person in the hope of finding something in the way of a written will. Instead of this, however, he found in his pocket a tanzaku with the following poem:
"By darkness overta'en and spent,
Sore, sore, forspent and travelworn
The cherry-trees their shelter lent,
A refuge sweet to me forlorn.
As hosts and friends their blossoms fair
To-night will solace all my care."
He was struck with the great beauty of the poem, and filled with admiration for Tadanori, because he had kept his poetic mood even in the midst of war. He afterwards kindly sent the tanzaku to Lord Shunzei.
This poem is still famous. It is familiar to every Japanese as the hero's masterpiece.
