The Tosa Diary Quotes

“Once again 'the passenger' spoke, lamenting that (the voyage) had lasted into this month, and for the many hardships they had endured, to which the others agreed. Out of the fullness of his heart he recited this: Though the days in spring Grow as long as is the rope Used to tow our boat, Forty days we've spent,—maybe Fifty days upon the sea. People who hear this will say to themselves that this kind of stuff is very poor. But the passenger produced it with a good deal of difficulty and thought it pretty good; so they should stop whispering such cruel things about it.”
― Ki no Tsurayuki, Tosa Diary

“In that far away land of China the language was different, but the moonlight was still the same, and would not the hearts of men be the same also?”
― Ki no Tsurayuki, Tosa Diary