Makura no Sōshi
Public domain
An original plain-English rendering of selected lists, made for this library.
One of the sources behind Sei Shōnagon.
Things that quicken the heart
Sparrows feeding their young. Passing a place where babies are playing. Waking at night and finding that the lamp is still lit. Hearing, far off, a carriage in …
2 passages
Hateful things
One is in a hurry to leave, and a visitor arrives who talks on and on. A person who interrupts a story to say that they already know it. Someone who reads a let…
2 passages
Things that have lost their power
A boat left dry on the sand at low tide. A large tree blown down in a storm, lying with its roots in the air. A woman who has taken off her wig, and is combing …
2 passages