So this comic has a tanka poem in it that appears in Perfect Cherry Blossom and the Internet seems to suggest is originally from the 12th century (written by Saigyou, perhaps?). I don't really think I can do it justice, but I tried to at least get across the overall meaning (and preserve the meter). It has a bunch of archaic and poetic language in it. Believe me, it's much better in the original.
ほとけには / hotoke ni wa 桜の花を / sakura no hana wo たてまつれ / tatematsure 我が後の世を / waga nochi no yo wo 人とぶらはば / hito toburawaba
Actually, this poem appears at the beginning of Yuyuko-sama's stage.Yuyuko-sama sure is wonderful!When deceased I lie /
with cherry blossom petal /
furnish my body /
Be there anyone to honor /
and attend my passing on
This is a tanka poem in Classical Japanese with some archaic words, in 5-7-5-7-7 meter. I've tried to roughly sketch out the meaning of each line.If there's anyone to mourn my death, I want them to decorate my body with cherry blossoms, huh... what a beautiful poem~What a sophisticated direction!Well, that's what it's come to now.Like that, huh...
