the tales of ise
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In China, the chrysanthemum was associated with the realm of the immortals and therefore had the image of perpetual youth and longevity, associations that were carried over with the flower when it was brought to Japan in the Heian period.
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The ‘path of dreams’ (yumeji) traditionally leads to the home of one’s beloved.
In Heian romance, if a man is unable to reach a lady even in his dreams, it means that she is not thinking of him.
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The poem employs the frequently used expression koto no ha (leaves of words), translated here as ‘the things you said’.
