Expressions of passion and heartbreak, written by the court lady Murasaki Shikibu a thousand years ago, transcend time and culture in this new translation of poetry from the first 33 chapters of The Tale of Genji. Over 400 tanka poems describe the intricate loveplay and wordplay between men and women of noble breeding, consumed by sexual desire and aesthetic longing. With plot synopses and annotations.

Jane Reichhold, one of American's leading tanka poets, has translated Fumi Saito and Akiko Baba. Hatsue Kawamura is editor of The Tanka Journal of Tokyo.