Matsukaze, by Kiyotsugu.
A wandering priest sees the ghost of the two
fisher girls, Matsukaze and Murasame, still gathering
salt on the seashore at Suma. They still seem
to feel the waves washing over them, and say,
"Even the shadows of the moon are wet," "The
autumn wind is full, full of thoughts, thoughts of
the sea." They seem to wish to be back in their
old hard life, and say the moon is "envious" of
the ghost life, and will only shine on the living;
that the dews are gathered up by the sun, but that
they lie like old grass left to rot on the sea-beach.
"How beautiful is the evening at Suma for all the
many times we have seen it and might be tired with
seeing it. How faint are the fishermen's voices.
We see the fisher boats in the offing. The faint
moon is the only friend. Children sing under the
field-sweeping wind; the wind is salt with the
autumn. O how sublime is this night. I will go
back to shore, for the tide is now at its full. We
hang our wet sleeves over our shoulders, salt dripping
from them. The waves rush to the shore, a stork
sings in the reeds. The storm gathers in from all
sides; how shall we pass through this night. Cold
night, clear moon, and we two in deep shadow."
