Link to a site by a guy called Simon Cozen. He is translating Sei Shonagon's "Pillow Book", a classic Japanese text written in the 10th century, into english. At the same time he's reformatting it as a blog. Sounds wanky but it's amazing when you read it and then see the date posted is AD 987. Here's a post:
My favourite birds 1. OK, I know it's not from our country, but number one has to be the parrot. I think it's really cool; they said it can repeat what you say to it. 2. The hototogisu. 3. The water rail. 4. The snipe. 5. The oystercatcher. 6. The greenfinch. 7. The crested flycatcher.They say when the mountain bird is in love, it can be satisfied by seeing itself in a mirror. Even thought that's kind of childish, I think it's somehow a bit pitiful. What a pity if the male and the female have to sleep on opposite sides of a valley.
The crane is really magnificent, but its call sounds like it reaches all the way to heaven.
I also like the red-headed sparrow, and the male grosbeak. Oh, and the kinglet.
The heron is a complete eyesore. It has such a miserable look in its eyes. There is just nothing good to say about it at all, but it's quite funny that, like the poem says, "it does not lie alone in Yurugi wood".
As far as water birds go, the mandarin duck is fantastic. They say the male and female take turns brushing snow off the other's wings at night.
The plover is really cool as well.
Posted by sei on August 3, 987
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