Along Ohmi Beach,
Evening waves are breaking ‘shore,
Plovers chirp and tweet.
My thought goes to days of yore,,
My heart goes to you afar.
(Vo.3-266)

After a war between two Imperial heirs, the Ohmi province in general, and its palace In particular were left ravaged and ruined, and the famous court poet, Kakinomoto Hitomaro some time later passed the devastated area and created this poem and others. The original words here, such as “Yuunami Chidori”, (Plovers over evening waves, literally) are praised by many poem readers over time as depicting a highly lyrical scene of the remains of the old glory, or its total disappearance（save for natural phenomina）. “Chidori” is a plover in direct translation, but seems to indicate other sea- and water-birds of small size. Chidori figures are used in various designs for Kimono, shop banners and decorative towels et al. Chidori birds here seem to be chirping innocently on the shore of Lake Biwa (in Shiga Pref.,now), in spite of all sad and ugly human warfares that happened.
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