The passage in Arai Hakuseki's "Told round a brushwood fire: The autobiography of Arai Hakuseki" that I referred to recently (Dynamic Planet Blog, Jan. 27, 2003) goes like this:

"When winter began, the days were short, and sometimes the sun set before I had finished my task. I then took my desk out on to a bamboo veranda, facing west, and so finished my writing. Also, when practicing calligraphy at night, I would be overcome with sleepiness, so I secretly arranged with the man who waited on me to have him draw and set ready two buckets of water on the verandah. When I grew very drowsy, I would take off my clothes and pour first one bucket of water over me, dress again, and study. Although at first I felt awakend by the cold, after a while I became warm and sleepy again, so, once more, I would pour water over myself, as before. With the help of the second lot of water, I would get through the greater part of my task. This happend during the autumn and winter of my ninth year [1665]." (Translation by Joyce Ackroyd, 1979, p. 60)

Snippets:
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Seeking the Secret of Life: The DNA Story in New York. Online Exhibition and Exhibition at the Industry and Business Library in New York City. Good overwiew.
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Text ueber Text: Includes a nice collection of prose and poerty (in German).
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Gedichtepool: Collection of poems (in German); well organized.
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