"The sound of the bell of Gion shoja
echoes out the impermanece of all things.
The colour of the blossoms of the sala tree
makes clear the principle
that those who flourish must fall."

These are the famous opening lines of The Tale of the Heike (Heike Monogatari), the story of the downfall of the Taira clan at the hands of Minamoto Yoritomo and the end of the Heian era.