信濃なる須我の荒野に霍公鳥鳴く聲聞けば時過ぎにけり
sinano naru
suga nö arano ni
potötögisu
naku kowe kikeba
töki suginikeri |
In Shinano
On the wild plain of Suga
When the cuckoo’s
Call I hear:
Time has passed by, indeed. |
The above poem is from Shinano.
大君の命畏み愛し妹が手枕離れ夜立ち來のかも
opokimi nö
mikötö kasikomi
kanasi imo ga
tamakura panare
yodati ki nö ka mo |
At my great lord’s
Dread command
My dear love’s
Pillowing arm I left,
A night departure, on my way here. |
稻つけばかかる我が手を今夜もか殿の若子が取りて嘆かむ
na tukeba
kakaru a ga te wo
köyöpi mo ka
tönö nö wakugo ga
torite nagëkamu |
From hulling rice
My hands are callused;
On this night too,
Will the young lord from the great house
Sighing, take them in his? |
鈴が音の早馬驛家の堤井の水を給へな妹が直手よ
suzu ga ne nö
payuma umaya nö
tutumiwi nö
midu wo tamapena
imo ga tadate yo |
The jingle of harness bells
At the post-house barn,
By the enclosed well
Give me water –
Straight from my darling’s hand. |
多摩川にさらす手作りさらさらになにぞこの子のここだ愛しき
tama kapa ni
sarasu tedukuri
sarasara ni
nani zö könö ko nö
kököda kanasiki |
In the Tama River
They fix the dyes of handmade cloth
Many, many times;
Oh, why should this child
Be so very dear? |
海人娘子漁り焚く火のおぼほしく角の松原思ほゆるかも
amawotöme
izari taku pï nö
oboposiku
tuno nö matubara
omopoyuru ka mo |
The diver girls
Kindled fishing fires
Are faint
As is Matsubara in Tsuno
Within my thoughts. |
大船の上にし居れば天雲のたどきも知らず歌ひこそ我が背
opobune nö
upë ni si woreba
ama kumo nö
tadoki mo sirazu
utapi kösö wa ga se |
When on a great boat
Am I,
As heaven’s clouds
No place to cling,
All I do is sing, my friend. |
大海の奧かも知らず行く我れをいつ來まさむと問ひし子らはも
opoumi nö
oku ka mo sirazu
yuku ware wo
itu kimasamu tö
topisi kora pa mo |
On the vastness of the sea
Not knowing what’s to come
Or whither bound am I;
“When will you be home?”
My children asked… |
家にてもたゆたふ命波の上に思ひし居れば奧か知らずも
ipe nite mo
tayutapu inöti
nami nö upë ni
omopisiworeba
oku ka sirazu mo |
Even in my home
My life might slip;
Here rocking on the waves,
When I think on it,
I cannot know what is to come. |
たまはやす武庫の渡りに天傳ふ日の暮れ行けば家をしぞ思ふ
tamapayasu
muko nö watari ni
amadutapu
pi nö kureyukeba
ipe wo si zö omopu |
A glorious jewel,
The crossing at Muko, here
The heaven spanning
Sun sets and
I think of home. |
'Simply moving and elegant'