Cicadas (蟬)
山川の岩こす波にうちそへて谷 ひびくなりせみのもろごゑ
yamakawa no
iwa kosu nami ni
uchisoete
tani hibiku nari
semi no morogoe | Mountain torrents
Cross the rocks in waves
Along with
The echoes in the valley
From the swarming cicadas’ songs. |
Akinaka
Summer Garb (夏衣)
時といへばまがねもとくる夏なれやなほちぎれかし蟬の羽衣
toki to ieba
makane mo tokuru
natsu nare ya
nao chigirekashi
semi no hagoromo |
The time is
Steel melting
Summer:
Still shredded are
The cicada-silk robes… |
Fujiwara no Nakazane
Topic unknown.
常もなき夏の草葉に置く露を命と頼む蟬のはかなさ
tune mo naki
natu no kusaba ni
oku tuyu wo
inoti to tanomu
semi no Fakanasa |
Upon the ever changing
Summer leaves
Drips dew:
The only fit foundation for
The cicadas’ brief life… |
Anonymous
Topic unknown.
下紅葉ひと葉づゝちる木のもとに秋と覺ゆる蝉の聲かな
sita momidi
Fito Fa zutu tiru
ko no moto ni
aki to oboyuru
semi no kowe kana | Under scarlet leaves
Falling one by one
Below the trees
I get the sense of autumn
From the cicadas’ song. |
Sagami
夏山の峰の梢し高ければ空にぞ蟬の声も聞ゆる
natuyama no
mine no kozuwe si
takakereba
sora ni zo semi no
kowe mo kikoyuru |
Summer mountain
Tree-topped peaks
Are so high that,
Out among the skies the cicadas’
Song I hear. |
[One of] five poems composed when dropping anchor at Nagadojima in Aki province.
石走る瀧もとどろに鳴く蝉の声をし聞けば都し思ほゆ
ipabasiru
taki mo todoro ni
naku semi no
kowe o si kikeba
miyako si omopoyu |
Running o’er the rocks
Cataracts resound –
When the singing cicadas
Song I hear
The capital comes to my thoughts. |
Ōishi no Minomaro
大石蓑麻呂
あるが上に花の咲きそふ橘は皐月の玉に貫かむためなり
aru ga ue ni
hana no sakisou
tachibana wa
satsuki no tama ni
nukamu tame nari |
Up above
Blossom blooms close by:
Oranges –
Jewels of summer
For the threading! |
Fujiwara no Nakazane (1064-1122)
藤原仲実
夕まぐれ下照る宿の橘の花咲くほどになるぞうれしき
yūmagure
shita teru yado no
tachibana no
hana saku hodo ni
naru zo ureshiki |
Tangled in twilight
Beneath my home gleam
Orange
Blossoms blooming, a time
Of certain joy! |
Minamoto no Akinaka
源顕仲
夏さはし花橘の移り香はさもあらぬ人の名も立ちぬべし
natsu sawashi
hanatachibana no
utsurika wa
sa mo aranu hito no
na mo tachinubeshi |
In the summer shade,
Orange blossoms’
Drifting scent
Clings not to one who
Now will certainly be mentioned! |
Minamoto no Kuninobu
源国信
皐月闇我が待つ人は来まさねと花橘の香にぞなぐさむ
satsuki yami
wa ga matsu hito wa
kimasane to
hanatachibana no
ka ni zo nagusamu |
In the summer dark
I await a man who
Now says he’ll not come;
The orange blossoms’
Scent will be my consolation… |
Ōe no Masafusa
大江匡房
'Simply moving and elegant'