His Majesty, Former Emperor Yōzei, held a match on the topic of ‘Love and Summer Insects’.
Left (Tie)
いたづらにみはなるてへどなつむしのおもひはえこそはなれざりけれ
itazura ni mi hanarute hedo natsumushi no omoi wa e koso hanarezarikere Pointlessly
1
Created with Soan . Right
みをすててひとつおもひにこがれたるこころぞなつのむしにまされる
mi o sutete hitotsu omoi ni kogaretaru kokoro zo natsu no mushi ni masareru Abandoning all restraint,
2
Created with Soan .
On seeing snow at the beginning of spring.
かきくらし猶ふる雪のさむければ春ともしらぬ谷のうぐひす
kakikurashi nao furu yuki no samukereba haru tomo shiranu tani no uguisu Raking in the darkness,
5
Created with Soan .
Composed on ‘enjoying cool’ for the Poetry Match held by Yorisuke, the Minister of Justice.
ひさぎ生ふるかた山かげにしのびつつふきけるものを秋の夕風
hisagi ouru Where red-oaks grow and
Shun’e
Created with Soan .
うちなびき春さりくればひさぎおふるかた山かげに鶯ぞなく
uchinabiki haru sarikureba hisagi ouru katayama kage ni uguisu zo naku Trailing in [i]
4
Created with Soan . [i] An allusive variation on: Composed on ‘enjoying cool’ for the Poetry Match held by Yorisuke, the Minister of Justice. ひさぎ生ふるかた山かげにしのびつつふきけるものを秋の夕風 hisagi ouru / katayama kage ni / shinobitsutsu / fukikeru mono o / aki no yūkaze ‘Where red-oaks grow and / Cast their shade upon the mountain slopes / Ever secretly does it blow— / The autumn evening breeze.’ Shune (SKKS IV: 274 ).
やま里に家ゐはすべし鶯のなくはつこゑのきかまほしさに
yamazato ni iei wa subeshi uguisu no naku hatsukoe no kikamahoshisa ni Into a mountain retreat
3
Created with Soan .
Poems on the beginning of spring
九重の雲ゐに春ぞ立ちぬらしおほうちやまに霞たなびく
kokonoe no kumoi ni haru zo tachinurashi ōuchiyama ni kasumi tanabiku In ninefold layers of [i]
2
Created with Soan. [i] Ōuchi Mountain (ōuchiyama 大内山) lies to the north of the Ninnaji 仁和寺 temple in the north-west of Kyoto, and was the site of a detached palace belonging to Emperor Uda 宇多 (866-931; r. 887-897).
Spring
Composed on the First day of the First Month
今朝みれば山もかすみて久かたのあまのはらより春は来にけり
kesa mireba yama mo kasumite hisakata no ama no hara yori haru wa kinikeri Gazing out this morning [i]
1
Created with Soan . [i] The reference to the ‘plains of Heaven’ (ama no hara 天の原) being ‘eternal’ (hisakata 久方) implies that the poet has been long awaiting the arrival of spring—a nuance which I have attempted to capture with the final ‘at last’.
Left
One poem missing
Right
夏なれば深草山のほととぎすなくこゑしげくなりまさるなり
natsu nareba fukakusayama no hototogisu naku koe shigeku narimasaru nari When the summer comes,
80
Left
たまくしげ二上山のほととぎす今ぞあけくれなきわたるなる
tamakushige futakamiyama no hototogisu ima zo akekure nakiwataru naru On the jewelled comb of
78
Right
時鳥のちのさ月もありとてやながくうづきをすぐしはてつる
hototogisu nochi no satsuki mo ari tote ya nagaku uzuki o sugushihatetsuru O, cuckoo!
79
Left
さくはなのちりつつうかぶみづのおもにいかでうき草ねざしそめけむ
saku hana no chiritsutsu ukabu mizu no omo ni ikade ukikusa nezashi somekemu Blossom blooming and
76
Right
まつひとはつねならなくにほととぎすおもひのほかになかばうからむ
matsu hito wa tsune naranaku ni hototogisu omoi no hoka ni nakaba ukaramu The one awaiting you is
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'Simply moving and elegant'
