Love turned to hate.
言の葉をつくして後は立かへり身をしるかひもなき恨哉
koto no ha o
tsukushite nochi wa
tachikaeri
mi o shiru kai mo
naki urami kana |
All our words
Are used up and done;
And once again,
You know me, yet to no
End at all – despite is your all. |
Love turned to hate.
藻塩火の煙にくもる月もみつかひなき里のしるべとふとて
moshiobi no
keburi ni kumoru
tsuki mo mitsu
kainaki sato no
shirube tou tote |
The sea-salt fires
Send smoke to cloud
The swollen moon, as if
To that oh so pointless place
A guide a’seeking. |
Love, appearing after being broken.
人しれぬ尾花がもとは中々にかれにし後ぞあらはなりける
hito shirenu
obana ga moto wa
nakanaka ni
karenishi ato zo
arawanarikeru |
A thing once unknown to all
At the bottom of the silver grass,
Alas,
Now all is withered and done
Has appeared. |
Rare Love.
立歸いくたび袖にかゝるらん絶えぬとみえしさゝがにの糸
tachikaeri
ikutabi sode ni
kakaruran
taenu to mieshi
sasagani no ito |
Returning
Countless times, my sleeves
To hang upon:
A broken seeming
Spider’s thread. |
Love, broken but still…
種しあれば梢にねざす宿り木のかりそめながらかれぬ中かな
tane shi areba
kozue ni nezasu
yadorigi no
karisome nagara
karenu naka kana |
From but a seed
Treetop high extend the roots
Of creepers:
So brief, and yet
Unable to part from my yet unwithered love… |
Praying for love.
人しれぬ我ねぎごとをたのむ哉いさやよるべの水のこゝろは
hito shirenu
ware negigoto o
tanomu kana
isa ya yorube no
mizu no kokoro wa |
Unknown to all
My prayer
I made…
I wonder, will this sacred
Water grant it? |
Parting from love.
別れ路をことばのこらずしたへとやかねては鳥のおどろかすらん
wakareji o
kotoba nokorazu
shitae to ya
kanete wa tori no
odorokasuran |
Along the parting path,
Leaving not a word unsaid,
We could go together: is that why
So early the cockerel
Has awakened us? |
Meeting love at an inn on the road.
笹枕たゞかりそめと思ふなよ一よのふしも代々の契りを
sasa makura
tada karisome to
omou na yo
hito yo no fushi mo
yoyo no chigiri o |
A pillow of bamboo grass
Is but brief –
Think not that;
A single night lying together
Forms a bond to last forever! |
Calling to meet one’s love.
關守のゆるさぬ道をたどりきて寢る夜もまよふ逢坂の山
sekimori no
yurusanu michi o
tadorikite
nuru yo mo mayou
ausaka no yama |
Along the watchman
Barred path
I trailed, and though
Tonight he slept, I am still lost
Upon the mount of our meeting. |
Meeting love.
うつゝともわかぬ契りはよひよひにみしを夢ぞとしるほどもなし
utsutsu tomo
wakanu chigiri wa
yoiyoi ni
mishi o yume zo to
shiru hodo mo nashi |
That ’twas real
I cannot tell – our tryst and,
Night upon night
The dreams I’ve glimpsed,
Seemed to last as long. |
'Simply moving and elegant'