Cold upon the reeds in the bay.
霜枯にのこるともなき難波江のあしねや老のしるしなるらむ
shimogare ni
nokoru tomonaki
naniwa e no
ashine ya oi no
shirushi naruramu |
Frost burned and
Remaining, one would not think it:
In the bay at Naniwa
The reed roots their age
Are showing, it seems. |
Cold upon the grasses.
春日野の雪間にだにももえいでし草葉ぞ霜にあへずかれぬる
kasugano no
yukima ni dani mo
moe’ideshi
kusaba zo shimo ni
aezu karenuru |
On the field of Kasuga
From the spaces between the snow
Sprouted
Blades of grass – frost
Seared and withered. |
Falling leaves.
たえだえに音ぞきこゆる花ぐもりふらぬ木の葉の時雨なれども
taedae ni
oto zo kikoyuru
hana gumori
furanu ko no ha no
shigure naredomo |
In fits and starts
I hear the sound:
From a cloud-blossomed sky
Falling not, yet the trees’ leaves
Are a’drizzling… |
Drizzle.
夜な夜なの月もるだにも袖ぬれし閨の板間にふる時雨哉
yona yona no
tsuki moru dani mo
sode nureshi
neya no itama ni
furu shigure kana |
Night after night
Has the drenching moon
Soaked my sleeves;
Now through the uneven boards above my bed
Falls a drizzling rain. |
The beginning of Winter.
柞散石田の小野のあさ嵐に山路しぐれて冬は來にけり
hahaso chiru
iwata no ono no
asa arashi ni
yamaji shigurete
fuyu wa kinikeri |
Scattering the oak leaves
Across the flats at Iwata
Blows a morning windstorm;
Drizzling rain upon the mountain paths:
Winter is here, indeed! |
Autumn’s End.
おしからぬ露の命を殘しをきてまづあだものと秋ぞ暮行
oshikaranu
tsuyu no inochi o
nokoshiokite
mazu adamono to
aki zo kureyuku |
There’s nothing to regret about this
Dewdrop life
Remaining;
But first, how brief is
Autumn, now ending… |
Chrysanthemum.
うつろはで散かとぞみる濱風の吹あげにたてる白菊の花
utsurowade
chiru ka to zo miru
hama kaze no
fukiage ni tateru
shiragiku no hana |
Unfading
Will they fall?
By the beach breeze
Blown straight on Fukiage
White chrysanthemum blooms. |
Scarlet leaves.
紅葉ばも千入までこそこがるめれいつをかぎりの老の泪ぞ
momiji ba mo
chishio made koso
kogarumere
itsu o kagiri no
oi no namida zo |
The scarlet leaves have been
Stained so many times
They seem to blaze;
O when will come an end
To these tears of my old age? |
Scarlet leaves.
をしなべてまだ色うすき紅葉哉いづれ柞の梢なるらむ
oshinabete
mada iro usuki
momiji kana
izure hahaso no
kozue naruramu |
All the same
And only pale hued
Are the autumn leaves
Which are the oak tree’s
Top, I wonder? |
Fulling cloth.
色かはるまさきのかづら長き夜に外山の里は衣うつらん
iro kawaru
masaki no kazura
nagaki yo ni
toyama no sato wa
koromo utsuran |
Hue changing
Star jasmine vine –
All the long night through
In a house close by the mountains
Beating clothes clean. |
'Simply moving and elegant'