Lanterns.
かひなしやいく夜もえてもさを鹿にあはぬ火串のむなし煙は
kainashi ya
iku yo moetemo
saoshika ni
awanu hogushi no
munashi kemuri wa |
How pointless!
Ablaze for many nights, yet
A stag
Attracting not, hunting torches
In moments turn to smoke. |
Cormorant fishing on the river.
水のあはのあだにながるゝおなじ瀬にきえぬよがはの篝火の影
mizu no awa no
ada ni nagaruru
onaji se ni
kienu yogawa no
kagaribi no kage |
The foam upon the waters
Fleetingly flows by, yet
On the selfsame stream
Unfading, at night atop the river,
Falls the fishing lanterns’ light. |
Early Summer Rain.
音羽山雲の波さへわきかへる瀧のしらあはの五月雨のころ
otowayama
kumo no nami sae
wakikaeru
taki no shira awa no
samidare no koro |
Upon Otowa Mountain
The clouds do even come in waves,
Breaking,
White foam from the waterfall,
As the summer rains fall on. |
Rice Seedlings.
小山田にとるや早苗のけふよりも稲葉の雲の秋ぞまたるゝ
oyamada ni
toru ya sanae no
kyô yori mo
inaba no kumo no
aki zo mataruru |
In the paddies on the hill
I gather seedlings
Today, yet rather, for
A cloud of rice plants
In autumn is my longing. |
A cuckoo comes calling.
しるやいかに山郭公ときすぎて枯行比のたえぬ思ひは
shiru ya ika ni
yama hototogisu
toki sugite
kare yuku koro no
taenu omoi wa |
Do you know,
O mountain cuckoo:
Your season’s past and
That ‘tis time to part
Feels unbearable…. |
A cuckoo comes calling.
宿かれと花橘はにほへどもこゝろもとめぬ郭公哉
yado kare to
hana tachibana wa
nioedomo
kokoro mo tomenu
hototogisu kana |
‘Come rest here!’ calls
The orange blossom,
So fragrant, yet
Heedless is
The cuckoo. |
A cuckoo comes calling.
郭公きかずは何を外山なるまさきのかづらくるかひにせむ
hototogisu
kikazu wa nani o
toyama naru
masaki no kazura
kuru kai ni semu |
The cuckoo
Goes unheard, so why
To the distant mountains –
Vine choked –
Does he come calling? |
Deutzia.
袖ぬらすわが身のためや山里の世をうの花も波とみゆらん
sode nurasu
wa ga mi no tame ya
yamazato no
yo no unohana mo
nami to miyuran |
Sleeves soaked,
Is it for me that
My mountain dwelling’s
Deutzia blooms – how cruel the world –
Do seem as waves? |
Late blooming blossom.
夏山の風こそにほへ蝉の羽のうすはな櫻けふや咲くらん
natsu yama no
kaze koso nioe
semi no ha no
usuhana zakura
kyô ya sakuran |
From the summer mountains
Comes the scent-laden wind;
A cicada wing of
Pale cherry blossom
Is in bloom today. |
Changing clothes in the morning.
立かふる衣ならねどこのねぬるあさの袂に夏は來にけり
tachikauru
koromo naranedo
kono nenuru
asa no tamoto ni
natsu wa kinikeri |
Changed
Clothes these are not, yet
Having slept this
Morning to my hempen sleeves
Summer has come, at last. |
'Simply moving and elegant'