Breaking off a branch of plum blossom, he sent it to a certain person.
君ならで誰にかみせん梅花色をも香をも知る人ぞ知る
kimi narade tare ni ka misen mume no Fana iro wo mo ka wo mo siru Fito zo siru | If not to you Then to whom should I present Plum blossoms? For their shades and their scent both, It is you who know them best of all… |
Tomonori
An ancient-styled poem to supplement a long poem.
君が世に相坂山の岩清水木隠れたりと思ける哉
kimi ga yo ni
aFusakayama no
iFasimidu
kogakuretari to
omoFikeru kana |
Your Majesty’s reign
Is welcome so, as on the mount of Meeting Hill,
Spring water from the crags
Is hidden in the trees, thus
I am I sunk in thought! |
Mibu no Tadamine
A poem from the Poetry Competition held in the reign of the Kanpyō Empress.
谷風にとくる氷のひまごとに打いづる波や春のはつ花
tanikaze ni
tokuru koFori no
Fimagoto ni
uti’iduru nami ya
Faru no FatuFana |
In the valley’s breezes
Does melt the ice, and
From every crack
Do burst waves – are these
The first blooms of spring? |
Minamoto no Masazumi
源当純
Topic unknown.
春日野の飛火野野守いでゝ見よ今幾日ありて若菜摘みてん
kasugano no
tobuFino nomori
idete miyo
ima ikuFi arite
wakana tumiten |
On Kasuga Plain,
O, warder of Tobuhi Plain,
Go out and see!
How many days must pass
’til we may pick fresh herbs… |
Anonymous
Topic unknown.
唐衣たつ日はきかじ朝露のおきてしゆけはけぬへきものを
karagoromo
tatu Fi Fa kikazi
asatuyu no
okitesi yuke Fa
kenubeki mono wo |
A Cathay robe
Sewn – that you leave today I had not heard, so
As the morning dew
Falls and is gone
Shall I vanish, too… |
Anonymous
Topic unknown.
石上布留から小野のもと柏本の心は忘られなくに
isonokami
Furu kara wono no
moto kasiFa
mono no kokoro Fa
wasurarenaku ni |
In Isonokami at
Furu stands an ancient trunk out in the fields;
As an eternal oak
My feelings
Will never be forgotten… |
Anonymous
A poem from the Empress’ Poetry Competition held in the Kanpyō period.
住の江の岸による浪夜さへや夢の通ひ路人目よくらむ
suminoe no
kisi ni yoru nami
yoru saFe ya
yume no kayoFidi
Fitome yokuramu |
As to Suminoe’s
Shore rush the waves
Why every night
Upon the path of dreams
Do I hide from other’s eyes? |
Fujiwara no Toshiyuki
藤原敏行
Topic unknown.
ねぎ事をさのみ聞きけむ社こそはては歎の杜となるらめ
negigoto wo
sanomi kikikemu
yasiro koso
Fate Fa nageki no
mori to narurame |
Prayers in
Such numbers are answered
At this shrine, that
In the end, grief grows in to Nageki’s
Sacred groves. |
Sanuki
讃岐
A poem from Michinoku.
みさぶらひ御笠と申せ宮木野の木の下露は雨にまされり
misaburaFi
mikasa to mause
miyagino no
ko no sita tuyu Fa
ame ni masareri |
O Attendant!
“A umbrella, my Lord?” do say, for
On Miyagi plain
Beneath the trees, the dew
Far exceeds the rain! |
Topic unknown.
都いでて今日みかの原泉河かは風さむし衣かぜ山
miyako idete
keFu mika no Fara
idumigaFa
kaFakaze samusi
koromo kaseyama |
Departing the capital,
Today on Mika meadow,
From the River Izumi
Chill is the wind, indeed, so
Lend me your robe, O Kase Moutain! |
Anonymous
'Simply moving and elegant'