Topic unknown.
あしひきの山より出づる月待つと人には言ひて君をこそ待て
asiFiki no
yama yori iduru
tuki matu to
Fito ni Fa iFite
kimi wo koso mate |
‘Leg-wearying,
From the mountains to emerge, for
The moon I wait,’
I said to him, but
In truth, ‘tis for you I bide. |
Hitomaro
人麻呂
Topic unknown.
心をばつらき物ぞと言ひ置きて變らじと思顏ぞ戀しき
kokoro woba
turaki mono zo to
iFiwokite
kaFarazi to omoFu
kaFo zo koFisiki |
‘Your heart is just
A cruel thing,’
I said, and no more;
Unrelenting, I thought
That face, yet still, how dear it is to me… |
Anonymous
Topic Unknown.
逢ひ見ての後の心にくらぶれば昔は物も思はざりけり
aFimite no
noti no kokoro ni
kurabureba
mukasi Fa mono mo
omoFazarikeri |
Having met and loved, now,
Afterwards, my heart
I do compare
With its former state, and find its feelings then
Were barely worth the name of love… |
Provisional Middle Councillor Atsutada (906-943)
Topic unknown.
秋風の打ち吹くごとに高砂の尾上の鹿のなかぬ日ぞなき
aki kaze no
utiFuku goto ni
takasago no
wonoFe no sika no
nakanu Fi zo naki |
The autumn wind
Blows hard, and with it
In Takasago
The stags
Bell on, never ceasing |
Anonymous
Topic unknown.
戀ひ死なば戀ひも死ねとや玉桙の道行人に事づてもなき
koFisinaba
koFi mo sine to ya
tamaboko no
mitiyukibito ni
kotodute mo naki |
If I am to die of love,
Does he tell me so?
Jewelled spear-straight
The road he travels on, and
Sends me not a word… |
Hitomaro
人麻呂
Topic unknown.
少女子が袖ふる山の瑞垣の久しき世より思そめてき
wotomego ga
sode Furu yama no
midugaki no
Fisasiki yo yori
omoFisometeki |
Maidens,
Sleeves waving at Furu Mountain’s
Sacred walls, have there
Ever been; as long
Has love stained my heart. |
Kakinomoto no Hitomaro
柿本人麻呂
Topic unknown.
數ならぬ身は心だになから南思知らずは怨ざるべく
kazu naranu
mi Fa kokoro dani
nakaranan
omoFisirazu Fa
uramizarubeku |
Of no account,
I would even my heart
Were gone,
Then, all unknowing
I’d not despise you so… |
Anonymous
Topic unknown.
夏衣薄きながらぞ頼まるゝ一重なるしも身に近ければ
natu koromo
usukinagara zo
tanomaruru
FitoFe narusi mo
mi ni tikakereba |
Summer garb
Is light, indeed, yet
How sure I was with
A single layer
Close against me. |
Anonymous
Once, when Retired Emperor Reizei (950-1011; r. 967-969) was Crown Prince, the gentlemen were composing poems on the spirit of waiting for the moon:
有明の月の光を待つほどに我が世のいたくふけにける哉
ariake no
tuki no Fikari wo
matu Fodo ni
wa ga yo no itaku
Fukenikeru kana |
While from the dawning sky
The moon’s light
I have awaited,
For me it has become very
Late, indeed! |
Fujiwara no Nakafumi (923-992)
Reizei was Crown Prince from the 23rd day of the Seventh Month 950 until the 25th day of the Fifth Month 967.
In the poem, the “moon’s light” is a reference to the Prince’s patronage, which Nakafumi feels he has grown old awaiting.
Topic unknown.
いかにしてしばし忘れん命だにあらば逢ふよのありもこそすれ
ikanisite
sibasi wasuren
inoti dani
araba aFu yo no
ari mo koso sure |
Ah, well,
Let’s forget for a while,
For with life,
If I have it, time with you
May come once more! |
Anonymous
'Simply moving and elegant'