Written on the rocks by the waterfall at Provisional Middle Councillor Atsutada’s mountain retreat at Nishi-sakamoto.
音羽川せき入れて落す瀧つせに人の心のみえもするかな
| otoFagaFa seki’irete otosu taki tu se ni Fito no kokoro no mie mo suru kana |
On Otowa River A barrier is placed to drop A cataract in torrents And, your heart, perhaps, Reveal! |
Ise
伊勢
On a night when the Ise Vestal was conducting the Kōshin rite at the shrine in the fields, she composed this on the topic of the wind in the pines sounding a zither’s strings when blowing at night.
ことのねに峯の松風かよふらしいづれのをよりしらべそめけん
| koto no ne ni mine no matukaze kayoFurasi idure no wo yori sirabe someken |
The zither’s strains With wind from pines atop the peak Do sound; Which string is it That may start me on my way? |
The Ise Vestal Consort 斎宮女御
[Princess Yoshiko/Kishi 徽子女王] (929-985)
In the final month of the year in which the wife of Middle Councillor Kanesuke had died, Tsurayuki paid him a visit and composed this while they were talking sadly.
恋ふる間に年の暮れなば亡き人の別やいとゞ遠くなりなん
| koFuru ma ni tosi no kurenaba nakibito no wakare ya itodo toFokunarinan |
While thinking fondly of her Should the year come to an end, She, who’s dead, Will be parted even Further from us… |
Ki no Tsurayuki
In the Tenryaku period, when the Ichijō Regent [Fujiwara no Koretada] was Head Chamberlain, His Majesty lost his belt to him while playing go. The games continued, and Koretada’s losses mounted, so His Majesty composed this poem to ask for the return of his belt.
白浪の打ちやかへすと待つほどに浜の真砂の数ぞ積もれる
| siranami no uti ya kaFesu to matu Fodo ni Fama no masago no kazu zo tumoreru |
Wondering when the whitecaps Will return, and While waiting The grains of sand upon the beach Increase in number! |
Emperor Murakami