Category Archives: Man’yōshū

MYS XIII: 3305

A question and response poem.

物不念 道行去毛 青山乎 振放見者 茵花 香未通女 桜花 盛未通女 汝乎曽母 吾丹依云 吾 毛曽 汝丹依云 荒山毛 人師依者 余所 留跡序云 汝心勤

物思はず 道行く行くも 青山を 振り放け見れば つつじ花 にほえ娘子 桜花 栄え娘子 汝れをぞも 我れに寄すといふ 我れをもぞ 汝れに寄すといふ 荒山も 人し寄すれば 寄そるとぞいふ 汝が心ゆめ

mono’omowazu
michi yukuyuku mo
aoyama o
furisakemireba
tsutsujibana
nioe otome
sakurabana
hae otome
nare o somo
ware ni yosu to iu
ware o mo
nare ni yosu to iu
arayama mo
hito shi yosureba
yosuru to zo iu
na ga kokoroyume
Unburdened by gloomy thoughts
Along the path I went on and on,
To the green-growing mountain,
When in the distance I saw
An azalea
Fair bright maiden,
A cherry blossom
Glorious maiden:
O, you, truly
Give your heart to me;
And I, too,
Will give my heart to you;
Upon the wild mountain
Folk give their hearts
To one another, so
Never will I abandon you!

MYS III: 257

A poem on Mount Kagu by Kamo no Taruhito.

天之芳来山 霞立 春尓至婆 松風尓 池浪立而 櫻花 木乃晩茂尓 奥邊波 鴨妻喚 邊津方尓 味村左和伎 百礒城之 大宮人乃 退出而 遊船尓波 梶棹毛 無而不樂毛 己具人奈四二

天降りつく 天の香具山 霞立つ 春に至れば 松風に 池波立ちて 桜花 木の暗茂に 沖辺には 鴨妻呼ばひ 辺つ辺に あぢ群騒き ももしきの 大宮人の 退り出て 遊ぶ船には 楫棹も なくて寂しも 漕ぐ人なしに

amorituku
ame no kaguyama
kiri tatu
paru ni itareba
matukaze ni
ikenami tatite
sakurabana
ko no kuresige ni
okipe ni pa
kamo tuma yobapi
petupe ni
adi murasawagi
momosiki no
opomiyabito no
makaridete
asobu pune ni pa
kadisawo mo
nakute sabusi mo
kogu pito nasi ni
Descended from heaven is
Sacred Mount Kagu where
Mists arise
When the spring does come,
The wind through the pines
Raises waves from pond waters, and
Cherry blossom’s
Profusion shades the trees, while
Out in the offing,
Ducks call for a mate and
On the shore
Teals flock noisily;
Hundredfold,
The palace folk were wont to
Travel out
On pleasure boats, but
Oars and poles
Are there none—so sad—
For there’s not a soul to row them…

MYS V: 839

波流能努尓 紀理多知和多利 布流由岐得 比得能美流麻提 烏梅能波奈知流

春の野に霧立ちわたり降る雪と人の見るまで梅の花散る

paru no no ni
kiri tatiwatari
puru yuki to
pito no miru made
ume no pana tiru
In the springtime meadows
Filled with spreading mist,
As falling snow
To folk’s eyes appears
The scattering plum blossom.

Denshi no Makami, Clerk of Chikuzen
筑前目田氏真上

MYS VIII: 1637

A poem by His Majesty, the Retired Emperor [Genshō].

波太須珠寸 尾花逆葺 黒木用 造有室者 迄萬代

はだすすき尾花逆葺き黒木もち造れる室は万代までに

hadasusuki
obana sakapuki
kuroki moti
tukureru muro pa
yoroduyo made ni
Silver
Grass, reversed, for thatch, and
With unbarked lumber
Made, this rude dwelling
For ten thousand generations, surely will endure…

MYS XIV: 3368

阿之我利能 刀比能可布知尓 伊豆流湯能 余尓母多欲良尓 故呂河伊波奈久尓

あしがりの土肥の河内に出づる湯のよにもたよらに子ろが言はなくに

asigari no
topi no kaputi ni
iduru yu no
yo ni mo tayora ni
koro ga ipanaku ni
At Ashigari
At Toi in Kawachi
Spouts a hot spring
Endless as our love
She said, and yet…

Anonymous

MYS III: 328

A poem by Lord Ono no Oyu, Junior Assistant Governor-General of Dazai.

青丹吉 寧樂乃京師者 咲花乃 薫如 今盛有

あをによし奈良の都は咲く花のにほふがごとく今盛りなり

awoni yosi
nara no miyako pa
saku pana no
nipopu ga gotoku
ima masakari nari
Good blue-black clay—
Nara, the capital,
As the flowering blossom
Glows,
Is in full-bloom today.

MYS IV: 569

[One of] Four poems composed by guests at a banquet held at Ashiki post station in the province of Tsukushi to celebrate the departure of Ōtomo no Tabito from Dazaifu when he was commanded to return to the capital on his promotion to Major Counsellor.

辛人之 衣染云 紫之 情尓染而 所念鴨

韓人の衣染むといふ紫の心に染みて思ほゆるかも

karabito no
koromo somu to ipu
murasaki no
kokoro ni somite
omopoyuru kamo
Cathy folk
Dye their garb, they say,
With purple hues
Just so, my heart is stained
I feel!

Senior Clerk, Asada no Murajiyasu
大典麻田連陽春