Love and Trees.
いかなれば朽ちぬる袖ぞ波かかる岩根の松もさてこそはあれ
| ika nareba kuchinuru sode zo nami kakaru iwane no matsu mo sate koso wa are | For some reason My sleeves have rotted, Washed by waves As pines rooted on the rocks – That is how they are… |
Matsuyoi no kojijū
待宵の小侍従
Love and Grasses.
我が恋は隠れぬにおふる草なれや思ふ心を知る人のなき
| wa ga koi wa kakurenu ni ouru kusa nare ya omou kokoro o shiru hito no naki | Can my love Lie hidden in the growing Grasses? For the feelings in my heart Are known to no one at all… |
Fujiwara no Tadamichi
Love and Bridges.
同じくはいもがりゆかば恋すてふ名取の橋を踏まずもあらなん
| onajiku wa imogari yukaba koisu chō natori no hashi o fumazu mo aranan | ‘Tis ever the same If to my darling’s house I make my way, To love, Upon Natori’s loose-tongued bridge I shall not set my foot. |
Fujiwara no Tadamichi
Love and Bridges.
難波がた入江に渡すまろき橋踏みそめしとや人は思はん
| naniwagata irie ni watasu marokibashi fumisomeshi to ya hito wa omowan | At the Naniwa tidelands Crossing the shore is A bridge of logs; Do I take that first step upon it? Did someone think once… |
Fujiwara no Tadamichi
Love and Barriers.
恋しさをなげかざらまし吾妹子に逢坂山の関なかりせば
| koishisa o nagekazaramashi wagimoko ni ausakayama no seki nakariseba | Her sweetness Would be no source of sorrow, Had not my darling The Mount of Meeting Hill’s Barrier before her… |
Fujiwara no Tadamichi
Love and Rivers.
思ふ事水ぐき河にかき流し見れど渡の人に見せなん
| omou koto mizuguki kawa kakinagashi miredo watari no hito ni misenan | My feelings As overflowing rivulets Do race, and Though they will be plain, to the surrounding Folk shall I display them… |
Fujiwara no Tadamichi
Love Closely Nearby.
紅の裾引くほどの宿なれど色にいでなば人に知られじ
| kurenawi no suso Fiku Fodo no yado naredo iro ni idenaba Fito ni shirarezi | Her scarlet Hem could I tug upon, so close Do we dwell, yet If my passion’s hues were to show, I would folk did never know… |
Fujiwara no Kiyosuke (1104-1177)
藤原清輔
On the moonlight flooding over a ruined place
かくばかり風は吹けども板の間もあはぬは月の影さへぞもる
| kaku bakari kaze Fa Fukedomo ita no ma mo aFanu Fa tuki no kage saFe zo miru | So strongly Blows the wind, yet From between the boards, where They fail to meet, it is the moon’s Light that I do see! |
Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部
鶯の飛火野野辺の雪の内にそれかとばかり匂ふ梅が枝
| uguisu no tobubino nobe no yuki no uchi ni sore ka to bakari niou ume ga e |
The warbler on The meadows of Tobuhi Plain Among the snows Simply wonders if ‘tis the glow of branching plum… |
Gotoba
後鳥羽
苗代の水こさせずと恨むるは君が心や小山田の堰
| naFasiro no midu kosasezu to uramuru Fa kimi ga kokoro ya woyamada no seki |
Water to the seedlings You will not let come; I hate that – Is your heart, then, A dam between the paddies? |