Left
みよりまたおもひはことになつむしのなりてもまたもたのみけるかな
| mi yori mata omoi wa koto ni natsumushi no narite mo mata mo tanomikeru kana | From my flesh, once more Passion’s flame, especially, into A firefly Has made me still— On that you can rely! |
19
Right
なつむしのわがたましひにみをかへてこころごころにこがれけるかな
| natsumushi no wa ga tamashii ni mi o kaete kokoro gokoro ni kogarekeru kana | Into a firefly Soul has My flesh transformed— Every corner of my heart Is smouldering! |
20
Left
おもひにはみをもかへつるなつむしのきえてもあふとたれかいひけむ
| omoi ni wa mi o mo kaetsuru natsumushi no kiete mo au to tare ka iikemu | Passion’s flame Has changed the flesh of The fireflies Even fading will we meet— Who is it might say that? |
17
Right
あひもみぬこひによりつつなつむしのもえこがるれどかひなかりけり
| ai mo minu koi ni yoritsutsu natsumushi no moekogaruredo kai nakarikeri | Meeting but not seeing: Ever trusting in such a love The fireflies Burn themselves to char, yet ‘Tis pointless, indeed. |
18
Left
かぎりなきおもひのほかになつむしのまどふをひとのうへとこそ見れ
| kagiri naki omoi no hoka ni natsumushi no madou o hito no ue to koso mire | Endlessly In sudden flames of passion are Fireflies Lost—upon Her do I see them! |
15
Right
ただひとつおもひをだにもなつむしのいのちをすててたのむなるかな
| tada hitotsu omoi o dani mo natsumushi no inochi o sutete tanomu naru kana | With but a single Passion’s flame, even A firefly Abandon’s his life— On that you can rely! |
16
Left
あひみたることもなくてはなつむしのいかでかおもひみにははなれむ
| aimitaru koto mo nakute wa natsumushi no ikade ka omoi mi ni wa hanaremu | Meeting together— That we have never done, so As a firefly Why is it that passion’s flames Should drive me from myself? |
13
Right
みのならむことをばしらでなつむしのいかなるこひにおもひいるらむ
| mi no naramu koto oba shirade natsumushi no ikanaru koi ni omoi’iruramu | What is to become of me I know not— As a firefly What sort of love is it that I should seem to brood so? |
14
Left
あふことをいつともしらぬなつむしのおもひはかぎりなくやあるらん
| au koto o itsu tomo shiranu natsumushi no omoi wa kagiri naku ya aruran | We will meet I know not when, so As a firefly, Bounded by burning passion Should weep away? |
11
Right
またまたもみをぞすてつるなつむしのなほあきたらぬこひをたのみて
| mata mata mo mi o zo sutetsuru natsumushi no nao akitaranu koi o tanomite | Time and time again Having abandoned all restraint, A firefly Never sated By love’s flames—that’s what I long for! |
12
Left
みをすてておもひにいれるなつむしのいまいくばくもあらじとぞおもふ
| mi o sutete omoi ni ireru natsumushi no ima ikubaku mo araji to zo omou | Abandoning all restraint I plunge into burning passion— Fireflies Now numberless As my thoughts. |
9
Right
としをへてこひにみなぐるなつむしのあふにはかへていかがなりにし
| toshi o hete koi ni minaguru natsumushi no au ni wa kaete ikaga narinishi | As the years go by, I am laid out by love— A firefly On meeting changes and What has it become? |
10
Left
こひこひてただにややまむなつむしのおもひのほかにみをやすててむ
| koikoite tada ni ya yamamu natsumushi no omoi no hoka ni mi o ya sutetemu | So much in love— Will it ever all be over? As a firefly In sudden fires of passion Should I abandon all restraint? |
7
Right
たれによりひとつおもひにみをすててことしもなつのむしとなりしぞ
| tare ni yori hitotsu omoi ni mi o sutete kotoshi mo natsu no mushi to narishi zo | For whose sake is it I burn with singular passion? Abandoning all restraint This year, too, a fire Fly have I become! |
8
おのおのがみをばおもへどなつむしのかかるおもひはえこそはなれね
| ono ono ga mi oba omoedo natsumushi no kakaru omoi wa e koso hanarene | Each and every one Of their flesh remains aware, yet A firefly’s Passion burns such that He never can escape it. |
5
Right
こひによりみのうせしをばくゆれどもなほなつむしになをやたちなむ
| koi ni yori mi no useshi oba kuyuredomo nao natsumushi ni na o ya tachinamu | For love Has my body failed, Burning within, yet Still, as a firefly Might I be known? |
6
Left
おもひをばいかにしればかなつむしのもゆるなかにもいりまどふらん
| omoi oba ika ni shireba ka natsumushi no moyuru naka ni mo irimadouran | How, my fiery passion Will you recognise? With the fireflies’ Flames Does it seem to blend! |
3
Right
こひすとてみはいたづらにならばなれわれなつむしになりやしなまし
| koisu tote mi wa itazura ni naraba nare ware natsumushi ni nari ya shinamashi | ‘I’ll fall in love!’ I say, and If that’s pointless, then So be it! I’d rather a firefly Become and meet my death! |
4
His Majesty, Former Emperor Yōzei, held a match on the topic of ‘Love and Summer Insects’.
Left (Tie)
いたづらにみはなるてへどなつむしのおもひはえこそはなれざりけれ
| itazura ni mi hanarute hedo natsumushi no omoi wa e koso hanarezarikere | Pointlessly Did I spend my days apart from you, yet As the fireflies, The burning of my passionate thoughts I could not leave behind! |
1
Right
みをすててひとつおもひにこがれたるこころぞなつのむしにまされる
| mi o sutete hitotsu omoi ni kogaretaru kokoro zo natsu no mushi ni masareru | Abandoning all restraint, But one fiery passion Chars My heart—the fire Flies does it exceed! |
2
