A poem from a poetry competition held by Her Majesty, the Empress, in the Kanpyô period.
夏の夜のふすかとすれば郭公なくひとこゑにあくるしののめ
| natu no yo no Fusu ka to sureba Fototogisu naku Fito kowe ni akuru sinonome |
On a summer night, I wonder if I should to bed, and then A cuckoo Gives a single cry and Bright dawn breaks. |
Ki no Tsurayuki
紀貫之
Composed in the third month after not hearing the song of a bush warbler for a long time.
なきとむる花しなければうぐひすもはては物うくなりぬべらなり
| nakitomuru Fana si nakereba uguFisu mo Fate Fa mono’uku narinuberanari |
With a song he tried to keep The blossoms, yet now they’re gone, So the warbler too, At the last, in melancholy Has sunk, it seems. |
Ki no Tsurayuki
紀貫之
Composed when the cherry blossom planted at someone’s house had just come into flower.
ことしより春しりそむる櫻花ちるといふ事はならはさらなん
| kotosi yori Faru sirisomuru sakurabana tiru to iFu koto Fa naraFazaranan |
From this year on I’ll deeply feel the spring With these cherry blossoms. That they will soon be gone- Oh, that I did not know it! |
Ki no Tsurayuki
紀貫之
Whenever he went to Hatsuse on a pilgrimage, he stayed at a certain person’s house; he had not stayed there for quite some time, but his host said that there was certainly a place for him there. Hearing this, he broke a spray of plum blossom from a tree standing there and composed this poem.
人はいさ心もしらずふるさとは花ぞ昔のかににほひける
| Fito Fa isa kokoro mo sirazu Furusato Fa Fana zo mukasi no ka ni nioFikeru |
Of people: one cannot Know their hearts, But in my home of old The blossom, with its ancient Scent perfumes the air. |
Ki no Tsurayuki
紀貫之
When he was ordered by His Majesty to present poems, he composed and offered this.
あをやぎの絲よりかくる春しもぞみだれて花のほころびにける
| awoyagi no ito yorikakuru Faru simo zo midarete hana no Fokorobinikeru | The green willow Fronds twisting, Time and again, in spring The ruffled flowers Have unravelled. |
Ki no Tsurayuki (Ca. 872-945)
紀貫之
Composed on an occasion when His Majesty commanded that poems be composed for him.
わがせこが衣はるさめふるごとにのべのみどりぞいろまさりける
| wagaseko ga koromo Farusame Furu gotoni nobe no midori zo iro masarikeru |
My friend Spreads wide his cloak in a spring shower; With every fall The green fields are More verdant than ever. |
Ki no Tsurayuki (Ca. 872-945)
紀貫之
Composed on the first day of spring.
袖ひぢてむすびし水をこほれるを春立つけふの風やとくらむ
| sode Fidite musubisi mizu no koForeru wo Faru tatu keFu no kaze ya tokuran |
Once I wet my sleeves Scooping water It’s frozen now On this first day of spring, Will the wind melt it, I wonder? |
Ki no Tsuryuki 紀貫之
| KKS I: 1 |