信濃なる須我の荒野に霍公鳥鳴く聲聞けば時過ぎにけり
sinano naru
suga nö arano ni
potötögisu
naku kowe kikeba
töki suginikeri |
In Shinano
On the wild plain of Suga
When the cuckoo’s
Call I hear:
Time has passed by, indeed. |
The above poem is from Shinano.
大君の命畏み愛し妹が手枕離れ夜立ち來のかも
opokimi nö
mikötö kasikomi
kanasi imo ga
tamakura panare
yodati ki nö ka mo |
At my great lord’s
Dread command
My dear love’s
Pillowing arm I left,
A night departure, on my way here. |
稻つけばかかる我が手を今夜もか殿の若子が取りて嘆かむ
na tukeba
kakaru a ga te wo
köyöpi mo ka
tönö nö wakugo ga
torite nagëkamu |
From hulling rice
My hands are callused;
On this night too,
Will the young lord from the great house
Sighing, take them in his? |
鈴が音の早馬驛家の堤井の水を給へな妹が直手よ
suzu ga ne nö
payuma umaya nö
tutumiwi nö
midu wo tamapena
imo ga tadate yo |
The jingle of harness bells
At the post-house barn,
By the enclosed well
Give me water –
Straight from my darling’s hand. |
多摩川にさらす手作りさらさらになにぞこの子のここだ愛しき
tama kapa ni
sarasu tedukuri
sarasara ni
nani zö könö ko nö
kököda kanasiki |
In the Tama River
They fix the dyes of handmade cloth
Many, many times;
Oh, why should this child
Be so very dear? |
'Simply moving and elegant'