Tag Archives: blooms

KKS I: 12

A poem from the Poetry Competition held in the reign of the Kanpyō Empress.

谷風にとくる氷のひまごとに打いづる波や春のはつ花

tanikaze ni
tokuru koFori no
Fimagoto ni
uti’iduru nami ya
Faru no FatuFana
In the valley’s breezes
Does melt the ice, and
From every crack
Do burst waves – are these
The first blooms of spring?

Minamoto no Masazumi
源当純

Kanpyō no ōntoki kiku awase 20

Composed on the figure of a person waiting at the foot of a chrysanthemum.
花見つつ人待つときは白栲の袖かとのみぞあやまたれける

Fana mitutu
Fito matu toki Fa
shirotaFe no
sode ka to nomi zo
ayamatarekeru
While gazing at the blooms,
Awaiting his arrival,
Simply for white mulberry
Sleeves have I
Mistaken them…

Tomonori
20

This poem was included in Kokinshū (V: 274).

Kanpyō no ōntoki kiku awase 8

A chrysanthemum from the beach at Fukiage in the province of Ki.
秋風の吹上に立てる白菊は花かあらぬか波のよするか

akikaze no
Fukiage ni tateru
siragiku Fa
Fana ka aranu ka
nami no yosuru ka
In the autumn breeze
Gusting at Fukiage
Are the white chrysanthemums
Blooms, or are the not, and just
The breaking waves?

The Suga Prime Minister [Sugawara no Michizane]
8

This poem was included in Kokinshū (V:272), where it has a somewhat longer and more explanatory headnote.

Kanpyō no ōntoki kiku awase 1

The Chrysanthemum Match during the reign of the Kanpyō Emperor.

The Gentlemen of the Left. For the chrysanthemum in the initial round, Kotategimi, a young courtier lad, was dressed as a woman, and brought in the flower, hiding his face with it. A further nine blooms were planted in a suhama. The form of the suhama was certainly very charming. The chrysanthemums had their names written on long strips of paper, which were twined about them in places to show them to their best advantage.

Initial Round: a chrysanthemum from Minase in Yamazaki

うちつけに水瀬は匂ひまされるをり人からか花の常かも

uchituke ni
minase Fa nioFi
masareru
wori Fito kara ka
Fana no tune kamo
Suddenly
Minase, with scent
Superb is filled –
Is it from a lady there, or
Are the blooms ever so?

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