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
On wind.
萩の花咲きたる野辺にひぐらしの鳴くなるなへに秋の風吹く
pagi no pana
sakitaru nobe ni
pigurasi no
nakunaru nape ni
aki no kaze puku
Bush clover blooms
Flowering in the fields where
While the evening cicadas
Sing
Blows the autumn wind.
Anonymous
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 ).
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.
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?
1
Love in the middle of the day.
契りおきしほどは近くやなりぬらむしをれにけりな朝顔の花
tigiri okisi
Fodo Fa tikaku ya
narinuramu
siworenikeri na
asagaFo no Fana
Does our promised
Time seem to
Draw near?
All drooping are
The morning glory blooms…
The Ninth Day of the Ninth Month
なが月の九日までにふくみだるとをかのきくの花びらけなん
nagatsuki no kokonuka made ni fuku midaru tōka no kiku no hana birakenan For the Ninth Month’s Ninth day, Its garb disarrayed On the Tenth, the chrysanthemum Does surely open up its blooms!
Minamoto no Kanemasa 源兼昌
皆人の老いを忘るといふ菊は百年をやる花にそありける
mina Fito no
oi wo wasuru to
iFu kiku Fa
momotose wo yaru
Fana ni zo arikeru
Everyone,
Their age will forget, they
Say: for chrysanthemums
A hundred years gift
Have in their blooms!
菊の花露と置きゐていざ折らむ濡れなば袖の香こそ匂はめ
kiku no Fana
tuyu to okiwite
iza oramu
nurenaba sode no
ka koso niFoFame
For the chrysanthemum blooms’
Dewfall have I lain awake;
Now, let’s pick them!
For if I should damp my sleeves
Their scent would linger there!
濡れ衣と人にいはすな菊の花齢延ぶとぞ我そぼちつる
nureginu to
Fito ni iFasu na
kiku no Fana
yoFaFi nobu to zo
ware sobotituru
That you have no effect –
Give folk no cause to say it,
O chrysanthemum blooms!
Saying you’ll prolong my years
I am drenched right through!
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