The Seventh Night 七夜
おしてるや鵜のはぶきける昔もやこよひはちよと祝ひそめけん
oshiteru ya
u no habukikeru
mukashi mo ya
koyoi wa chiyo to
iwaisomeken | Bright shining,
Did the cormorants beat their wings
In times long gone, too?
Tonight, for a thousand generations
Shall we begin to celebrate! |
Kanemasa
年のはに鮎し走らば辟田河鵜八つ潜けて河瀬尋ねむ
tosi no pa ni
ayu si pasiraba
sakitagapa
u yatu kadukete
kapase tadunemu |
Every year
When the sweetfish run so swift
At Sakita River
Many cormorants do gather, and
Sport among the river rapids |
Ōtomo no Yakamochi
年ごとに鮎しはしれば沢田川鵜やつかつけて川瀬たづねむ
toshigoto ni
ayu shi hashireba
sawadagawa
u yatsu kazukete
kawase tazunemu |
Every year
When the sweetfish run so swift,
At Sawada River
The cormorants do gather, and
Sport among the river rapids! |
Cormorant fishing on the river.
水のあはのあだにながるゝおなじ瀬にきえぬよがはの篝火の影
mizu no awa no
ada ni nagaruru
onaji se ni
kienu yogawa no
kagaribi no kage |
The foam upon the waters
Fleetingly flows by, yet
On the selfsame stream
Unfading, at night atop the river,
Falls the fishing lanterns’ light. |
とにかくにつらきは隱岐の嶋つ鳥うきをばなれが名にや答えん
tonikaku ni
tsuraki wa oki no
shimatsudori
uki o ba nare ga
na ni ya kotaen |
By all accounts,
Coldhearted, are Oki
Island’s birds: cormorants
Are cruel; will you
Answer to that name, I wonder? |
'Simply moving and elegant'