もみぢばのながるるあきはかはごとににしきあらふとひとはみるらん[1]
momijiba no
nagaruru aki wa
kawa goto ni
nishiki arau to
hito wa miruramu | The scarlet leaves
Flow and in autumn
By every river
Washing their brocade
Folk can be seen! |
ひしくればよるもめかれじきくのはなあきすぎぬればあふべきものか
hi shi kureba
yoru mo mekareji
kiku no hana
aki suginureba
aubeki mono ka | When the day is here,
At night you do escape my sight,
O, chrysanthemums;
When autumn has passed by,
I wonder shall we meet again? |
70
[1] This poem is included in Gosenshū (VII: 415).
Old Folk 老人
あさなあさなみれどむかしのかげならで日にそへおいのますかがみかな
asana asana
miredo mukashi no
kage narade
hi ni soe oi no
masukagami kana | Each morn
I look, yet yesterday’s
Face fails to appear, and
With each passing day, old age
Is clear within my mirror! |
Tadafusa
[One of] four poems from the province of Etchū.
弥彦おのれ神さび青雲のたなびく日すら小雨そほ降る
iyapiko
wonore kamusabi
awokumo no
tanabiku pi sura
kosame sopopuru |
O, Iyahiko!
Your very form fills me with awe:
Clouds of grey
Trail round by day – even then
Showers drizzle down… |
恋草に染かへりたる色なれば思ひそめけむ日をぞ恨むる
koFigusa ni
simikaFeritaru
iro nareba
omoFisomekemu
Fi wo zo uramuru |
The lovely grasses’
Have ever staining
Hues, so
When it seemed I was first deeply dyed with love –
That day I do hate! |
Minamoto no Toshiyori
源俊頼
若草をただかりそめに見し日より束も逢へぬものをこそ思へ
wakakusa wo
tada karisome ni
misi Fi yori
tukane mo aFenu
mono wo koso omoFe |
The fresh young grass
But briefly
Did I see that day, and ever since
That I did not sheaf it together
Has been the focus of my thoughts… |
Minamoto no Toshiyori
源俊頼
Left (Win).
恋ひわびて片敷く袖はかへせどもいつかは妹が夢に見えける
koFiwabite
katasiku sode Fa
kaFesedomo
itu ka Fa imo ga
yume ni miekeru |
Tortured with love
My single spread sleeve
I do reverse, yet
When will my darling
Appear in my dreams? |
The Holy Teacher 闍梨
[Ryūgen 隆源]
29
Right.
我が心ときぞともなく乱るれど日だに暮るれば恋ひ添はりけり
wa ga kokoro
toki zo tomonaku
midaruredo
Fi dani kurureba
koFisoFarikeri |
My heart
With every passing hour
Is more distraught, yet
Even when the day does dim
Love is my companion. |
Bichū 備中
[Minamoto no Nakazane 源仲実]
30
On parting.
朝戸出の君が姿をよく見ずて長き春日を恋ひや暮らさむ
asa tode no
kimi ga sugata wo
yoku mizute
nagaki parupi wo
kopi ya kurasamu |
In the morning, opening the door
My lord’s form
I could not see well, so
How through this long spring day
Can I live with my love? |
Topic unknown.
日にそへて憂事のみも増る哉暮ては頓て明けずもあらなむ
Fi ni soFete
uki koto nomi mo
masaru kana
kurete Fa yagate
akezu mo aranamu |
All throughout the day
My misery alone
Has been overwhelming;
And with the dusk, in the end
It seems there is no hope of dawn. |
The Former Nishinomiya Minister of the Left
西宮前左大臣
(Minamoto no Taka’akira 源高明)
夏の日の俄かに曇る夕立の思ひもかけぬ世にもあるかな
natu no Fi no
niFka ni kumoru
yuFudati no
omoFi mo kakenu
yo ni mo aru kana |
A summer day
Briefly clouded by
An evening shower:
How unexpected
Is this world! |
A poem by the Governor-General of Dazai, Lord Ōtomo.
橘の花散る里の霍公鳥片恋しつつ鳴く日しぞ多き
tatibana no
pana tiru sato no
pototogisu
kata kopisitutu
naku pi si zo opoki |
Orange
Blossom scatters round my estate where
The cuckoo
For unrequited love
Does cry on many a day… |
Ōtomo no Tabito
'Simply moving and elegant'