A poem composed for the four seasons screen behind the guest of honour when the Principal Handmaid celebrated the fortieth birthday of the Fujiwara Major Captain of the Right (Winter):
白雪のふりしく時はみよしのの山した風に花ぞちりける
| sira yuki no Furisiku toki Fa miyosino no yamasitakaze ni Fana zo tirikeru |
White snowflakes Falling constantly-at such a time In fair Yoshino Amid the wild winds round the mountain’s base Scatter blossoms. |
Tsurayuki
貫之
A poem composed for the four seasons screen behind the guest of honour when the Principal Handmaid celebrated the fortieth birthday of the Fujiwara Major Captain of the Right (Autumn):
住の江の松を秋風吹くからにこゑうちそふるおきつ白浪
| suminoe no matu wo aki kaze Fuku kara ni kowe utisoFuru oki tu siranami |
At Suminoe The pines by autumn winds Are blown, so Their voices add to The whitecaps, off the shore. |
Mitsune
躬恒
Composed for Fujiwara no Miyoshi’s sixtieth birthday.
鶴龜もちとせののちはしらなくにあかぬ心にまかせはててむ
| turu kame mo titose no noti Fa siranaku ni akanu kokoro ni makaseFatetemu |
The tortoise and the crane After the passage of a thousand years Meet I know not what, yet with All the longing of my heart, That is what I wish for you. |
Ariwara no Shigeharu
Some people say this poem was composed by Ariwara no Tokiharu.
Composed for the folding screen behind Prince Motoyasu at his seventieth birthday celebrations.
春くればやどにまづさく梅花君がちとせのかざしとぞ見る
| Faru kureba yado ni madu saku mume no Fana kimi ga titose no kazasi to zo miru |
When the spring has come, First flowering at my house The plum blossoms: In your thousandth year, I see you with them in your hair. |
Ki no Tsurayuki
紀貫之
Composed on the picture of people blossom-viewing beneath the falling cherries on a folding screen at the celebrations of the fiftieth birthday of Her Majesty, the Empress, held by Prince Sadayasu.
いたづらにすぐす月日はおもほえで花見てくらす春ぞすくなき
| itadurani sugusu tukiFi Fa omoFoede Fanamitekurasu Faru zo sukunaki |
In idleness Days and months I’ve spent: I feel nothing for them. A life spent blossom-viewing In springtime is too short, indeed. |
Fujiwara no Okikaze
藤原興風
Composed on the day he was at Ōi for the celebrations held for the fortieth birthday of Prince Sadatoki’s aunt.
龜の尾の山のいはねをとめておつるたきの白玉千世のかずかも
| kame no wo no yama no ifane wo tomete oturu taki no siratama tiyo no kazu kamo |
At Kame Mountain, mighty boulders Covered with the fall Of the cataract’s white droplets; As numberless as your age, perhaps? |
Ki no Koreoka
Topic unknown.
しほの山さしでのいそにすむ千鳥きみがみ世をばやちよとぞなく
| siFo no yama saside no iso ni sumu tidori kimi ga miyo woba yati yo to zo naku |
Near Shio mountain At Sashide Rocks, Dwell plovers, When asked your span of years They cry, ‘Eight thousand!’ |
Anonymous
Topic unknown.
わが君は千世にやちよにさざれいしのいはほとなりてこけのむすまで
| wa ga kimi Fa ti yo ni yati yo ni sazareisi no iFaFo to narite koke no musu made |
Your Majesty Will reign a thousand times eight thousand years, ’ Til pebbles Be mighty boulders, All overgrown with moss. |
Anonymous