Tag Archives: Fifth Month

Kanpyō no ōntoki kisai no miya uta’awase 37

Left

おしなべて五月のそらを見渡せば草葉も水もみどりなりけり

oshinabete
satsuki no sora o
miwataseba
kusaba mo mizu mo
midori narikeri
When the entire
Fifth Month sky
I gaze across,
Blades of grass and water, too,
Are green.

72[1]

Right

くるるかとみれば明けぬる夏の夜をあかずとや鳴く山郭公

kururu ka to
mireba akenuru
natsu no yo o
akazu to ya naku
yamahototogisu
Did you think ’twas sunset?
When a glance would show the breaking dawn
Of this summer night-
Unsated by your song, do you sing on,
Cuckoo in the mountains?

73[2]


[1] Shinchokusenshū III: 152/Kokin rokujō I: 89

[1] Kokinshū III: 157, attributed to Mibu no Tadamine/Shinsen man’yōshū 57/Kokin rokujō VI: 4437

Kanpyō no ōntoki kisai no miya uta’awase 36

Left

なつの日のくるるもしらず鳴く蝉をとひもしてしか何ごとかうき

natsu no hi no
kururu mo shirazu
naku semi o
toi mo shiteshika
nani goto ka uki
Of the summer sun’s
Setting unaware are
The singing cicadas:
Had I but asked them of it,
What would they despise?

70

Right

あやめ草いくらの五月あひくらむ来る年毎にわかく見ゆらむ

ayamegusa
ikura no satsuki
aikuramu
kuru toshigoto ni
wakaku miyuramu
O, sweet flags!
In how many Fifth Months
Have you come to meet me?
With every turning year
You seem younger to me!

71