A chrysanthemum from the barrier at Meeting Hill.
この花は尽きぬらし関川のたえずも見よと折れる菊の枝
| kono Fana Fa tukinurasi sekikaFa no taezu mo miyo to woreru kiku no e |
These flowers Do never seem to end, as The river past the barrier gate Endless appears to flow, so too is A plucked chrysanthemum stem. |
10
From the shore at Fukehi in Izumi.
けふけふと霜おきまさる冬立たば花移ろふとうらみにゆかむ
| keFu keFu to simo okimasaru Fuyu tataba Fana uturoFu to urami ni yukamu |
On this day, this day Of most heavy fallen frost Should winter arrive, That the flowers fade Will be a source of my despite… |
7
A chrysanthemum from the River Saho, in Nara.
千鳥ゆゑ佐保の川べを求め来れば水底霧りて咲ける花かも
| tidori yuwe saFo no kaFabe wo tomekureba minasoko kirite sakeru Fana kamo |
Even though the plovers To the riverside at Saho Have come seeking, The waters’ depths are misted By the flowers’ blooming! |
6
Composed when it was said that a poetry competition was to be held at the residence of the Ninna Middle Captain Lady of the Bedchamber.
花のちることやわびしき春霞たつたの山のうぐひすのこゑ
| Fana no tiru koto ya wabisiki Farugasumi tatuta no yama no uguFisu no kowe |
The falling of the flowers Is sad, indeed; In the spring haze On Tatsuta Mountain A warbler cries… |
Fujiwara no Chikage
藤原後蔭
1
Composed when it was said that a poetry competition was to be held at the residence of the Ninna Middle Captain Lady of the Bedchamber.
惜しと思ふ心は糸に縒られなむ散る花ごとに貫きてとどめむ
| osi to omoFu kokoro Fa ito ni yorarenamu tiru Fana goto ni nukite todomemu |
A regretful Heart with threads Does seem to be entangled; Every single scattered bloom Will I thread on them to keep. |
Sosei
素性
2
The Ninth Day of the Ninth Month
散るを見ばしぼめる顔が花なれば夏とも菊のしるしあらめや
| chiru o miba shibomeru kao ga hana nareba natsu tomo kiku no shirushi arame ya |
If I see them fall, Fading faces are The flowers, so Summer it maybe yet, chrysanthemums Must surely be the sign? |
Minamoto no Toshiyori
源俊頼
我が宿の松にひさしき藤の花紫野には咲きやしぬらむ
| wa ga yado no matu ni Fisasiki Fudi no Fana murasakino ni Fa saki ya sinuramu |
My dwelling’s Pines endure while The wisteria flowers At Murasakino in violet Bloom and then do seem to die… |
Mibu no Tadami
壬生忠見
[One of] Ten poems lamenting his circumstances.
いざさらば盛り思ふもほどもあらじ藐姑射が峯の花にむつれし
| iza saraba sakari omou mo hodo mo araji hakoya ga mine ni hana ni mutsureshi |
So, then, so be it! To reach full bloom, I feel, Time I lack, but Atop Hakoya peak The flowers were dear to me, indeed… |
Saigyō
西行
A poem composed in winter in the Eleventh Month, by His Majesty, when the Major Controller of the Left, Prince Kazuragi, and others, were granted the name Tachibana.
橘は実さへ花さへその葉さへ枝に霜降れどいや常葉の木
| tatibana pa mi sape pana sape sono pa sape e ni simo puredo iya toko pa no ki |
O, orange tree: Fruit and flowers both, And leaves, too, Even should frost fall on your branches Evegreen will you be! |
The above poem was composed in winter, on the 9th day of the Eleventh Month, after Prince Kazuragi, Junior Third Rank, and Prince Sai, Junior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade, among others, surrendered their membership of the imperial family and were granted the name of Tachibana. At that time Former Emperor [Genshō], the Emperor [Shōmu], and Empress [Kōmyō], were present in the Empress’ quarters, and hosted a banquet at which poems celebrating the name of Tachibana were composed, and sake was presented to the new members of the family. It is alternatively said, ‘This poem was composed by the Former Emperor. In addition, the Emperor and the Empress each composed a single poem. Those poems were lost and cannot now be located.’ If one seeks copies of the documents now, they say that on the 9th day of the Eleventh Month [Tenpyō] 8 [736], Prince Kazuragi and other submitted a request to the throne to be granted the name of Tachibana. On the 17th day the request was granted.
Composed when it was said that a poetry competition was to be held at the residence of the Ninna Middle Captain Lady of the Bedchamber.
花のちることやわびしき春霞たつたの山のうぐひすのこゑ
| Fana no tiru koto ya wabisiki Farugasumi tatuta no yama no uguFisu no kowe |
The falling of the flowers Is sad, indeed; In the spring haze On Tatsuta Mountain A warbler cries… |
Fujiwara no Chikage
While on the path across the Shiga Mountains, he met a large number of women, and later composed this and sent it to them.
あづさゆみはるの山辺をこえくれば道もさりあへず花ぞちりける
| adusa yumi Faru no yamabe o koekureba miti mo sariaFezu Fana zo tirikeru |
A catalpa bow When the springtime mountains I traverse I cannot pass along the way So many flowers have fallen! |
Tsurayuki