Two poems by Yamanoue no Okura, composed on the flowers of the autumn fields.
秋の野に咲きたる花を指折りかき数ふれば七草の花
| aki no no ni sakitaru pana wo oyobi ori kakikazopureba nanakusa no pana | In the autumn fields Blooming are the flowers: On my fingers I do count them out, and Seven plants have blooms. |
Yamanoue no Okura
Autumn
Left
秋の夜の有明にみれど久堅の月のかつらはうつろはぬかな
| aki no yo no ariake ni miredo hisakata no tsuki no katsura wa utsurouwanu kana | An autumn night’s Dawn I see, yet The eternal Moon’s silver trees Show no sign of fading! |
13
秋萩の花咲く比の白露は下ばのためとわきて置くべし
| aki hagi no hana saku koro no shiratsuyu wa shitaba no tame to wakite okubeshi | In autumn, the bush clover Flowers bloom—just then Silver dewdrops For the under-leaves Do fall, marking every one. |
14
秋風はいなばもそよとふきつめりかりみる程と成りやしぬらん
| akikaze wa inaba mo soyo to fukitsumeri kari miru hodo to nari ya shinuran | The autumn breeze Seems to rustle the rice stalks As it blows; Seeing if ‘tis time to reap them— Is that what it is, I wonder? |
15
Right
銀河とわたる舟は花薄ほにいづるほどぞかげもみゆべき
| ama no kawa towataru fune wa hanasusuki ho ni izuru hodo zo kage mo miyubeki | Across the River of Heaven A boat goes ferrying: When the silver grass Ears burst into bloom, Can its shape be seen. |
16
女郎花さがの花をば色ながら秋をさかりといはれずもがな
| ominaeshi saga no hana oba iro nagara aki o sakari to iwarezu mogana | Maidenflowers: Blossoms from Saga Reveal their hues, and In autumn are most fine—that Goes without saying! |
17
小男鹿の朝たつ霧にうりふ山嶺の梢は色こかりけり
| saoshika no asa tatsu kiri ni urifuyama mine no kozue wa iro kokarikeri | Stags Within the rising morning mist on Urifu Moutain, where The treetops on the peak Have taken darker hues. |
18
しら露のおきしくのべを見るごとにあはれは秋ぞかずまさりける
| shiratsuyu no okishiku nobe o miru goto ni aware wa aki zo kazu masarikeru | Silver dewdrops, Fallen, scattered upon the meadows: Every time I see them The sadnesses of autumn Increase in number. |
31
あきかぜのうちふくからにはなもはもみだれてもちるのべの草きか
| aki kaze no uchifuku kara ni hana mo ha mo midarete mo chiru nobe no kusaki ka | The autumn breeze Is blowing keenly, so will Both flowers and leaves Scatter confusedly From the trees and grasses on the meadow? |
32
Fields
Left
いつしかもゆきてはやみむあきのののはなのしたひもとけはてぬらん
| itsu shika mo yukite wa yamimu aki no no no hana no shitahimo tokehatenuran | Swiftly Shall I halt my travels In an autumn meadow; A blossom’s underbelt Seems completely undone. |
Korenari
5
Right (Win)
かりにとやいもはまつらんあきのののはなみるほどはいへぢわすれぬ
| kari ni to ya imo wa matsuran aki no no no hana miru hodo wa ieji wasurenu | Is it but briefly that My sweetheart should wait? In an autumn meadow While gazing at the flowers The way home I have quite forgot! |
Nagayoshi
6
Topic unknown.
うぐひすのなく野べごとに来てみればうつろふ花に風ぞ吹ける
| uguFisu no naku nobe goto ni kitemireba uturoFu Fana ni kaze zo fukikeru | The warblers Sing from every field, and When I arrive I see, Faded flowers blown By the gusting wind. |
Anonymous
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[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[2]
[1]This poem is included in Kokinshū (II: 108).
[2]This poem is included in Kokinshū (II: 114) and also in Sosei-shū 素性集 (16), where in some versions the headnote reads ‘[Composed] on the profusion of blossom when it was decided there would be poetry match at the residence of the Ninnaji Middle Captain Lady of the Bedchamber’.
The Ninth Day of the Ninth Month
ちるをみばしぼめるかほか花なればなづとも菊のしるしあらめや
| chiru o miba shibomeru kao ka hana nareba nazu tomo kiku no shirushi arame ya | If I see them fall, Are these fading faces? Flowers they are, so Would even a touch, chrysanthemums Show them to be? |
Minamoto no Toshiyori
源俊頼