On geese flying over a place where the blossom was scattering, for a folding screen picture.
雁がねのかへる翅にかをるなり花をうらむる春の山かぜ
| kari ga ne no kaeru tubasa ni kaoru nari hana o uramuru haru no yamakaze | Geese cry, as Homeward bound, their wings Are fragrant with Blossom borne by the regretful Mountain breeze in springtime. |
It must have been around the twentieth day of the Second Month, I think, when I was alone and gazing at the sky one evening as the new greenery was emerging in the north, and I composed this on hearing a goose call.
ながめつつおもふもかなしかへるかりゆくらんかたの夕ぐれの空
| nagametsutsu omou mo kanashi kaeru kari yukuran kata no yūgure no sora | Ever gazing, My thoughts are filled with sadness, as Returning geese Go out into The twilight skies. |
Left (Tie)
ふるさとにかすみとびわけゆくかりはたびのそらにやはるをすぐらむ
| furusato ni kasumi tobiwake yuku kari wa tabi no sora ni ya haru o suguramu | Above an ancient estate Flying through the parting haze Go the geese: In the skies they journey through, I wonder, will they pass the springtime? |
Mitsune
19
Right
ちるはなをぬきしとめねばあをやぎのいとはよるともかひやなからむ
| chiru hana o nukishi tomeneba aoyagi no ito wa yoru tomo kai ya nakaramu | The scattered blossom Has been pierced, but not stayed, so, The green willow’s Threaded fronds are spun together, yet It useless seems… |
20
‘“Sewn but not halted”—it really does seem so.’
Left 梅のはなしるきかならでうつろはば雪降りやまぬ春とこそ見め
| ume no hana shiru ki ka narade utsurowaba yuki furiyamanu haru to koso mime | Of the plum blossom Is this tree not aware, so If it fades An endless snowfall Will seem to mark this spring. |
5
Right
春の日に霞わけつつとぶ雁の見えみみえずみ雲がくれ行く
| haru no hi ni kasumi waketsutsu tobu kari no mie mi miezu mi kumogakureyuku | The springtime sun Keeps breaking through the haze, so The geese, winging, Appear and are lost to view Vanishing within the clouds. |
6
あきのよにかりとなくねをきくときは我がみのうへと思ひこそすれ
| aki no yo ni kari to naku ne o kiku toki wa wa ga mi no ue to omoi koso sure | On an autumn night, When the geese a’crying I do hear, Upon me My sad thoughts weigh all the more… |
53
いまよりはいざまつかげにたちよらむ秋のもみぢはかぜさそひけり
| ima yori wa iza matsu kage ni tachiyoramu aki no momiji wa kaze sasoikeri | From now it is, that Long-awaited shade Does seem to rise; The autumn’s scarlet leaves, Beckon in the breeze. |
54
しらたまのあきのこのはにやどれると見つるは露のはかるなりけり[1]
| shiratama no aki no ko no ha ni yadoreru to mitsuru wa tsuyu no hakaru narikeri | Pearls Upon the leaves of the autumn trees Have found lodging: At the sight, the dewdrops I’ll measure! |
51
ゆきかへりここもかしこもかりなれやあきくるごとにねをばなくらん
| yukikaeri koko mo kashiko mo kari nare ya aki kuru koto ni ne oba nakuran | Going back and forth, Hither and thither Are the geese? That autumn’s coming Is in their cries, it seems. |
52
[1] This poem was included in Gosenshū (VI: 311).
かりのみとうはのそらなるなみだこそあきのたもとのつゆとおくらめ
| kari nomi to uwa no sora naru namida koso aki no tamoto no tsuyu to okurame | The geese simply from The skies above Do drop their tears; It is in autumn that my sleeves Seem to gather dewdrops. |
49
山がはのたきつせしばしよどまなむあきのもみぢのいろとめて見む
| yamagawa no takitsuse shibashi yodomanamu aki no momiji no iro tomete mimu | The mountain river’s Rapids seem briefly Stilled; Autumn’s scarlet leaves’ Hues have halted it, I see. |
50
When there was someone in Koshi of whom he was fond.[1]
秋のよに雁かもなきてわたるなりわが思ふ人の事づてやせし
| aki no yo ni kari kamo nakite watarunaru wa ga omoFu Fito no kotodute ya sesi | On an autumn night Is that the geese a’crying As they pass by? There is one I love— Would you take a message to her? |
Tsurayuki
[1]A minor variant of this poem appears in the ‘Poetry Contest held at Prince Koresada’s House’ (Koresada shinnō-ke uta’awase (43)
