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.’
Topic unknown.
はれそむるみねのあさぎりひまみえて山の端わたるかりの一つら
haresomuru
mine no asagiri
hima miete
yama no ha wataru
kari no hitotsura | Beginning to clear
Are the morning mists from round the peak
And through the gaps appear
Crossing the mountains’ edge
A single line of geese. |
Fujiwara no Yorikiyo
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)
あきのよにかりかもなきてわたるなる我が思ふ人のことづてやせる[1]
aki no yo ni
kari kamo nakite
watarunaru
wa ga omou hito no
kotozute ya seru | 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? |
43
おく露にくちゆくのべのくさのはやあきのほたるとなりわたるらむ[2]
oku tsuyu ni
kuchiyuku nobe no
kusa no ha ya
aki no hotaru to
nariwataruramu | Dew falls on
The rotting meadows, where
The blades of grass with
The tired autumn fireflies
Do seem to sound… |
44
[1] A minor variant of this poem is included in Gosenshū (VII: 356), where it is attributed to [Ki no] Tsurayuki.
[2] This poem is included in Fubokushō (5548), where it is attributed to [Mibu no] Tadamine.
あさぎりにかたまどはしてなくかりのこゑぞたえせぬ秋の山べは
asagiri ni
kata madowashite
naku kari no
koe zo taesenu
aki no yamabe wa | In the morning mists
Having lost their way,
Crying, the geese
Call out ceaselessly
From the autumn mountain meadows. |
27
山ざとはあきこそことにかなしけれしかのなくねにめをさましつつ[1]
yamazato wa
aki koso koto ni
kanashikere
shika no naku ne ni
me o samashitsutsu | In a mountain retreat
The autumn, especially,
Is lonely.
The belling of the stags
Continually awakens me. |
28
[1] This poem also occurs in Kokinshū (IV: 214), where it is attributed to [Mibu no] Tadamine.
あまのはらやどかす人のなければやあきくるかりのねをばなくらん[1]
ama no hara
yado kasu hito no
nakereba ya
aki kuru kari no
ne o ba nakuran | Upon the plain of Heaven
To lend them lodging
Is there no one? For
The geese coming in the autumn
Seem to cry so plaintively. |
15
としごとにあきくることのうれしきはかりにつけてもきみやとふとぞ
toshi goto ni
aki kuru koto no
ureshiki wa
kari ni tsukete mo
kimi ya tou to zo | Every year
Autumn’s arrival brings
Happiness;
Is it the geese?—
That I will ask you, I think! |
16
[1] This poem was included in Shokugosenshū (310/301), where it is attributed to Mibu no Tadamine.
'Simply moving and elegant'