Love and Grasses.
我が恋は隠れぬにおふる草なれや思ふ心を知る人のなき
| wa ga koi wa kakurenu ni ouru kusa nare ya omou kokoro o shiru hito no naki | Can my love Lie hidden in the growing Grasses? For the feelings in my heart Are known to no one at all… |
Fujiwara no Tadamichi
Tag Archives: grasses
Love VIII: 20
Left (Tie)
いかにしてつれなき中を渡るべき足の音もせぬ駒のありとも
| ika ni shite tsurenaki naka o watarubeki ashi no oto mo senu koma no aritomo |
How, indeed, To one so heartless Can I make my way across? Even a silent-footed Steed had I to ride… |
Lord Suetsune
1059
Right (Win)
道遠み妹がりがりいそぐその駒に草取り飼はんなづみもぞする
| michi tōmi imogari isogu sono koma ni kusa torikawan nazumi mo zo suru |
Long is the road To go swiftly seek my darling, so For my steed I’ll go gather grasses That he not tire along the way… |
The Supernumerary Master of the Empress’ Household Office
1060
The Gentlemen of the Right state: we wonder about the appropriateness of making one’s way across when there is no ‘bridge’? The Gentlemen of the Left state: there are no faults to indicate in the Right’s poem.
In judgement: the gentleman of the Left has composed his poem referring to the conception of the Man’yō poem ‘A silent-footed / Colt I’d have: / In Kashitsuka, / The clapper bridge at Mama / To ceaselessly traverse!’, but must have misplaced the bridge somewhere. Truly, I do wonder how it is possible to make one’s way across in the absence of a bridge. Although to say ‘for my steed I’ll go gather grasses’ (sono koma ni kusa torikawan) is something commonplace, doing it to prevent one’s mount getting tired, despite the length of the journey, seems better than lacking a bridge.
Love VIII: 17
Left
山鳥のはつおの鏡掛けねども見し面影に音は泣かれけり
| yamadori no hatsuo no kagami kakenedomo mishi omokage ni ne wa nakarekeri |
A mountain pheasant’s Tail of hempen cord this mirror Does not suspend, yet The face I saw there once Makes me weep out loud… |
Kenshō
1053
Right (Win)
面影をほの三嶋野に尋ぬれば行衛知られぬ鵙の草ぐき
| omokage o hono mishimano ni tazunureba yukue shirarenu mozu no kusaguki |
Her face I did but briefly see at Mishimano When I visited there; I know not where has gone The shrike hiding in the grasses. |
Lord Takanobu
1054
The Gentlemen of the Right state: the Left’s poem has no faults to mention. The Gentlemen of the Left state: we wonder about the appropriateness of combining ‘Mishima Plain’ (mishimano) with ‘the shrike hiding in the grasses (mozu no kusaguki). Is there a poem as a precedent for this? If not, is it suitable?
In judgement: both poems have the conception of love: of imagining the pheasant and his mirror, and weeping at the memory of a lover’s face; and thinking of the shrike hiding in the grasses, visiting Mishima Plain, and recalling the past. However, what should we do about the matter of whether there is a precedent poem for ‘the shrike hiding in the grasses’ on Mishima Plain? Surely, it could be any plain, so there is no reason not to use this. The configuration of ‘I know not where has gone’ (yukue shirarenu) sounds better than that of ‘makes me weep out loud’ (ne wa nakarekeri). The Right, again, must win, I think.
Love VIII: 2
Left (Win)
今はさはあはれと思へ菅の根の長き心の程は見つらん
| ima wa sa wa aware to omoe suga no ne no nagaki kokoro no hodo wa mitsuran |
Now, indeed, let you Think fondly of me! The grasses’ roots run Long, my heart’s Love will you see… |
Lord Suetsune
1023
Right
世とゝもにかはくまもなき我袖や潮干もわかぬ浪の下草
| yo to tomo ni kawaku ma mo naki wa ga sode ya shioi mo wakanu nami no shitagusa |
With the passing time, Not a moment dry Are my sleeves; Low tide does not reveal The seaweed beneath the waves… |
Lord Takanobu
1024
The Right state: the Left’s poem has no faults to indicate. The Left state: the Right’s poem is clichéd.
In judgement: the Right, in addition to being clichéd, can say no more than that love means wet sleeves. The Left’s ‘grasses’ roots’ (suga no ne) is certainly better.
MYS X: 1897
On birds.
春さればもずの草ぐき見えずとも我れは見やらむ君があたりをば
| paru sareba mozu no kusaguki miezutomo ware pa miyaramu kimi ga atari woba |
When the spring does come, The shrike within the grasses Vanishes from view, yet I will ever gaze Toward the place where you do dwell… |
Sanboku kikashū VIII: 1155
恋草に染かへりたる色なれば思ひそめけむ日をぞ恨むる
| koFigusa ni simikaFeritaru iro nareba omoFisomekemu Fi wo zo uramuru |
The lovely grasses’ Have ever staining Hues, so When it seemed I was first deeply dyed with love – That day I do hate! |
Minamoto no Toshiyori
源俊頼
Sanboku kikashū VII: 1101
逢ふことは夏野に茂る恋草の刈りはらへども生ひむせびつつ
| aFu koto Fa natuno ni sigeru koFigusa no kariFaraFedomo oFimusebitutu |
Our meetings, like The lush summer meadows’ Lovely grasses Have been reaped away, yet Their growth chokes me still… |
Minamoto no Toshiyori
源俊頼
Yorimasa-shū 338
萌え出でてまた双葉なる恋草のいく穂となきにおける露かな
| moeidete mata futabanaru koigusa no iku ho to naki ni okeru tsuyu kana |
Budding out, and In the first, freshest growth Are the lovely grasses; How many ears will not be touched By falling dewdrops… |
Minamoto no Yorimasa
源頼政
Eikyū hyakushu 424
奥山の草隠れなる畑つ守知られぬ恋に病ふ頃かな
| okuyama no kusagakurenaru hatatsumori shirarenu koi ni yamau koro kana |
Deep within the mountains Hidden among the grasses, A field warden With unknown love is Stricken sick these days! |
Minamoto no Toshiyori
源俊頼
Tametadake godo hyakushu 729
百草の花のけぶりや七夕の雲の衣の袖に染むらむ
| momokusa no hana no keburi ya tanabata no kumo no koromo no sode ni shimuramu |
Are all the grasses Blooms, a smoke, that into The Weaver Maid’s Robe of cloud’s Sleeves will sink? |
Fujiwara no Shunzei