A poem composed by Prince Shiki.
石走る垂水の上のさわらびの萌え出づる春になりにけるかも
| ipabasiru tarumi no upe no sawarabi no moeiduru paru ni narinikeru kamo | Rock-running, The cataracts, and beside them Flower-fern Has put forth shoots: spring Is here, indeed! |
Prince Shiki (? – 716)
志貴皇子
Spring Sun
ももちどりさへづる春はうらうらとなれども我が身くもりつつのみ
| momochidori saezuru haru wa uraura to naredomo wa ga mi kumoritsutsu nomi | Plovers Chirp; spring’s Soft sunlight Shines, yet I Am ever covered in cloud… |
Nakazane
Lingering Cold
春きては岩まの氷とくべきに冬にもこえてさゆるころかな
| haru kite wa iwama no kōri tokubeki ni fuyu ni mo koete sayuru koro kana | With spring’s coming, when The ice between the crag-cracks Should be melting, Exceeding even winter’s Chill do the days go by! |
Nakazane
Lingering Cold
谷ふかみさこそは雪のきえざらめいかにさゆるぞはるの山ざと
| tani fukami sa koso wa yuki no kiezarame ika ni sayuru zo haru no yamazato | Deep within the valleys Is truly where the snow Never seems to fade; How deep the chill must be In a springtime mountain retreat! |
Akinaka
New Year’s Day
万代の春のはじめの今日しよりつかへまつらむとしにあひつつ
| yorozu yo no haru no hajime no kyō shi yori tsukaematsuramu toshi ni aitsutsu | Ten thousand years of Spring begins From today Shall we serve humbly Greeting the coming year… |
Nakazane
On the 13th day of First Month Tenpyō 2, there was a gathering at the residence of the Governor General for a banquet. That year the month was truly a perfect example of early spring, with a sublime atmosphere and gentle breezes. The plum blossom bloomed with the whiteness of the powder one applies before a mirror; the orchids gave off a scent like that trailed behind one from a perfumed sachet. Moreover, in the morning the clouds moved across the peaks, and capped the pine trees with a silken gauze. Then with the evening mists rose from the mountain caverns, and birds, lost in the silken folds, flew in confusion through the woods. In the garden, new-born butterflies danced, while in the skies, geese flew homeward. Thus, with the heavens to cover us, and the land spread out before, we sat with knees close together and the wine-cups flew back and forth. All of us together quite forgot our words, and allowed our hearts to fly free in the beautiful scene. Truly, there is no way to measure the emotions of the time, so filled with pleasure were we. Were it not for poetry, how could we record our feelings? In the poetry of Cathay, there are volumes on the fallen blossoms, but what difference is there between those ancient compositions and those of the present? And so, and so, shall we not compose short poems on this garden of blossoming plum?
正月立ち春の来たらばかくしこそ梅を招きつつ楽しき終へめ
| mutuki tati paru no kitaraba kaku shi koso mume wo manekitutu tanosiki opeme | The First Month appears and With the coming of spring Thus Beckoned by plum blossom Will we exhaust ourselves with joy! |
Senior Assistant Governor General, Lord Ki
Left (Tie)
恋そめし思ひの妻の色ぞそれ見にしむ春の花の衣手
| koisomeshi omoi no tsuma no iro zo sore mi ni shimu haru no hana no koromode |
The first flush of love’s Scarlet passion for her: A hue that Stains the flesh, as spring’s Blossoms do the sleeves… |
Lord Sada’ie
1123
Right
飽かざりしそのうつり香は唐衣恋をすすむる妻にぞ有りける
| akazarishi sono utsurika wa karakoromo koi o susumuru tsuma ni zo arikeru |
I cannot get enough of Her scent transferred to My Cathay robe: Love for her begins With a skirt! |
The Supernumerary Master of the Empress’ Household Office
1124
The Right state: both the conception and diction of the Left’s poem are unclear. The Left state: the Right’s poem, in addition to being commonplace, has ‘begins’ (susumuru) which is unimpressive.
In judgement: in the Left’s poem, while ‘blossoms do the sleeves’ (hana no koromode) is evocative, ‘a hue that’ (iro zo sore) is certainly extremely difficult to understand. In the Right’s poem, both ‘Cathay robe’ (karakoromo) and ‘with a skirt’ (tsuma ni zo arikeru) seem elegant, but I wonder about the impression of ‘her scent transferred’ (sono utsurika) and ‘begins’. It is unclear which poem is superior or inferior, so the round should tie.
A poem from the Poetry Competition held in the reign of the Kanpyō Empress.
谷風にとくる氷のひまごとに打いづる波や春のはつ花
| tanikaze ni tokuru koFori no Fimagoto ni uti’iduru nami ya Faru no FatuFana |
In the valley’s breezes Does melt the ice, and From every crack Do burst waves – are these The first blooms of spring? |
Minamoto no Masazumi
源当純
Left
けふも猶雪はふりつつ春霞たてるやいづこ若菜つみてむ
| kyō mo nao yuki wa furitsutsu harugasumi tateru ya izuko wakana tsumitemu |
Still yet, today Is the snow falling; O, spring haze Where do you arise? For I would go and pluck fresh herbs! |
3
In no hyakushu, shodo, Eighth Month Shōji 2 [September 1200]
Right
朝氷たがため分て此川のむかへの野べに若菜つむらん
| asagōri ta ga tame wakete kono kawa no mukae no nobe ni wakana tsumuran |
This film of morning ice: For who’s sake do I break it? On this river’s Yonder side within the fields Would I pluck fresh herbs… |
4
Naidaijinke hyakushu, Ninth Month Kenpō 3 [October 1215]
Left. Spring
あら玉の年もかはらぬふるさとの雪のうちにも春はきにけり
| aratama no toshi mo kawaranu furusato no yuki no uchi ni mo haru wa kinikeri |
To the fresh jeweled Year the change has yet to come, yet Around my familiar home Even within the snows The spring is here! |
1
Ninnaji gojūshu, Kenkyū 1 [1190]
Right
冬ながら花ちる空のかすめるは雲のこなたに春やきつらむ
| fuyu nagara hana chiru sora no kasumeru wa kumo no konata ni haru ya kitsuramu |
It’s winter now, yet Are the blossom-scattering skies Hazed Beneath the clouds by The arrival of spring, perhaps? |
2