A poem from a poetry competition held by Her Majesty, the Empress, during the Kanpyō period.
春の野に若菜つまむと来し物をちりかふ花に道はまどひぬ
| Faru no no ni wakana tumamu to koshi mono wo tirikaFu Fana ni miti Fa madoFinu | To the meadows in springtime Thinking to pick fresh herbs Did I come, but Amongst the scattered blossom Have I lost my way. |
Tsurayuki
Topic unknown.
春ごとに花の盛りはありなめどあひ見む事はいのちなりけり
| Faru gotot ni Fana no sakari Fa arinamedo aFimimu koto Fa inoti narikeri | In every springtime are there Blossoms in profusion, No doubt, and yet Whether I will see them more Hangs upon my lifeline. |
Anonymous
When he had gone to the northern hills to view the blossom, he sent this to the residence of the Un’rin-in Prince.[1]
いざけふは春の山辺にまじりなむ暮れなばなげの花の影かは
| iza keFu Fa Faru no yamabe ni mazirinamu kurenaba nage no Fana no kage ka Fa | So, on this day Into the springtime mountains Let us tread! For even should dusk fall, brief Would the blossoms glow be? Surely not! |
Sosei
[1] Imperial Prince Tsuneyasu 常康親王 (?-869), the seventh son of Emperor Ninmyō.
Composed as a Spring poem.
三輪山をしかも隠すか春霞人に知られぬはなやさくらむ
| miwayama wo sikamo kakusu ka Farugasumi Fito ni sirarenu Fana ya sakuramu | Miwa Mountain Will you thus conceal, O, haze of spring? Might, unknown to all, Blossoms be blooming there? |
Tsurayuki
Topic unknown.
春の色のいたりいたらぬ里はあらじさけるさかざる花の見ゆらん
| Faru no iro no itari itaranu sato Fa arazi sakeru sakazaru Fana no miyuran | The hues of spring Spread on, and fail to reach No spots at all, so why do Some bloom, and some bloom not? These blossoms – or so it seems… |
Anonymous
Composed on the scattering of cherry blossoms, while in the guard post for the Crown Prince’s Palace.
春風は花のあたりをよきてふけ心づからやうつろふとみむ
| Farukaze Fa Fana no atari wo yokite Fuke kokorodukara ya uturoFu to mimu | O, winds of Spring, While the blossoms bloom Refrain from blowing! Does their own heartbreak Fade them I would wonder. |
Fujiwara no Yoshikaze
At a time when she was unwell and suffering, thinking that it might caused by the wind, she kept the shutters closed; at this time she saw how some cherry blossom, which had been picked and put in a vase, scattered, and composed:
たれこめてはるのゆくゑも知らぬまにまちし桜もうつろひにけり
| tare komete Faru no yukewe mo siranu ma ni matisi sakura mo utsuroFinikeri | While closed in and Of the progress of spring All knowing, These long-awaited cherries, too, Have faded. |
Fujiwara no Yoruka
Composed on seeing cherry blossom scattering at the Un’rin-in.
さくらちる花の所は春ながら雪ぞふりつつ消えがてにする
| sakura tiru Fana no tokoro Fa Faru nagara yuki zo Furitutu kiegate ni suru | Cherries scatter Blossoms here, For it is spring, but Snow still ever falls, and Hesitates to fade, it does appear. |
The Monk Sōku
Composed one year when there was an intercalary moon in the Third Month.[1]
さくら花春くははれる年だにも人のこころに飽かれやはせぬ
| sakurabana haru kuFaFareru tosi dani mo Fito no kokoro ni akare ya wa senu | O, cherry blossoms! Even when extra spring Is added to the year, To folk’s hearts Won’t you give satisfaction? |
Ise
[1] Probably 904.
A poem from a poetry competition held by Her Majesty, the Empress, during the Kanpyō period.
梅が香を袖にうつしてとどめてば春は過ぐとも形見ならまし
| mume ga ka wo sode ni utusite todometeba Faru Fa sugutomo katami naramasi | If only the plums’ scent Would shift to my sleeves and Stay there, then Even when spring is past and gone A keepsake would it be… |
Anonymous