Zithers 筝
空の色によそへることのことぢをばつらなるかりとおもひけるかな
sora no iro ni yosoeru koto no kotoji o ba tsuranaru kari to omoikeru kana | The heavens’ hues I recall—my zither’s Bridges Aligned like geese Do seem to be! |
Nakazane
Zithers 筝
空の色によそへることのことぢをばつらなるかりとおもひけるかな
sora no iro ni yosoeru koto no kotoji o ba tsuranaru kari to omoikeru kana | The heavens’ hues I recall—my zither’s Bridges Aligned like geese Do seem to be! |
Nakazane
Stars 星
あまつ空夕の星のよそにても恋しき人をみるよしもがな
ama tsu sora yū no hoshi no yoso nite mo koishiki hito o miru yoshi mo gana | In the sky-spanning heavens The evening stars are So far away; If only my darling I could, somehow, see! |
Daishin
Clouds 雲
むらさきの色やまがふと大空にうかべる雲のむつましきかな
murasaki no iro ya magau to ōzora ni ukaberu kumo no mutsumashiki kana | Are the violet Hues blended through The heavens where The clouds do drift What make them so dear? |
Daishin
A poem with two envoys, composed in respectful response to Tachiyama.
朝日さし そがひに見ゆる 神ながら 御名に帯ばせる 白雲の 千重を押し別け 天そそり 高き立山 冬夏と 別くこともなく 白栲に 雪は降り置きて 古ゆ あり来にければ こごしかも 岩の神さび たまきはる 幾代経にけむ 立ちて居て 見れども異し 峰高み 谷を深みと 落ちたぎつ 清き河内に 朝さらず 霧立ちわたり 夕されば 雲居たなびき 雲居なす 心もしのに 立つ霧の 思ひ過ぐさず 行く水の 音もさやけく 万代に 言ひ継ぎゆかむ 川し絶えずは
asapi sasi sogapi ni miyuru kamu nagara mina ni obasesu sirakumo no tipe wo osiwake ama sosori takaki tatiyama puyu natu to waku koto mo naku sirotape ni yuki pa puri okite inisipe yu arikinikereba kogosikamo ipa no kamusabi tama kiparu ikuyo penikemu tatiwite miredomo ayasi minedakami tani wo pukami to otitagitu kiyoki ka puti ni asa sarazu kiri tati watari yupu sareba kumowi tanabiki kumowi nasu kokoro mo sino ni tatu kiri no omopi sugusazu yuku midu no woto mo sayakeku yoroduyo ni ipitugi yukamu kapa si taezu wa |
The morning sun shines At my back,and Divine Your great name links: Clouds of white In a thousand layers, you pierce, and Tower into the heavens, Tall Tachiyama! In winter and, in summer both Indistinguishably are you Clad in mulberry white Fallen drifts of snow; Since ancient days Ever has been your estate, Fastened round with Crags divine; ‘til all souls end Have countless ages passed! Standing here, I see you, yet am awed by Your lofty peak and Valley’s deep, where Plunge seething cataracts of Waters pure to pools where Morning never leaves – Mists rise and roll across, and When the evening comes Clouds trail in and Cover all, Even, with sadness, my heart, so The rising mists Never leave my thoughts, and of Your running waters’ Clear, pure sound Through ten thousand ages Will I ever tell Unending as a river’s flow… |
Ōtomo no Ikenushi
大伴池主
ひさかたの天の探女が岩船の泊てし高津はあせにけるかも
pisakata no ama no sagume ga ipapune no patesi takatu pa asenikeru kamo |
From the eternal Heavens, Sagume’s Boat of stone Came to rest at Takatsu, Now all turned to shallows! |
Tsunomaro
角麻呂
Left (Win).
なぐさめし月にもはてはねをぞ泣く戀やむなしき空に滿つらん
nagusameshi tsuki ni mo hate wa ne o zo naku koi ya munashiki sora ni mitsuran |
Comforted was I once by The moon, but at the end My sobs For love, the vast spaces of The heavens do seem to fill… |
Kenshō
901
Right.
月よなをくまこそなけれかきくらす戀の涙は雨と降れども
tsuki yo nao kuma koso nakare kakikurasu koi no namida wa ame to furedomo |
O, Moon! Before You there is not a cloud, yet Dimmed With tears for love The rain does fall… |
Lord Takanobu.
902
The Right state: we find no faults to mention in the Left’s poem. The Left state: in the Right’s poem ‘O, Moon! Before’ (tsuki ya nao) is somewhat grating on the ear. In addition, the final section is clichéd.
In judgement: in the Left’s poem, ‘The moon, but at the end’ (tsuki ni mo hate wa) is certainly elegant. The Right’s poem begin’s ‘O, Moon!’ (tsuki yo) but lacks anything connected to it at the end. Thus, the Left must win.
Envoy.
天地のともに久しく言ひ継げとこの奇し御魂敷かしけらしも
ametuti no tomo ni pisasiku ipituge to kono kusi mitama sikasikarasi mo |
The Heavens and the Earth Both eternally Will tell it: These mysterious sacred stones Have been enshrinéd here! |
The above facts were related by Takebe no Ushimaro, a man from Ichisato no shima in the district of Naka.
A poem to correct one whose feelings had gone astray.
ひさかたの天道は遠しなほなほに家に帰りて業を為まさに
pisakata no amadi pa toposi naponapo ni ipe ni kaperite nari o simasa ni |
The eternal Road to the heavens is long, indeed; Meekly Return home, and Get to work! |
Yamanoue no Okura
山上憶良
Topic unknown.
いつしかと暮を待つ間の大空は曇るさへこそ嬉しかりけれ
itusika to kure o matu ma no oFozora wa kumoru sae koso uresikarikere |
So impatiently Have I waited for the dusk, that The heavens Very clouding Is my joy! |
Anonymous
Topic unknown.
大空にわが袖ひとつあらなくにかなしく露や分きて置くらん
ōzora ni wa ga sode hitotsu aranaku ni kanashiku tsuyu ya wakiteokuran |
Seen from the heavens My sleeves alone Are there not, yet Why does this sorrowful dewfall Seem to choose them to drop upon? |
Anonymous