The Beginning of Winter
Left (Tie)
しものうへにふるはつゆきのあさごほりとけむほどこそひさしかりけれ
shimo no ue ni
furu hatsuyuki no
asagōri
tokemu hodo koso
hisashikarikeri | Upon the frost
Falls first snow turning
To ice with the morning;
The time ‘twill take to melt
Will be long, indeed. |
17
Right
かみなづきもみぢのいろはふくかぜとたにのみづとぞおとしはてつる
kaminazuki
momiji no iro wa
fuku kaze to
tani no mizu to zo
otoshihatetsuru | In the Godless Month
The scarlet leaves’ hue
With the gusting wind, and
The waters in the valley, do
Drop completely. |
Mitsune
18
Left
足引の山のかけはし冬くればこほりのうへをよきぞかねつる
ashihiki no
yama no kakehashi
fuyu kureba
kōri no ue o
yoki zo kanetsuru | To the leg-wearying
Mountain plankways,
When the winter comes
The ice atop them
Is difficult to avoid! |
147
Right
ふゆくれば雪ふりつもる高きみね立つ白雲に見えまがふかな
fuyu kureba
yuki furitsumoru
takaki mine
tatsu shirakumo ni
miemagau kana | When the winter comes
The snow fallen, piled high upon
The lofty peaks
With the rising clouds so white
Is easy to confuse! |
148
Left
霜のうへに跡ふみつくる浜千鳥行へもなしと鳴きのみぞふる
shimo no ue ni
ato fumitsukuru
hamachidori
yukue mo nashi to
naki nomi zo suru | Upon the frost
Treading out tracks are
Plovers on the beach;
With no place to go,
They simply sing! |
Okikaze
141
Right
なみだ川みなぐばかりの淵はあれど氷とけねばかげもやどらぬ
namidagawa
mi nagu bakari no
fuchi wa aredo
kōri tokeneba
kage mo yadoranu | My river of tears,
Is fit to drown me in
It’s depths, yet
Should the ice not melt,
No sign will linger on… |
142
On a thin layer of ice remaining atop a pond, for a Poetry Contest held at the Residence of Imperial Princess Miwako.
うす氷残りすくなくなりにけり池のかがみと冬はみしかど
usugōri
nokori sukunaku
narinikeri
ike no kagami to
fuyu wa mishikado | The film of ice
Mere remnants
Has become;
Yet in the mirror of the pond
Winter was once seen… |
Musashino
On waterbirds, when he presented a hundred poem sequence.
うす氷猶とぢやらで池水のかものうきねをしたふ波かな
usukōri
nao tojiyarade
ikemizu no
kamo no ukine o
shitau nami kana | A film of ice
Has yet to seal
The pond waters where
Dozing ducks are
Cradled by the waves! |
The Minister of the Left
Round Three
Left
氷とくはるたちくらしみよしののよしののたきのこゑまさるなり
kōri toku
haru tachikurashi
miyoshino no
yoshino no taki no
koe masarunari | Ice melting
Spring has come on scene, it seems;
In fair Yoshino,
Yoshino Falls’
Roar is fine, indeed! |
5
Right (Win)
はなの色はかすみにこめてみえずともかをだにぬすめ春の山風
hana no iro wa
kasumi ni komete
miezu tomo
ka o dani nusume
haru no yamakaze | The blossoms’ hues
Have blended with the haze, so
I see them not, yet
Their very scent is plundered by
Spring’s breezes from the mountains. |
6
Spring
Round 1
Left
やま風にとくる氷のひまごとにうち出づる浪や春の初花
yamakaze ni
tokuru kōri no
hima goto ni
uchi’izuru nami ya
haru no hatsuhana | With the mountain breeze
The melting ice from
Every crack
Bursts out in waves, perhaps
These are the first blooms of spring? |
Minamoto no Maszumi
1[1]
Right (Win)
春霞たつひの風のいとなれや滝のをとけて玉とみだるる
harugasumi
tatsu hi no kaze no
ito nare ya
taki no o tokete
tama to midaruru | The haze of spring
Arises with the breeze this day, so
Will its streamers with
The melting waterfall’s threaded
Jewels become confused? |
2
[1] Kokin rokujo I: 5
Icicles
浪かくる岩まひまなくたるひして氷とぢたる山川の水
nami kakuru
iwama himanaku
taruhishite
kōri tojitaru
yamakawa no mizu | Waves hang from
Every single space between the rocks
In icicles—
Sealed in ice is
The water of this mountain stream. |
Akisue
Composed gazing at the moon.
あまの原そらさへさえや渡るらん氷と見ゆる冬の夜の月
ama no Fara
sora saFe sae ya
wataruran
koFori to miyuru
Fuyu no yo no tuki | The plain of Heaven,
The sky, so coldly
Does it seem to cross,
Ice, it does appear,
The moon upon a winter’s night. |
Egyō
Topic unknown.
思ひつつねなくにあくる冬の夜の袖の氷はとけずもあるかな
omoFitutu
nenaku ni akuru
Fuyu no yo no
sode no koFori wa
tokezu mo aru kana | Filled with passionate thoughts,
Sleepless until dawn,
On a winter’s night
The ice upon my sleeves
Shows no sign of melting. |
Anonymous
'Simply moving and elegant'