Hearing that the same person had come from somewhere, she attached this to one of the same flowers.
味氣なく思ひこそやれつれづれと一人やゐでの山吹の花
| adikinaku omoFi koso yare turedure to Fitori ya wide no yamabuki no Fana |
Unpleasant Thoughts fill my head: In boredom All alone (are you?) with an Ide Globeflower’s blooms. |
Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部
When someone from whom she had heard nothing for a long time, sent her a globeflower, saying, ‘Forgive me for not writing for so long.’
とへとしも思はぬ八重の山吹を許すといはゞ折にこむとや
| toFe to si mo omoFanu yaFe no yamabuki wo yurusu to iFaba wori ni komu to ya |
Many blooms (Come see me!) I did not think there were upon the double-blossomed Globeflower; and If I did agree, I wonder if you’d come and pluck it? |
Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部
Composed when a man whom she had promised to meet about the 20th of the month said it was a long time to wait.
君はまだ知らざりけりな秋の夜の木の閒の月は廿日にぞ見る
| kimi Fa mada sirazarikeri na aki no yo no ko no ma no tuki Fa Fatuka ni zo miru |
You don’t yet Know it, do you? On an autumn night Between the trees the moon May fleetingly be seen. |
Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部
Composed on hearing that a man had come calling on a night when it was raining heavily on a woman who had told him not to come again.
み笠山さし離れぬときゝしかど雨もよにとは思ひし物を
| mikasa yama sasiFanarenu to kikisikado ame mo yo ni to Fa omoFisi mono wo |
The Mount of Mikasa Is very far from you, I’d heard; Surely, not in such rain, Or so I did think! |
Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部
Composed when a man denied it was so, after she had sent him a reply in which she said how much she hated him for sending a letter to another woman.
空になる人の心はさゝ蟹のいかにけふ又かくてくらさむ
| sora ni naru Fito no kokoro Fa sasagani no ika ni keFu mata kakute kurasamu |
An airy Man’s heart is as A spider’s Web; how should I today Pass my time? |
Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部
A man whom she was seeing in secret, came to see her on a night when it was raining, and said he had to return home on account of being wet; so, she composed the following.
かばかりに忍ぶる雨を人とはゞ何にぬれたる袖といふらむ
| kabakari ni sinoburu ame wo Fito toFaba nani ni nuretaru sode to iFuramu |
So many Secrets in this rain; If folk should ask What has wet My sleeves, what should I say? |
Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部
Sent to a man who had said he would come, but dawn had broken.
休らひに眞木の戸社はさゝざらめいかに明つる冬の夜ならむ
| yasuraFi ni maki no to koso Fa sasazarame ika ni aketuru Fuyu no yo naramu |
Hesitating My door of cedarwood I did leave unlocked; Yet somehow the crack of dawn Of this winter’s night had arrived. |
Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部
A man promised that there were no obstacles to a relationship and-what do you think?-began behaving as if conducting an affair-only coming when no one was around; so, she composed the following:
いづくにかきても隱む隔てつる心の隈のあらばこそあらめ
| iduku ni ka kite mo kakuremu Fedateturu kokoro no kuma no araba koso arame |
To where Are you coming so secretly? A barrier Within your heart: If there is one, there is none here. |
Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部