Round Twelve
Left
冬の夜の月はとほくやわたりけんかげみしみづのまづしこほれば
| fuyu no yo no tsuki wa tōku ya watariken kage mishi mizu no mazu shi kōreba | On a winter’s night Does the moon distantly Pass by? For The waters where I saw its face Are the first to freeze… |
22
Right
ながれくるみづこほりぬる冬さへやなほうき草のあとはさだめぬ
| nagarekuru mizu kōrinuru fuyu sae ya nao ukikusa no ato wa sadamenu | Flowing down The waters have frozen With the winter, so will The drifting waterweed still Leave little trace? |
23
A poem by Prince Yuhara, when he was in Yoshino.
吉野なる菜摘の川の川淀に鴨ぞ鳴くなる山蔭にして
| yosino naru natumi no kapa no kapa yodo ni kamo zo nakunaru yama kage ni site | In Yoshino From the River Natsumi’s Deep, still pools The ducks cry In the mountains’ shade. |
Prince Yuhara
Autumn
Left
秋の夜の有明にみれど久堅の月のかつらはうつろはぬかな
| aki no yo no ariake ni miredo hisakata no tsuki no katsura wa utsurouwanu kana | An autumn night’s Dawn I see, yet The eternal Moon’s silver trees Show no sign of fading! |
13
秋萩の花咲く比の白露は下ばのためとわきて置くべし
| aki hagi no hana saku koro no shiratsuyu wa shitaba no tame to wakite okubeshi | In autumn, the bush clover Flowers bloom—just then Silver dewdrops For the under-leaves Do fall, marking every one. |
14
秋風はいなばもそよとふきつめりかりみる程と成りやしぬらん
| akikaze wa inaba mo soyo to fukitsumeri kari miru hodo to nari ya shinuran | The autumn breeze Seems to rustle the rice stalks As it blows; Seeing if ‘tis time to reap them— Is that what it is, I wonder? |
15
Right
銀河とわたる舟は花薄ほにいづるほどぞかげもみゆべき
| ama no kawa towataru fune wa hanasusuki ho ni izuru hodo zo kage mo miyubeki | Across the River of Heaven A boat goes ferrying: When the silver grass Ears burst into bloom, Can its shape be seen. |
16
女郎花さがの花をば色ながら秋をさかりといはれずもがな
| ominaeshi saga no hana oba iro nagara aki o sakari to iwarezu mogana | Maidenflowers: Blossoms from Saga Reveal their hues, and In autumn are most fine—that Goes without saying! |
17
小男鹿の朝たつ霧にうりふ山嶺の梢は色こかりけり
| saoshika no asa tatsu kiri ni urifuyama mine no kozue wa iro kokarikeri | Stags Within the rising morning mist on Urifu Moutain, where The treetops on the peak Have taken darker hues. |
18
よし野河ながれて過ぐるとしなみにたちゐのかげも暮れにけるかな
| yoshinogawa nagarete suguru toshinami ni tachi’i no kage mo kurenikeru kana | The River Yoshino Flows past The year’s waves Rise and fall, shapes Vanish into the twilight. |
Ōe no Masafusa
あきのむしなどわびしげにこゑのするたのめしかげに露やもりくる
| aki no mushi nado wabishige ni koe no suru tanomeshi kage ni tsuyu ya morikuru | Why do the autumn insects And more let out plaintive Cries; Is your trustworthy face Drenched in dew? |
67
もみぢばのながれてゆけば山がはのあさきせだにもあきはふかみぬ
| momijiba no nagareteyukeba yamagawa no asaki se dani mo aki wa fukaminu | The scarlet leaves Have come flowing, so The mountain stream’s Shallow rapids—even they Are deep in autumn! |
68
あきのよにかりとなくねをきくときは我がみのうへと思ひこそすれ
| aki no yo ni kari to naku ne o kiku toki wa wa ga mi no ue to omoi koso sure | On an autumn night, When the geese a’crying I do hear, Upon me My sad thoughts weigh all the more… |
53
いまよりはいざまつかげにたちよらむ秋のもみぢはかぜさそひけり
| ima yori wa iza matsu kage ni tachiyoramu aki no momiji wa kaze sasoikeri | From now it is, that Long-awaited shade Does seem to rise; The autumn’s scarlet leaves, Beckon in the breeze. |
54
Right
夏なれば木高き枝になく蟬のかげにかくせる風を恋ふとか
| natu nareba kodakaki eda ni naku semi no kage ni kakuseru kaze wo koFu to ka | When the summer comes, In the topmost branches of the trees In the singing cicadas’ Shadows have you hidden The breeze I love? |
5
すずむしのこゑにぞあかぬたまさかにゆきあふよひのかげをまつにも
| suzumushi no koe ni zo akanu tamasaka ni yukiau yoi no kage o matsu ni mo | Of the bell crickets’ Song, I never tire— Even when a rare Night’s coming together In moonlight I do await… |
Lady Jijū
On the tenth day of the Eighth Month, Kanna 1,[1] His Majesty[2] entered the Courtiers’ Hall briefly and divided the gentlemen in attendance into teams for a poetry contest. His Majesty’s partner was Supernumerary Middle Counsellor Kintō, and he provided of the four topics. Judgements were by Koreshige.
Moon
Left (Win)
あきのよのつきにこころはあくがれてくもゐにものをおもふころかな
| aki no yo no tsuki ni kokoro wa akugarete kumoi ni mono o omou koro kana | On an autumn night By the moon is my heart Entranced; Things beyond the clouds Fill my thoughts a while! |
His Majesty
1
Right
いつもみるつきぞとおもへどあきのよはいかなるかげをそふるなるらん
| itsumo miru tsuki zo to omoe aki no yo wa ikanaru kage o souru naruran | Every time I see The moon it fills my thoughts, but On an autumn night What light is it that Does seem to cover all? |
Lord Kintō
2
[1] 28.8.985
[2] Emperor Kazan 花山 (968-1008; r. 984-986).
Old Folk 老人
あさなあさなみれどむかしのかげならで日にそへおいのますかがみかな
| asana asana miredo mukashi no kage narade hi ni soe oi no masukagami kana | Each morn I look, yet yesterday’s Face fails to appear, and With each passing day, old age Is clear within my mirror! |
Tadafusa