The Kasuga Festival (春日祭)
あめのしたたえずぞ君はさかゆべき御笠の山の神をまつれば
| ame no shita taezu zo kimi wa sakayubeki mikasa no yama no kami o matsureba | Beneath the heavens Endlessly, my Lord Shall you flourish! Upon Mount Mikasa Celebrating the gods… |
Nakazane
Tag Archives: kami
Love X: 7
Left
頼むなるあさけ神しも幣はせん君が心やわれになびくと
| tanomu naru asake kami shimo nusa wa sen kimi ga kokoro ya ware ni nabiku to | Worship she does The goddess Asake, so should even I make her an offering? Then might my lady’s heart Trail in my direction… |
Kenshō
1153
Right (Win)
鏡山君に心やうつるらむいそぎ立たれぬ旅衣かな
| kagamiyama kimi ni kokoro ya utsururamu isogi tatarenu tabigoromo kana | Upon Mirror Mount Has my heart Found lodging? For In haste to rise and don My travelling garb, I am not! |
Lord Tsune’ie
1154
Left and Right state: there are no faults to mention in either poem.
In judgement: both Left and Right here refer to a ‘person’ (kimi), with the Left’s ‘making her an offering’ (nusa wa sen) that she might ‘trail in my direction’ (ware ni nabiku ya), while the Right’s has left his heart on Mirror Mount and ‘is not in haste to rise and don his travelling garb’ (isogi tatarenu tabigoromo): each of these poems is evocative, and makes effective use of wordplay, with the Left’s ‘make her an offering’ certainly resembling something I have come across previously, but the initial ‘goddess Asake’ is poor. The Right’s ‘Mirror Mount’ (kagami yama) is something I am familiar with, and this has a gentle tone. Thus, the Right wins.
Love VIII: 25
Left
起きもゐで年ふる戀はをのづから常世の神やしるし見すべき
| oki mo ide toshi furu koi wa onozukara tokoyo no kami ya shirushi misubeki |
Unable to arise From love these many years, May I By the eternal gods Be shown a sign! |
Kenshō
1069
Right (Win)
獨臥すながながし夜のかなしきを語らひあかすきりぎりす哉
| hitori fusu naganagashi yo no kanashiki o katarai akasu kirigirisu kana |
Lying alone, So long, long the night’s Sorrow; Lightening it with chatter Are the crickets! |
The Supernumerary Master of the Empress’ Household Office
1070
The Gentlemen of the Right state: what is the meaning of ‘the eternal gods’ (toko no kami). In appeal, the Left: in the Chronicles of Japan, insects are worshipped under the name of ‘the eternal gods’ and made to seem like men. The Left state: what can an insect chatter about?
In judgement: in regard to the Left’s poem, while it is true that insects were worshipped, a poem on ‘Love and Insects’ with no insect is lacking something from the start. This poem would seem to be more a case of ‘Love and Prayers’. Thus, this is nothing enduring. A prior example has been contrived, but this is ineffective. It does not seem as if this insect’s nature has any relation to the topic. The Right’s poem has a commonplace cricket. Where is the fault in having it lighten one’s mood with chatter? Thus, the Right must win.
GSIS XX: 1177
When he had gone to Kibune, he wrote this on the fence surrounding the shrine.
思ふ事なる河上に跡垂れて貴船は人を渡す也けり
| omoFu koto naru kaFa kami ni atotarete kibune Fa Fito wo watasu narikeri |
The focus of my thoughts Are the river’s upper flows, Where incarnated The deity at Kibune, folk Transports. |
Fujiwara no Tokifusa
藤原時房
Shitagō-shū 174
祈事を聞かず洗ふる神だにも今日は夏越と人は知らなむ
| negigoto wo kikazu araFuru kami dani mo keFu Fa nagosi to Fito Fa siranamu |
Prayers Unheeding, and bathing Are the gods themselves; That this day is the summer purification Do all folk know! |
Minamoto no Shitagō
源順
Sankashū II: 615
Composed for the chief priest at the same shrine, on praying to the deities for love.
天下る神の印のありなしをつれなき人の行方にてみん
| ama kudaru kami no shirushi no arinashi o tsurenaki hito no yukue nite min |
Descending from heaven Deities, a sign Provide me and That heartless girl’s Location reveal! |
Saigyō
西行
Kokin rokujō: II: 1433
橘のてらの長屋にひと目見し髫髪は今は髪あげつらむ
| tatibana no tera no nagaya ni Fitome misi unawi Fa ima Fa kami ageturamu |
Oranges Gleam round the longhouse where I saw but once A youthful maiden, who now Will bind up her hair… |
Kokin rokujō II: 1418
橘の照れる長屋にわかゐねし髫髪放れは髪あげつらむ
| tatibana no tereru nagaya ni wa ga winesi unawiFhanare Fa kami agetsuramu |
Oranges Shine round the longhouse where I did sleep with A youthful maiden Who will bind up her hair… |
Horikawa hyakushu 357
昔より今日のみあれに葵草かけてぞ頼む神のしるしを
| mukashi yori kyō nomi are ni aoigusa kakete zo tanomu kami no shirushi o |
From times long gone For this festive day Hollyhocks Are hung in prayer, As a symbol of the Gods… |
Fujiwara no Akisue
藤原顕季
SZS XV: 909
When Major Captain of the Left Asamitsu had sent her pledges of his love, and she was urged to respond, she sent him this.
ちはやぶるかものやしろの神もきけ君わすれずはわれもわすれじ
| tiFayaburu kamo no yasiro no kami mo kike kimi wasurezu Fa ware mo wasurezi |
Puissant Kamo Shrine’s Deity, hear me! If my love forsakes me not, Then never will I forsake him! |
Uma no Naishi
馬内侍