Monkeys 猿
おもふことおほえの山に世の中をいかにせましと三声なくなり
omou koto ōe no yama ni yo no naka o ika ni semashi to mikoe nakunari | Deep in thought Upon Mount Ōe, ‘In this mundane world, O, what I am to do?’ cry Voices three. |
Kanemasa
Spiders 蜘蛛
かれのこる軒のあやめをたよりにてくり返しひくくものいとすぢ
kare nokoru noki no ayame o tayori nite kurikaeshi hiku kumo no itosuji | On the withered remnants of Sweet-flags on my eaves Shall I rely, and Time and time again draw upon The spider’s thread. |
Kanemasa
Zithers 筝
さ夜ふけて物の音たかくなりぬらししらぶることはことぢあぐなり
sayo fukete mono no ne takaku narinurashi shiraburu koto wa kotoji agu nari | Brief night breaks, and The notes do louder Seem to grow; Tuned, a zither Is lifted by its bridge. |
Kanemasa
Flutes 笛
波の音にたぐへてぞ聞く住の江の汀にて吹くこま笛の声
nami no oto taguete zo kiku suminoe no migiwa nite fuku komabue no koe | The sound of waves Blended, do I hear, At Suminoe By the water’s edge, with The notes of a foreign flute. |
Kanemasa
Next Door 隣
隣よりあし火のけぶりもれきつつたかぬさとにもすすたりぬべし
tonari yori ashibi no keburi morekitsutsu takanu sato ni mo susu tarinubeshi | From next door The smoke from reed-torches is Always flooding across, so Even my home where we light them not Has soot aplenty! |
Kanemasa
Boats 船
にほてるややばせの渡りする舟をいくたびみつつせたのはし守
nioteru ya yabase no watari suru fune o iku tabi mitsutsu seta no hashimori | On the shining Sea of Grebes From Yabase crossing go The ferry boats – How many times has he watched them, The bridge-guard at Seta? |
Kanemasa
Seafolk 泉郎
ぬれ衣いまぞはつきにかけてほすかづきしてけりうらのあま人
nuregoromo ima zo wa tsuki ni kakete hosu kazukishitekeri ura no amabito | Their soaking garb Now in the moonlight is Hung to dry; Diving have been The fisher-girls upon the beach… |
Kanemasa
Old Folk 老人
おきなさび立ゐもやすくをられねばつら杖つきてけふもくらしつ
okina sabi tachi’i mo yasuku orareneba tsurazue tsukite kyō mo kurashitsu | As an old gent should, Standing at ease is Impossible for me, so With my hand on my chin Have I spent this day, too. |
Kanemasa
Singing Girls 妓女
をみなへしめでたき花のすがたかな衣通姫もかくやありけん
ominaeshi medetaki hana no sugata kana sotōri hime mo kaku ya ariken | These maidenflowers have Fair blooming Forms, indeed! Was Princess Sotōri As this, I wonder? |
Kanemasa
Wang Zhaojun 王昭君
みるままにわがすがたをばかきてましちぢのこがねををしまざりせば
miru mama ni wa ga sugata oba kakitemashi chiji no kogane o oshimazariseba | While gazing upon My form I how I would be painted; For my thousand-weight of gold Will bring me no regrets… |
Kanemasa
'Simply moving and elegant'