Tag Archives: kasugano

Kyōgoku no miyasudokoro uta’awase 15

Original

こまなべてきみがみにくるかすがのはまつかさしげしあめにさはるな

koma nabete
kimi ga mi ni kuru
kasugano wa
matsukasa shigeshi
ame ni sawaru na
Mounts aligned,
My Lord has come to see
Kasuga Plain, where
The plentiful pinecones mean
He’ll be untroubled by rain!

43

Left (Win)

ぬれつつもあめにはゆかむまつかさのちとせのはるをもらさざらなむ

nuretsutsu mo
ame ni wa yukamu
matsukasa no
chitose no haru o
morasazaranamu
Even dampened
By the rain, let us go!
For the pinecones
Over a thousand years of springtimes
Will surely not allow a single drip!

44[1]

Right

かすがののまつかさだにもなかりせばあめふるさとにわれこましやは

kasugano no
matsukasa dani mo
nakariseba
ame furu sato ni
ware komashi ya wa
If on Kasuga Plain
Even pinecones
Were there not, then,
To the rainswept ancient capital
Why would I come at all?

45


[1] This poem is included in Ise-shū (107) with the headnote ‘From the time of the Kasuga Poetry Match’, implying that this is Ise’s work, even if she is not identified as the poet in the text here.

Kyōgoku no miyasudokoro uta’awase 14

Poems which had been placed in the carriage of the Tenth Prince [Prince Masa’akira 雅明親王 (920-929)]

Original

ことしよりにほひそむめりかすがののわかむらさきにてでなふれそも

kotoshi yori
nioisomumeri
kasugano no
wakamurasaki ni
tede na fure so mo
From this year
Has begun to bloom, it seems,
On Kasuga Plain
Young gromwell, so
Don’t put your hands upon it!

40

Left (Win)

むらさきにてもこそふるれかすがのののもりよひとにわかなつますな

murasaki ni
te mo koso furure
kasugano no
moriyoito ni
wakana tsumasu na
On the gromwell
Folk will surely put their hands, so
Kasuga Plain’s
Wardens, all,
Don’t allow picking of young herbs here!

41

Right

ちはやぶるかみもしるらむかすがののわかむらさきにたれかてふれむ

chihayaburu
kami mo shiruramu
kasugano no
wakamurasaki ni
tare ka te furemu
The mighty
God does surely know, so
On Kasuga Plain,
On young gromwell
Would any dare to lay their hands?

42

Kyōgoku no miyasudokoro uta’awase 12

Original

ふるさとのかすがののべのくさもきもはるにふたたびあふことしかな

furusato no
kasuga no nobe no
kusa mo ki mo
haru ni futatabi
au kotoshi kana
At the ancient capital
Upon Kasuga’s plain,
Grasses and trees, both,
Springtime have twice
Met this year! [1]

Mitsune
34

Left (Win)

はるながらまたはるにあふかすがのにおひぬくさきはねたくやあるらん

haru nagara
mata haru ni au
kasugano ni
oinu kusaki wa
netaku ya aruran
‘Tis spring, but
That springtime once more has come
To Kasuga Plain,
Won’t the grasses and trees growing there
Be envied, indeed?

35

Right

ゆきかへるみちのやどりかかすがののくさきにはなのたびかさぬらむ

yukikaeru
michi no yadori ka
kasugano no
kusaki ni hana no
tabikasanuramu
Is it that arriving and departing,
The lodging on spring’s path lies
On Kasuga Plain, so
On the grasses and trees, blossom
Appears time and time again?

36


[1] This poem occurs in Mitsune-shū (322) with the same headnote as for poem (22), above. It was also included in Shinsenzaishū (X: 980), with the headnote, ‘Composed in place of the Governor of Yamato in Engi 21, on the day when the Kyōgoku Lady of the Bedchamber visited the shrine at Kasuga.’

Kyōgoku no miyasudokoro uta’awase 11

Original

かすがののけふのみゆきをまつばらのちとせのはるはきみがまにまに

kasugano no
kyō no miyuki o
matsubara no
chitose no haru wa
kimi ga manimani
On Kasuga Plain
Today’s progress
Awaited have the pine groves,
A thousand years of springtimes,
Just as my Lady’s thoughts. [1]

Mitsune
31

Left

ゆくさきのはるをとほくしまかすればいまはちとせのうたがひもなし

yukusaki no
haru o tōkushi
makasureba
ima wa chitose no
utagai mo nashi
Future
Springtimes to distant times
May we entrust, for
Now that she will live a thousand years more
There is no doubt, at all.

32

Right (Win)

むれたちてわれをまつてふかすがののみどりふかくやおもひそめけむ

muretachite
ware o matsu chō
kasugano no
midori fukaku ya
omoisomekemu
Growing crowded together, and
Awaiting me are the pines
On Kasuga Plain—
Why should their green so deeply
Seem to think of me?

33


[1] A minor variant of this poem occurs in Mitsune-shū (325) with the same headnote as for poem (22), above.

Kyōgoku no miyasudokoro uta’awase 09

Original

はるごとにきみしかよはばかすがののやちよのまつもかれじとぞおもふ

haru goto ni
kimi shi kayowaba
kasugano no
yachiyo no matsu mo
kareji to zo omou
Should every single spring
My Lady visit here,
On Kasuga Plain
The pines, eight thousand ages old
Would never wither, I feel!

25

Left (Win)

かすがのにはるはかよはむわがためにまつこころありてよはひますなり

kasugano ni
haru wa kayowamu
wa ga tame ni
matsu kokoro arite
yowai masu nari
To Kasuga Plain
Where spring is wont to come
For my sake, then
Should the pines be a mind to tarry with me
How exceeding old would I become.

26

Right

かすがののまつしかれずはみたらしのみづもながれてたえじとぞおもふ

kasugano no
matsu shi karezu wa
mitarashi no
mizu mo nagarete
taeji to zo omou
On Kasuga Plain
The pines will wither never, for
The Mitarashi’s
Water’s flow, too,
Will never cease, I feel.

27

Kyōgoku no miyasudokoro uta’awase 07

Original

わかなつむとしはへぬれどかすがのののもりはけふやはるをしるらむ

wakana tsumu
toshi wa henuredo
kasugano no
nomori wa kyō ya
haru o shiruramu
Plucking fresh herbs do
The years pass by, yet
On Kasuga Plain,
The wardens today
Must truly know ‘tis spring. [1]

Mitsune
19

Left (Tie)

けふ見てぞわれはしりぬるはなはなほかすがののべのものにぞありける

kyō mite zo
ware wa shirinuru
hana wa nao
kasuga no nobe no
mono ni zo arikeru
Today did I see, and
Understood it well, that
Blossom, truly,
Upon the meadows of Kasuga
Is best of all.

20

Right

ありへてもかすがののもりはるにあふはとしもわかなもつめるしるしか

arihete mo
kasuga no nomori
haru ni au wa
toshi mo wakana mo
tsumeru shirushi ka
Over passing ages,
For the wardens of Kasuga,
Encountering the springtime,
The years and the fresh herbs, both,
Have garnered as a sign, perhaps.

21


[1] A variant of this poem occurs in Shokugosenshū: In the twenty-first year of the same era, on a day when the Kyōgoku Lady of the Bedchamber visited the shrine at Kasuga, he composed this in place of the official from the province of Yamato. としごとにわかなつみつつかすが野ののもりもけふやはるをしるらん toshi goto ni / wakana tsumitsutsu / kasugano no / nomori mo kyō ya / haru o shiruran ‘Every single year / Ever plucking fresh herbs / On Kasuga Plain / The wardens, too, today / Must truly know ‘tis spring.’Mitsune (XVI: 1032/1029)

Kyōgoku no miyasudokoro uta’awase 06

Original

うぐひすのなきつるなへにかすがののけふのみゆきをはなとこそみれ

uguisu no
nakitsuru nae ni
kasugano no
kyō no miyuki o
hana to koso mire
While the warbler
Sings on
Kasuga Plain
Today, accompanying the progress, snow
As blossom does appear.[1]

16

Left (Win)

いまはしもはなとぞいはむかすがののはるのみゆきをなにとかは見む

ima wa shimo
hana to zo iwamu
kasugano no
haru no miyuki o
nani to ka wa mimu
Now, of all,
The blossom, I would describe,
On Kasuga Plain, as
Springtime progress snow—
What else can I say?

17

Right

ふるさとにゆきまじりたるはなと見ばわれにおくるなのべのうぐひす

furusato ni
yukimajiritaru
hana to miba
ware ni okuru na
nobe no uguisu
Around the ancient capital
Have I gone amidst the snow—
If as blossom I did see it, then,
O, don’t send me off,
Warbler upon the plain!

18


[1] SIS 1044 attributed to Fujiwara no Tadafusa ‘Headnote ‘Among the many poems presented by provincial officials, when the Kyōgoku Lady of the Bedchamber visited Kasuga.’

Kyōgoku no miyasudokoro uta’awase 04

Original

ちはやぶるかすがのはらにこきまぜてはなともみゆるかみのきねかな

chihayaburu
kasuga no hara ni
kokimazete
hana tomo miyuru
kami no kine kana
On mighty
Kasuga plain
All blend together
Blossom seen with
The God’s servitors!

Mitsune
10

Left (Win)

かすがののはなとはまたも見えぬべしいまこむはるのかざしがてらに

kasugano no
hana to wa mata mo
mienubeshi
ima komu haru no
kazashigatera ni
Kasuga Plain’s
Blossom once more
Could be seen,
In the spring now lying ahead,
As a garland in its hair…

11

Right

はるがすみたちまじりつつゆくからにあだにもはなとみえにけるかな

harugasumi
tachimajiritsutsu
yuku kara ni
ada ni mo hana to
mienikeru kana
Amidst the haze of spring
Standing
Have we come, so
It might be untrue, but as blossom
Do we seem!

12

The Lady of the Right on this occasion mistook the word ‘plain’ in the original poem and wrote down ‘meadow’ instead. This was challenged by the Lady of the Left, saying, ‘That’s what we heard. When someone composes at variance with the conception of the topic, that’s a loss. Thus, the Lady of the Right loses.’

Tadafusa then said to His Majesty, ‘The character used to write “plain” can, in fact, also be used to write “field”. Even though the Right is inferior, it is still a fine poem, and so I would make this a tie.’

His Majesty responded, ‘The does not correspond to what has been said. You don’t seem to reached a logical conclusion.’

Tadafusa silently bowed his head, and after long while, eventually, said, ‘What the Lady of the Left has said is logical and appropriate.’

‘Well, then, judge again, based on this,’ His Majesty instructed, and the Lady of the Right lost, and was not permitted another composition.

Kyōgoku no miyasudokoro uta’awase 02

Original

さくらばなみかさのやまのかげしあればゆきとふるともぬれじとぞおもふ

sakurabana
mikasa no yama no
kage shi areba
yuki to furutomo
nureji to zo omou
When cherry blossom
Upon Mikasa mountain
Shows its shape,
Even should snow fall,
I’ll not get damp, I feel![1]

4

Left

このまよりはなのゆきのみちりくるはみかさのやまのもるにざるべき

ko no ma yori
hana no yuki nomi
chirikuru wa
mikasa no yama no
morunizarubeki
Between the trees
Simply a snow of blossom
Comes a’falling—
Mikasa mountain
Will certainly be covered![2]

5

Right (Win)

かすがのにゆきとふるてふはなみにぞみかさの山をさしてきにける

kasugano ni
yuki to furu chō
hanami ni zo
mikasa no yama o
sashite kinikeri
Upon Kasuga Plain,
Snow falls, they say—
Indeed, when viewing blossom
On Mikasa mountain, an umbrella
Raise up as you come!

6


[1] This is included in Shūishū (XVI: 1056) as an anonymous poem under the heading ‘Topic unknown’.

[2] This poem is included in Shinsenzaishū (II: 152), as an anonymous poem with the headnote: ‘Composed in reply to “When cherry blossom / Upon Mikasa mountain / Shows its shape, / Even should snow fall, / I’ll not get damp, I feel!”, which was among twenty-one poems by provincial officials, when the Kyōgoku Lady of the Bedchamber went to Kasuga.’