From the Poetry Contest held by the Empress Dowager during the Reign of the Kanpyō Emperor.
神無月しぐれふるらしさほ山のまさきのかづら色まさり行く
kaminazuki
shigure fururashi
saoyama no
masaki no kazura
iro masarikeri | In the Godless Month
Showers fall, it seems, for
On Sao Mountain
The evergreen arrowroot’s
Hues are fine, indeed. |
Anonymous
A utensil bearer’s poem.
み山にはあられふるらしとやまなるまさきのかづらいろづきにけり
miyama ni Fa
arare Fururasi
toyama naru
masaki no kadura
irodukinikeri | Upon the sacred mountain
Hail has fallen, it seems,
For on the distant slopes
The evergreen kazura trees
Have changed their hues. |
Anonymous
On a day when I had been visiting temples, to the Captain of the Outer Palace Guards:
いそがなむ散りもこそすれもみぢするまさきのかづら遲くゝるとて
isoganamu
tiri mo koso sure
momidi suru
masaki no kadura
osoku kuru tote |
Make haste!
For they will fall,
Taking on autumn shades,
The evergreen creepers,
Should you dally more! |
My reply:
いそがずは散りもこそすれもみぢするまさきのかづら遲く來るとて
isogazu Fa
tiri mo koso sure
momidi suru
masaki no kadura
wosoku kuru tote |
If all unhurried,
They will be lost?
In autumn colours
The yellow jasmine vines
Are difficult, indeed, to draw in! |
When Nobukata said he was going to serve at the Palace.
いでたちて友待つほどの久しきはまさきのかづら散りやしぬらむ
idetatite
tomo matu Fodo no
Fisasiki Fa
masaki no kadura
tiri ya sinuramu |
Setting off,
The wait to see you, my friend,
Will last so long:
The vines of yellow jasmine
May have lost their leaves… |
Fulling cloth.
色かはるまさきのかづら長き夜に外山の里は衣うつらん
iro kawaru
masaki no kazura
nagaki yo ni
toyama no sato wa
koromo utsuran |
Hue changing
Star jasmine vine –
All the long night through
In a house close by the mountains
Beating clothes clean. |
A cuckoo comes calling.
郭公きかずは何を外山なるまさきのかづらくるかひにせむ
hototogisu
kikazu wa nani o
toyama naru
masaki no kazura
kuru kai ni semu |
The cuckoo
Goes unheard, so why
To the distant mountains –
Vine choked –
Does he come calling? |
Topic unknown.
神なびのみむろの山のくずかづらうらふきかへす秋はきにけり
kami nabi no
mimuro no yama no
kuzukazura
urafukikaesu
aki wa kinikeri |
On the gods’ own
Mountain
The vine leaves
Are blown underside-up:
Autumn is here, indeed. |
Middle Counsellor [Ōtomo no] Yakamochi
大伴家持
'Simply moving and elegant'